Conversation With Latest Star Wars Jedi, Forest Whitaker
The Experiences Auction is our first collaboration with renowned auction house Sotheby's that explores how experiences might inspire, enrich, and bring you happiness. Among ourOFFERINGS is a meeting with Forest Whitaker, which puts you at the center of this holiday season’s anticipated film, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”
Below is an excerpt from Alexandra Owen’s interview with the actor and activist, in which he talks about entering the “Star Wars” universe as rebel leader Saw Gerrera and his work at The Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI), for which this auction will benefit.
To read the entirety of Alexandra’s post "5 Questions with Forest Whitaker," go here. And to join Forest at the “Rogue One” exclusive screening in London and attend the after-party, place a bid online by December 9 here. If you're like us, and can't get enough of "Star Wars," you'll also want to check out the Los Angeles premiere and our treasure trove of autographed merchandise, which includes a suitcase filled with "Rogue One" toys and action figures.
Sotheby’s: How did you prepare to play Saw Gerrera in "Rogue One?"
Forest Whitaker: There’s a rich history of who Saw Gerrera is and where he originated, since the character existed in Star Wars lore before Rogue One was filmed. I started to prepare by looking at his journey throughout the Clone Wars series, and worked to understand Saw's sense of leadership on Onderon, his home planet. Then I explored how he began to fight back in the militia, and tracked the ways in which his training evolved: becoming a rebel as the war continued and ultimately even becoming too extreme for the rebels. Alongside a movement coach, I worked to figure out the significance of Saw's staff, which was imbued with great significance and the memories of his past.
Saw was trained by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker themselves, so the staff was much more than a walking tool; it was a way for Saw to incorporate his Jedi training and that philosophy into his existence. The staff also served as a reminder of the battles, which caused Saw to lose his leg, and helped me to build the character's emotions on my own. I saw how the loss of his friends and family pushed him to understand that the universe was being destroyed, and resulted in him becoming a freedom fighter inORDER to stop the destruction of the universe.
S: You’ve taken on a diverse range of roles. When you sign onto a movie, are you drawn to particular types of characters, scripts or themes?
FW: As an artist, I'm always attempting to continue to grow and find new ways to challenge myself. I seek to understand the connections between each character I've played throughout my career, as well as how they each relate to humanity. So, I look to choose characters, scripts and themes that help me to continue to explore that humanity, and which centre around our relationships within the world and the ways we can improve the quality of our lives.
S: Could you talk a bit about the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative and what inspired you to start that organization?
FW: WPDI is an organization that I created in 2012 to mobilize young women and men from places that have been impacted by conflict or violence. In 2006, I was working on "The Last King of Scotland" in Uganda when I met Sam Okello. He was enrolled as a child soldier in the civil war that tore the north of the country for years. He told me of the campus he had created, Hope North, to rehabilitate former child soldiers. Too often, these children have lost everything. These youths needed more than assistance. I gave a lot of thinking to this and eventually came up with the main idea behind WPDI – to gather young women and men who come from traumatized communities and give them a unique set of skills as mediators, communicators, and entrepreneurs. My view is that we can help peace if we help communities transform from the inside, on their own terms. This is where the young people I train and support through WPDI are so important. They can bring about positive change that is based on global awareness, but that remains in tune with local realities.
How To Bid With Ease: A Handy Cheat Sheet To IfOnly’s Live Auctions
Every holiday sparks a flurry of activity and while we understand the lure of checking off your list as quickly as possible, it would be a mistake to skip over IfOnly’s one-of-a-kind GIFTS only available by auction. We believe these extraordinary experiences are worth the extra effort to surprise and delight.
IfOnly’s live auctions are thrilling and fast-paced. Fortunately, here’s a handy cheat sheet, which provides an overview of the process.
Step 1: Log in or sign up at IfOnly.
Our auctions are open to registered members only. Credit card information is necessary to place and confirm bids. You’ll only be charged if you win the auction.
Step 2: Place your bid.
Once you place a bid, you’ll be taken to an ORDER page. By clicking the green “PLACE BID” button you’re consenting to pay for the auction item if you win. As a rule, you cannot cancel or retract a bid. How much should you bid? Starting and incremental bids are determined by our luminaries and will be stated on the page.
Step 3: Track your auction.
We make it easy to monitor auction items with email notifications and a prominently placed countdown display on each page. You can also find a one-click tool to EXPORT auction end dates into your calendar, so you'll always be in the know.
