Forest Whitaker to star in crime drama Godfather of Harlem The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Oscar winner Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland) will star in the Epix crime drama Godfather of Harlem. The project received a 10-episode, straight-to-series order from the MGM-owned cable network. Godfather for Harlem tells the story of crime boss Bumpy Johnson (Whitaker), who in the early 1960s returned after 10 years in prison to find the neighborhood he once ruled in shambles.