10 Actors Who Conducted Insane Research For Iconic Movie Roles

3. Forest Whitaker - The Last King Of Scotland (2006)

The Last King of Scotland, released back in 2006, starred James McAvoy as a young Scottish doctor who becomes the personal physician to Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, as played brilliantly by Forest Whitaker. To prepare for his role as the real life dictator (who once declared himself "the king of Scotland"), Whitaker underwent an extremely thorough and notoriously intricate research process.

He started by learning to play the accordion, which was one of Amin's favourite pastimes, and moved to Uganda to breathe in the atmosphere and politics of the country the movie is set within. There, he met with as many of Amin's relatives, former generals, friends and victims in an attempt to build up a wide and unbiased portrait of the man himself.

Then Whitaker took up learning Swahili (as you do), and spent months mastering Amin's East African accent. He was also reported to have read dozens and dozens on books on Amin.

So what did all this research amount to, then? Sadly, nothing at all. Just kidding: a Best Actor Academy Award, of course - what else?