Step 4: WATCH the final moments.
Part of the fun of an auction comes down to the final minutes. The auction clock is designed to give you a chance to respond to higher bids, so that you’ll never be outbid if you’re serious about one of our offerings. In the last two minutes, each new bid will extend the auction time by two minutes.
If you’ve won, what happens next?
You’ll receive an email confirmation and your credit card will be charged with the final bid amount. Besides tax on certain items, IfOnly does not charge additional premiums. Soon after, you’ll receive a call from our concierge to congratulate you and begin the process of redeeming your PURCHASE.
We think IfOnly’s auctions are the jewels of our extraordinary collection of experiences. They are once-in-a-lifetime adventures that make for memorable GIFTS. And as the best gifts are, the thought is everything Your recipient will appreciate the extra time it took to acquire their gift and the story that comes with winning a fiercely contested auction.
We couldn't have done this without the help of our developers, members, and partners, whose feedback has made our auctions a success for the IMPORTANT charities that we support. To peruse IfOnly's entire catalog of celebrity-driven auctions, go here.
Invitations to the Vanity Fair Oscar Party
Meeting with Melissa McCarthy on the set of her new film
Signed limited-edition artist's proof by Shepard Fairey
Wildlandia's Bay Area Seaplane Adventure
Ever wondered what it's like to see San Francisco from new heights? Nicole, the author of Wildlandia, shows us her adventure from IfOnly's Midday Seaplane Adventure along with her dog, Jack. You may have even seen Jack before, the dog that can balance anything on his head.
"We took off from Sausalito (just north of the Golden Gate Bridge), then flew over the city, circled around Alcatraz and the east bay, before heading north along the coastline up to Point Reyes. It was so cool to look down and see the giant redwood trees in Muir Woods, and take turns spotting gray whales off the coast."
"Jack was our co-pilot. Well, actually, we decided at the last minute that it would be too loud for him in the plane (preserving his hearing was more important) – so he stayed back on the dock with Ava, the woman who wrangles the plane in after it lands (thanks Ava!). Once we landed, Jack jumped inside the plane so he could see what we had been up to! It was so much fun. We were reminded just how beautiful this place we call home really is."
"I’d probably have to say my favorite parts were flying close to the Golden Gate Bridge and seeing the huge cliffs on the coastline. It was so cool to see another perspective of the San Francisco Bay. That, and seeing Jack on the dock doing his happy dance when we returned."
"As you know, we’re into living life to the fullest. Experiences rank higher than any material good could to us. For this experience, we used IfOnly, a company that specializes in “Experiences For Good”- extraordinary experiences that give back to charities. We loved it – and it’s great if you’re looking for something local to do while visiting a new city, or even doing something extravagant.."
"IfOnly is a great marketplace for incredible experiences. Not to mention an awesome way to give the gift of adventure to your friends and family."
Want to hear more from Nicole? Visit her amazing blog, Wildlandia.com!
Adrenaline Rushing Adventure Activities In San Francisco
San Francisco offers a great variety of adventure activities for the people. There are a lot of places within the city to have adventures. To know about the adventure experiences in SF, you can check out Ifonly. Let us go through some adventure activities which people can do without going out of the city.
Rock climbing is one of the great adventures you can have in San Francisco. There are separate options for the beginners. Climbers have found different ways to climb a rock these days. If you are a person who enjoys time in playing with water, Kayaking is the best option. You can kayak or paddle out to an island.
If you are a bike rider, do not miss the chance to do a mountain biking. Mount Sutro is the best place for mountain biking. Kiteboarding is something that is made exclusively for San Francisco. A different version of kiteboarding is available for beginners. If kiteboarding is not your cup of tea, you can always opt for Windsurfing in Treasure Island.
Surfing is one of the major attractions of San Francisco. The waves can reach up to 20 feet height on some days. People who are not professional surfers can get to the beach on the days the beach is calm and do surfing. Beginners should take complete safety measures before going for surfing and should do surfing under the supervision of the coastal guards.
Stand-up paddle boarding is something that is famous now a day. You can pay rent and hire a paddleboard and enjoy the ride to the beach where the waves are relatively flat. Paddleboard can also be used as a surfboard if you want to have more adventure. People who have an interest in hiking can select it as well. San Francisco invites a lot of people to enjoy the experience from adventures, all you need to find is the best adventure you want to do.
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