David Oyelowo, a multiple Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Emmy-nominated actor and producer, is one of Hollywood’s most sought-after talents. Oyelowo produces and stars opposite Angelina Jolie in the upcoming film, COME AWAY, which will be released this November following its premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. This past September, David made his directorial debut with THE WATER MAN premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in which he starred alongside Lonnie Chavis and Rosario Dawson as well as produced under his Yoruba Saxon banner with ShivHans Pictures and Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films. This is the sixth film to be produced by his production company, Yoruba Saxon, along with prior films: COME AWAY, A UNITED KINGDOM, and NIGHTINGALE amongst others. David wrapped production earlier this year on THE MIDNIGHT SKY directed by and starring George Clooney which Netflix will debut this December. He can also be seen in Lionsgate’s CHAOS WALKING with Daisy Ridley and Tom Holland as well as Sony’s PETER RABBIT 2: THE RUNAWAY with Rose Byrne and Domhnall Gleeson early next year.
In 2019, he starred in the psychological thriller, DON’T LET GO from Blumhouse Productions along with Storm Reid. This followed his leading role as “Javert” opposite Dominic West in the BBC and PBS Masterpiece six-part adaptation of LES MISÉRABLES for which he also served as executive producer.
Additional film credits for David include: A UNITED KINGDOM; QUEEN OF KATWE opposite Lupita Nyong’o, for which he earned an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture; Christopher Nolan’s INTERSTELLAR; J.C Chandor’s A MOST VIOLENT YEAR; Paramount Pictures’ CAPTIVE, which he also produced; Lee Daniels’ THE BUTLER; Steven Spielberg’s LINCOLN, with Daniel Day-Lewis; the critically acclaimed independent drama, MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, which earned him NAACP Image Award and Independent Spirit Award nominations; JACK REACHER, opposite Tom Cruise; Lee Daniels’ THE PAPERBOY, opposite Nicole Kidman; the historical drama, RED TAILS, produced by George Lucas; Disney’s THE HELP, opposite Emma Stone and Viola Davis; and Kevin MacDonald’s THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND, opposite Forest Whitaker and James MacAvoy.
In 2014, Oyelowo gained international acclaim starring as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Ava DuVernay’s SELMA. For his performance, Oyelowo earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama and an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Male Lead and the film received an Oscar nomination for Best Motion Picture of the Year.
On the small screen, Oyelowo starred in the HBO film, NIGHTINGALE, earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television and two Emmy Award nominations – one for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie and one as an Executive Producer in the category of Outstanding Television Movie.
His additional television credits include his work in the UK starring on the popular BAFTA Award-winning series, SPOOKS/MI:5, and Masterpiece Theatre’s SMALL ISLAND in 2009, for which he won the Royal Television Society Award and was nominated for a BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor. He also appeared in ABC’s 2008 Golden Globe-nominated production of A RAISIN IN THE SUN, alongside Sanaa Lathan, Sean Combs and Phylicia Rashad. Oyelowo’s vocal talents can be heard in the multiple award-winning Disney animated series, STAR WARS REBELS, in which he plays Agent Kallus, Disney Junior’s THE LION GUARD, in which he voices Scar, and most recently as the Tiger in the newest adaptation of Judith Kerr’s THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA.
Also an accomplished and acclaimed stage actor, Oyelowo appeared opposite Daniel Craig as the title character in the New York Theatre Workshop Off-Broadway production of OTHELLO, directed by Sam Gold, earning stellar reviews and for which he was nominated for an Outer Critic Circle Award. Oyelowo gained national recognition for his performance as King Henry VI in the RSC’s 2001 production, when he was cast as the first black actor to play an English king in a major production of Shakespeare. The performance was critically acclaimed and Oyelowo won the 2001 Ian Charleson Award, which is presented in recognition of the best classical stage performances in Britain by actors under the age of 30, and earned an Evening Standard Theatre Award nomination.
In 2015, in association with The Geanco Foundation, Oyelowo established the David Oyelowo Leadership Scholarship to fully fund the education and rehabilitation of girls who have been directly affected by terrorism in Nigeria. He has continued to raise support for the Leadership Scholarship over the last four years, which is now providing thirty-two girls with an education in Nigeria. Oyelowo was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to drama.
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Twitter: @yorubasaxon