Oyelowo was the first black actor to play a king in Henry VI when he performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2001. Since then, he has become Hollywood gold, appearing in movies such as The Last King of Scotland, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and most recently in Selma as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Oyelowo admitted that he had to leave his beloved UK for America in order to find more diverse opportunities as an actor. Speaking at the British Film Institute’s (BFI) Black Star Symposium he gave the following advice to young actors, “Don’t pat yourself on the back because you made that black drama. Bully for you! That’s not diversity, my friend.”
Oyelowo and his wife Jessica met while attending drama school in England. It was through the couples devout Christian faith that Oyelowo believes God called him to portray Dr. Martin Luther King in Selma. “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.” Oyelowo and his wife are the proud parents of three boys and one lucky little lady.
Congratulations to Oyelowo! We definitely look forward to seeing more of him on the big screen!
