David Oyelowo | |
|---|---|
 Oyelowo in 2015 | |
| Born | David Oyetokunbo Oyelowo (1976-04-01)1 April 1976 (age 48) Oxford,Oxfordshire, England |
| Other names | David O. |
| Citizenship | |
| Alma mater | London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
David Oyetokunbo Oyelowo (/oʊˈjɛloʊwoʊ/oh-YEL-oh-woh;Yoruba pronunciationⓘ;[1][2] born 1 April 1976) is a British actor, director and producer. His accolades include aCritics' Choice Award and twoNAACP Image Awards as well as nominations for threeGolden Globe Awards, twoPrimetime Emmy Awards, aScreen Actors Guild Award, and aBAFTA Award. In 2016, he was appointed an Officer of theOrder of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to drama.
Oyelowo rose to prominence for portrayingMartin Luther King Jr. in the biographical drama filmSelma (2014) and Peter Snowden in theHBO filmNightingale (2014), both of which garnered him critical acclaim. He also achieved praise for his roles as Louis Gaines inThe Butler (2013),Seretse Khama inA United Kingdom (2016) and Robert Katende inQueen of Katwe (2016). He has also played supporting roles in the filmsRise of the Planet of the Apes (2011),The Help (2011),Lincoln (2012),Red Tails (2012), andJack Reacher (2012).
On television, Oyelowo has playedMI5 officerDanny Hunter in the British drama seriesSpooks (2002–2004) andJavert in the BBC miniseriesLes Misérables (2018). He also provided the voice forAgent Alexsandr Kallus in theLucasfilm Animation seriesStar Wars Rebels (2014–2018) and Holston Becker in the Apple+ drama series Silo. He stars in and co-produces the 2023Paramount+ western seriesLawmen: Bass Reeves.
Oyelowo was born on 1 April 1976[3][4] inOxford,Oxfordshire,[5] to Nigerian parents.[6][7] His father, Stephen,[8] is fromOyo State, South West Nigeria, while his mother isIgbo from South East Nigeria.[9] He was brought up as aBaptist.[8] He grew up on an estate[8] inTooting Bec,South London, until he was six, when his family moved toLagos,[7][10] Nigeria, where his father[8] worked for the national airline and his mother worked for a railway company. Oyelowo grew up idolisingSidney Poitier andDenzel Washington.[7]
Oyelowo is anomoba (or prince) of theYoruba people in theNigerian chieftaincy system, his grandfather having been king of "a part of Oyo State called Awe". He has commented of his background: "It sounds way more impressive than it actually is. There are so many royal families in Africa",[8] "royal families are a dime a dozen in Nigeria";[2] "what we think of as royalty in the UK is very different to royalty in Nigeria: if you were to throw a stone there, you would hit about 30 princes. So, it's a bit more like being the Prince of Islington: it was useful for getting dates but probably not much else".[11]
Oyelowo attended a "military-style" boarding-school namedLagos State Model College Meiran (nowLagos State Model Junior College Meiran.[8] His family returned to London when Oyelowo was 14,[12] settling inIslington.[8]
While enrolled intheatre studies atCity and Islington College, his teacher suggested that he become an actor. Oyelowo enrolled for a year in an actingfoundation course, at theLondon Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).[8] He finished his three-year training in 1998.[13]
He also spent time with theNational Youth Theatre.[14]
He began his stage career in 1999 when he was offered a season with theRoyal Shakespeare Company playing roles inBen Jonson'sVolpone, as the title character inOroonoko (which he also performed in the BBC radio adaptation) andShakespeare'sAntony and Cleopatra (1999) alongsideGuy Henry,Frances de la Tour andAlan Bates. However, he is best known for his next stage performance asKing Henry VI[10] in the Royal Shakespeare Company's 2001 productions of Shakespeare's trilogy of plays about the king as a part of its seasonThis England: The Histories. In a major landmark forcolour-blind casting, Oyelowo was the first black actor to play an English king in a major production of Shakespeare, and although this casting choice was initially criticised by some in the media, Oyelowo's performance was critically acclaimed and later won the 2001Ian Charleson Award for best performance by an actor under 30 in a classical play.
In 2005, he appeared in a production ofPrometheus Bound, which was revived in New York City in 2007. In 2006, he made his directorial debut on a production ofThe White Devil, produced by Inservice, his theatre company inBrighton which is co-run with fellow Brighton-based actorsPriyanga Burford,Israel Aduramo, Penelope Cobbuld, and his wife, Jessica.[15] He played the title role inOthello in 2016 at theNew York Theatre Workshop withDaniel Craig asIago, directed bySam Gold.[16] In 2024, he starred in theRoyal National Theater production ofCoriolanus.
