If there is one Nigerian in diaspora doing Nigerians proud, it is David Oyelowo, the sensational actor whose performance in the movie Selma, earned him Golden Globe nomination and brought him worldwide recognition. You may also know him for his roles in movies like The Butler, Rise of The Planet of The Apes, Queen of Katwe, and Middle of Nowhere.
David Oyelowo has become a big shot in the industry and he appears to have a big career ahead of him.
Read more about David Oyelowo
Who is David Oyelowo?
David Oyelowo was born in Oxford, Oxfordshire, to Nigerian parents. His father is of Yoruba descent while his mother is of Edo origin. His family moved to Nigeria when he was six but returned to London when he was fourteen. Â
While in college, he fell in love with acting after his teacher encouraged him to take it up. This would lead him to enrol at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) where he spent three years studying an acting foundation course. By 1999, David had started appearing in stage roles in Royal Shakespeare Company where he got cast as several Shakespearean characters.Â
Rise To Fame
After making it as a stage actor, it was time to move on to bigger things and this time around, it was television. David’s is best known for playing the role of an M15 officer in the British television drama series Spooks. He went on to appear on more TV shows like Born Equal, The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, Sweet Nothing In My Ear, Five Days, and HBO’s Nightingale.Â
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In 2006, he started film acting, making an appearance in Middle Of Nowhere, a film which was directed by Ava Duvernay. He then went on to work with Lee Daniels in movies like The Paperboy and The Butler. By 2014, David was back to working with Ava Duvernay for the film Selma, in which he played civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. This performance earned him the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture, the Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama, and a nomination for Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Actor.
Nigeria’s Influence On His Career
David credits his confidence as an actor to the years he spent in Nigeria. Speaking on this, he said:
“Tonight, I would tell you the reason I have so much confidence in what is happening with Nollywood. The confidence I have as an actor came from my Nigerian heritage. I lived in Nigeria for seven-year from the age of six to 13. And something I learned there was how to walk into any situation as they came. We don’t know how to be shy. We don’t know how to walk into a room sideways. Working as an actor in the UK, we get so formal with the lines when we go for auditions. But in Naija, we say… ‘‘just give me the part now, let me play it.”
-David Oyelowo
Featured Image Source: Observer
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