David Oyelowo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids David Oyelowo OBE
Oyelowo in 2015
Born	David Oyetokunbo Oyelowo (1976-04-01) 1 April 1976 (age 49) Oxford, Oxfordshire, England
Other names	David O.
Citizenship	British (1976–present) Nigerian (1976–present) U.S. (2016–present)
Alma mater	London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Occupation	Actor director producer
Years active	1998–present
Spouse(s)	Jessica Watson ​ (m. 1998)​
Children	4

David Oyelowo (born April 1, 1976) is a talented British-American actor, director, and producer. He has won several awards, including a Critics' Choice Award and two NAACP Image Awards. He has also been nominated for many other big awards like the Golden Globe Awards and Emmy Awards. In 2016, he was given a special honor called the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his amazing work in drama.

David Oyelowo became very well known for playing Martin Luther King Jr. in the movie Selma (2014). He also received great reviews for his role as Peter Snowdin in the HBO film Nightingale (2014). Some of his other popular roles include Louis Gaines in The Butler (2013), Seretse Khama in A United Kingdom (2016), and Robert Katende in Queen of Katwe (2016). You might also have seen him in supporting roles in movies like Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), The Help (2011), and Lincoln (2012).

On television, David Oyelowo played MI5 officer Danny Hunter in the British show Spooks (2002–2004). He also played Javert in the BBC miniseries Les Misérables (2018). Kids might recognize his voice as Agent Alexsandr Kallus in the animated series Star Wars Rebels (2014–2018). He also stars in and helps produce the 2023 series Lawmen: Bass Reeves on Paramount+.

Early Life and Education

David Oyelowo was born in Oxford, England, on April 1, 1976. His parents are from Nigeria. He lived in South London until he was six years old, then his family moved to Lagos, Nigeria. His father worked for an airline, and his mother worked for a railway company. David looked up to famous actors like Sidney Poitier and Denzel Washington when he was growing up.

When he was 14, his family moved back to London. While studying theater in college, his teacher suggested he become an actor. David then went to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and finished his acting training in 1998. He also spent time with the National Youth Theatre, which helps young people get into acting.

Career Highlights

Stage Performances

David Oyelowo started his acting career on stage in 1999 with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He played roles in plays like Volpone and Antony and Cleopatra. He is especially known for playing King Henry VI in Shakespeare's plays about the king in 2001. This was a big moment because he was the first black actor to play an English king in a major Shakespeare production. Even though some people were surprised at first, David's performance was highly praised and he won an award for it.

In 2016, he played the main role in Othello in New York City, acting alongside Daniel Craig.

Television Roles

Many people know David Oyelowo from his role as MI5 officer Danny Hunter in the British TV series Spooks from 2002 to 2004. He also appeared in the Christmas specials of As Time Goes By in 2005.

In 2009, he played Gilbert in the BBC TV show Small Island. He also starred in the HBO film Nightingale (2014), where he played Peter Snowden. More recently, he stars in and helps produce the American western series Lawmen: Bass Reeves (2023), which tells the story of Bass Reeves, one of the first Black deputy U.S. Marshals.

Voice Acting

David Oyelowo is also a talented voice actor. Since 2014, he has voiced the character Alexsandr Kallus in the animated series Star Wars Rebels. He also voiced the spirit of Scar in season 2 of The Lion Guard. In 2015, he was chosen to voice James Bond in an audiobook version of Trigger Mortis. He even voiced the Tiger in a TV show based on the book The Tiger Who Came to Tea in 2019.

Film Roles

In 2012, David Oyelowo appeared in the film Middle of Nowhere. The director, Ava DuVernay, was a big fan of his work. He later worked with her again on the critically acclaimed film Selma (2014), where he played civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr..

In 2014, David started his own production company called Yoruba Saxon Productions. This company has helped make movies that he starred in, like Nightingale and A United Kingdom.

In 2020, David Oyelowo starred with George Clooney in the Netflix movie The Midnight Sky. His company also signed a deal with Disney. The first movie from this deal will be The Return of the Rocketeer, a sequel to the 1991 film The Rocketeer. David will produce this movie and might even star in it as a retired Tuskegee airman.

Awards and Honors

David Oyelowo has received many awards for his acting. For his role as Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, he won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award and a Critics' Choice Movie Award.

For his performance in Nightingale, he won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries. He was also nominated for an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for this role.

In 2016, David Oyelowo was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This is a special honor given by the British government for his contributions to drama.

In 2024, he was nominated for another Golden Globe Award for his role as Bass Reeves in the series Lawmen: Bass Reeves.

Personal Life

David Oyelowo is married to actress Jessica Oyelowo. They met while studying acting at LAMDA and have four children together. They used to live in Brighton, England, before moving to Los Angeles, California.

David is a Christian and has said that he believes God called him to play the role of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. He felt that to play Dr. King, he needed to feel a strong spiritual connection.

David and his wife became naturalized US citizens on July 20, 2016. He explained that he decided to become a citizen because he had made a film about voting rights (Selma), and he felt it was important to be able to vote himself after living in the US for many years.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theater

See also

In Spanish: David Oyelowo para niños