Oyelowo is best known for playing MI5 officerDanny Hunter in the British drama seriesSpooks (known inNorth America asMI-5) from 2002 to 2004. He had before that appeared inTomorrow La Scala (2002),Maisie Raine (1998) andBrothers and Sisters (1998). Soon after the end of his time onSpooks Oyelowo also appeared in the two Christmas specials ofAs Time Goes By (2005). In 2006, he appeared in the television filmBorn Equal alongsideNikki Amuka-Bird as a couple fleeing persecution inNigeria – they also both appeared inShoot the Messenger (2006) and inThe No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (2008) as a husband and wife. Other cameos have includedMayo (guest-starring on 30 April 2006) and the television filmSweet Nothing in My Ear (2008, asdefence attorney Leonard Grisham), while he has played recurring or main characters inFive Days (2007) andThe Passion (2008, asJoseph of Arimathea).
In December 2009, he played the leading role of Gilbert in the BBC TV adaptation ofAndrea Levy's novelSmall Island.[17] In March 2010, he played the role of Keme Tobodo in the BBC's drama seriesBlood and Oil.[18] He starred in theHBO original filmNightingale (2014).[citation needed]
He stars in and co-produces the 2023 American western seriesLawmen: Bass Reeves, based on the life of former slaveBass Reeves who, after theAmerican Civil War, became one of the first Blackdeputy U.S. Marshals, and the first west of theMississippi River.[19][20]
He appeared asOlaudah Equiano inGrace Unshackled – The Olaudah Equiano Story, a radio play adapting Equiano's autobiography,The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano. This was first broadcast onBBC 7 on 8 April 2007, with his wife Jessica Oyelowo as Mrs. Equiano.
In 2007, Oyelowo was the reader forJohn le Carré'sThe Mission Song.AudioFile magazine stated: "Think of David Oyelowo as a single musician playing all the instruments in a symphony. That is essentially what he manages in this inspired performance of John le Carré's suspense novel.... Can it really have been only one man in the narrator's recording booth? This virtuoso performance makes that seem impossible."[21] In 2015, he was selected to portrayJames Bond in anaudiobook version ofTrigger Mortis, written byAnthony Horowitz.[22]
As of 2014[update], he provides the voice of Imperial Security Bureau agentAlexsandr Kallus on the animated seriesStar Wars Rebels.[23] As of 2017[update], Oyelowo voices the spirit ofScar, the main antagonist in season 2 ofThe Lion Guard. Oyelowo voiced the Tiger in a television adaptation ofThe Tiger Who Came to Tea which aired onChannel 4 for Christmas 2019.[24]
In 2012, Oyelowo appeared inMiddle of Nowhere. Writer-directorAva DuVernay had been a fan of his work and had considered asking him to take the role, however before she could, Oyelowo received the script coincidentally from a friend of a friend of DuVernay's who happened to be sitting next to him on the plane and was considering investing in the project.[25] The film premiered at the2012 Sundance Film Festival to critical raves. That same year Oyelowo appeared inLee Daniels'The Paperboy, which competed for thePalme d'Or at the2012 Cannes Film Festival.[26] Oyelowo reunited with Daniels the following year inThe Butler.[27]
In 2014, Oyelowo formed his own independent production company, Yoruba Saxon Productions which has co-produced movies that featured him including,Nightingale,Captive,Five Nights in Maine and most recently,A United Kingdom.[28]
He worked with DuVernay again forSelma (2014), playing civil rights activistMartin Luther King Jr. The film, based on the1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches, had originally been set to be directed byLee Daniels, but the project was dropped by Daniels so he could focus onThe Butler.
He was slated to star withLupita Nyong'o in a film adaptation of theChimamanda Ngozi Adichie novelAmericanah but scheduling conflicts meant the project never moved forward.
In February 2019, it was announced that Oyelowo had joined thePeter Rabbit cast withJames Corden,Rose Byrne andDomhnall Gleeson reprising their roles asthe title character, Bea and Thomas McGregor forits sequel due to be released in March 2021.[29][30]
In 2020, Oyelowo starred alongsideGeorge Clooney in theNetflix filmThe Midnight Sky.[31] More recently, his Yoruba Saxon company signed a first look deal with Disney.[32] The first film to come out of the deal will beThe Return of the Rocketeer, aDisney+-exclusive sequel to the 1991 filmThe Rocketeer, which Oyelowo will produce alongside his wife,Jessica, andBrigham Taylor.[33] Oyelowo is also being considered to star in the film, which will center on "a retired Tuskegee airman who takes up the Rocketeer mantle".[33]
For his portrayal of Martin Luther King Jr. inSelma, Oyelowo received theNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture. He received his firstGolden Globe Award nomination forBest Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama, while also receiving a nomination forCritics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actor.[34]
Also in 2014, for his performance inNightingale, he won theCritics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries and was nominated for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie,Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film,NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special and aSatellite Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film.
