David Oyelowo

Birth Name: David Oyetokunbo Oyelowo

Nickname/Stage Name: David Oyelowo

Birth Date: April 1, 1976

Genres: Action, Animation, Drama, Sci-fi

Occupation(s): Actor, Producer

Years Active: 1998 till Present

Net Worth: $6 million

 

Personal Life

David Oyelowo was born in England to Nigerian parents. His father was from Oyo State in western Nigeria while his mother hailed from Edo State in southern Nigeria.

He is married to actress Jessica Oyelowo and they have four children. They currently reside in Los Angeles, California.

Education

Oyelowo attended a "military-style" boarding school while growing up in Lagos, Nigeria. He and his family returned to London when he was fourteen and he enrolled in Theatre Studies at City and Islington College.

He also enrolled at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), finishing his three-year training in 1998.

Career

Oyelowo started acting for the stage in 1999 and he played MI5 officer Danny Hunter in the British drama series Spooks. He appeared in Middle of Nowhere in 2012 and was seen in Lee Daniels' The Butler (2013).

He played the role of Martin Luther King Jr. in Ava DuVernay's drama Selma (2014). His other film credits include Captive (2015), Queen of Katwe (2016), Gringo (2018), and The Water Man (2020).

Awards

Satellite Award (2007)

NAACP Image Award (2014, 2015)

Critics' Choice Award (2015)

Quotes

"It's fascinating to work with a company of actors of such different ages, experience and talents. I'm one of a generation brought up on television whose acting is more naturalistic, whereas with some of the older generation it's more heightened. But I think there's room for both styles."

"I think it's vital to have something outside your acting to keep you rooted in the real world, and help you fill the vacuum. If you have nothing else, it can be unhealthy. For me, being a Christian has been invaluable: it simply means acting isn't the centre of my life."

Trivia

He became the first black actor to play an English monarch when he portrayed the titular character in a stage production of Henry VI Parts I, II and III in 2000.

He is a friend of Oprah Winfrey.

Movies

Dog Eat Dog (2001)

Derailed (2005)

Rage (2009)

The Help (2011)

The Butler (2013)

Selma (2014)

A Wrinkle in Time (2018)

The Water Man (2020)

Chaos Walking (2021)