Oyelowo was appointed Officer of theOrder of the British Empire (OBE) in the2016 New Year Honours for services to drama.[35]
In 2024, Oyewolo was nominated for theGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film for his performance inLawmen: Bass Reeves asBass Reeves.[36]
He is married to actressJessica Oyelowo,[9] whom he met at LAMDA and with whom he has four children. They lived inBrighton[37] before moving toLos Angeles,California.[7] Oyelowo is apescetarian.[38]
A devoutChristian,[10] Oyelowo has stated that he believes God called him to play Rev.Martin Luther King Jr. Reflecting on his portrayal of King in the filmSelma, Oyelowo has asserted: "I always knew that in order to play Dr. King, I had to have God flow through me because when you see Dr. King giving those speeches, you see that he is moving in his anointing."[39]
Adual citizen, Oyelowo and his wife becamenaturalizedUS citizens on 20 July 2016.[40][41] On doing so, he stated: "I did a film calledSelma... and that film centres on voting rights and I've lived here for nearly 10 years now and to be walking around and doing a film about voting rights and telling people to vote, and you can't vote yourself is a little hypocritical. I decided it's time to do it and no time better than now."[40]
He expressed solidarity with Palestine during the2023 Israel–Hamas war. Oyelowo, as part of a group called Artists4Ceasefire, signed a letter urging US PresidentJoe Biden to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.[42]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Maisie Raine | Sonny McDonald | Episode: "Food of Love" |
| Brothers and Sisters | Lester Peters | ||
| 2002–2004 | Spooks | Danny Hunter | |
| 2005 | As Time Goes By | Patrick | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | Shoot the Messenger | Joseph Pascale | TV movie |
| The Gil Mayo Mysteries | Eddie Barton, "Sexy" M.P. | Episode: "Episode #1.8" | |
| 2007 | Five Days | Matt Wellings | Miniseries; 4 episodes |
| 2008 | A Raisin in the Sun | Joseph Asagai | TV movie |
| The Passion | Joseph of Arimathea | TV miniseries (1 episode) | |
| The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency | Kremlin Busang | Episode: "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" | |
| 2009 | Small Island | Gilbert | TV movie |
| 2010 | Blood and Oil | Keme Tobodo | TV movie |
| 2011 | The Good Wife | Judge Edward Weldon | Episode: "Two Courts" |
| 2010–2011 | Glenn Martin, DDS | Teacher / Clarence (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Complicit | Edward Ekubo | TV movie |
| 2014–2018 | Star Wars Rebels | Alexsandr Kallus (voice) | 28 episodes[5][23] |
| 2014 | Robot Chicken | Gandalf /The Doctor (voice) | Episode: "Walking Dead Lobster" |
| 2017 | The Lion Guard: The Rise of Scar | Scar (voice) | TV movie[49] |
| 2017–2019 | The Lion Guard | Scar (voice) | 17 episodes[50] |
| 2018 | The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale | Himself | Episode: "Pizza Ghost" |
| 2018–2019 | Les Misérables | Javert | 6 episodes |
| 2020 | Home Movie: The Princess Bride[51] | Humperdinck | Episode: "Chapter Six: The Fire Swamp" |
| 5150 | Television short; executive producer[52] | ||
| 2021 | The Girl Before | Edward | Main role |
| 2023 | Silo | Holston Becker | Main role |
| Lawmen: Bass Reeves | Bass Reeves | Main role Nominated—Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | |
| 2025 | Nature | Narrator | Episode: "Big Cats: Small World", Two-part miniseries |
| Government Cheese | Hampton Chambers | Main role; also executive producer[53] |
| Year | Title | Role | Theater | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | The Suppliants | King Palasgus | Gate Theatre | [54] |
| 1999 | Antony and Cleopatra | Dercetus | Royal Shakespeare Company | [55] |
| 1999 | Volpone | Bonario | [55] | |
| 1999 | Oroonoko | Aboan | [56] | |
| 2001 | Richard III | Ghost of Henry VI | [57] | |
| 2001 | Henry VI: Parts 1,2 &3 | Henry VI | [58] | |
| 2003 | The God Botherers | Monday | Bush Theatre | [59] |
| 2007 | Prometheus Bound | Prometheus | Classic Stage Company | [60] |
| 2016 | Othello | Othello | New York Theater Workshop | [61] |
| 2024 | Coriolanus | Coriolanus | Royal National Theatre | [62] |
By John le Carré, Read by David Oyelowo
