document.getElementById( "ak_js_4" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Get access to FREE business insights and funding opportunities daily. You cant put either of them in a box, he said, adding that its Oyelowos global worldview and his faith that drive his professional choices. With him having a strong religious faith rooted in his Nigerian background, and Jessica being a born-again Christian, the young couple became engaged when the Selma actor was just 20 years old. [20], As of 2014[update], he provides the voice of Imperial Security Bureau agent Alexsandr Kallus on the animated series Star Wars Rebels. "I love my wife even more than I did 24 years ago," he declared. However, he is best known for his next stage performance as King Henry VI[8] in the Royal Shakespeare Company's 2001 productions of Shakespeare's trilogy of plays about the king as a part of its season This England: The Histories. Martin Luther King Jr. On Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, David Oyelowo has worked with Domhnall Gleeson, and Lennie James. He's a bit of a nerd. See Also: Inspirational quotes by Nigerians that will inspire success in your life. The Extra-Terrestrial, The Goonies, Stand by Me, and manages to mostly avoid the realm of treacly melodrama. ", When Oyelowo earned a scholarship to the distinguished London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, his father's reaction wasn't what he was hoping for. Both she and her husband are committed Christians.. Oyelowo and her husband became naturalised US citizens on 20 July 2016. He had before that appeared in Tomorrow La Scala (2002), Maisie Raine (1998) and Brothers and Sisters (1998). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. "The notion of being an artist, being an actor, for a Nigerian family is bizarre," Oyelowo says in the above "Oprah Prime" interview. When David turn six years old his family moved to Lagos, Nigeria, where his father worked for the national airline and his mother worked for a railway company. competitive profession, no one owes you anything, talent in itself is not In 2007, Oyelowo was the reader for John le Carr's The Mission Song. David Oyelowo. The "Selma" star says he had to "sneakily" apply to drama school knowing his parent's wouldn't approve. Featured on the 2015 Black List, a list of the best unproduced screenplays, Needell turned down an eager studio with a director attached and chose to sell her script to Yoruba Saxon and Oprah Winfreys Harpo Studios for Oyelowo to star. Gunner's frantic parents bring in the police, led . [16] In March 2010, he played the role of Keme Tobodo in the BBC's drama series Blood and Oil. Oyelowo was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to drama. "He had hot tea poured in his face. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. The two classically trained actors wanted to ensure they dodged all of the "divorce and dysfunction" they witnessed in the acting world. He was born David Oyetokunbo Oyelowo to his Nigerian father Stephen Oyelowo while the identity of his late Nigerian mother is not known. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); David Oyetokunbo Oyelowo was born on April 1, 1976 in Oxford, England to Nigerian parents. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! Wake up to the day's most important news. But because he chooses to look forward., But now, it was no longer enough to be part of projects that accurately represented Oyelowos reality. Michael Tyrone Delaney for The New York Times. But, as college sweethearts, many of their peers thought they were crazy when they announced their decision to abstain from sex until they got married two years later. Limited Series, Nightingale, Black Reel Award of 2016, Anthena Leading Man, Anthena slavery, that really, I think, messes with your sense of self, self-esteem, and The fact of the matter is Peter Snowden [the main character in Nightingale] wasn't written as African-American, but when I read it I felt: Here is an opportunity to play the kind of African-American that I've certainly encountered in having lived here now for eight years, but I very rarely see in cinema. He was born David Oyetokunbo Oyelowo to his Nigerian father Stephen Oyelowo while the identity of his late Nigerian mother is not known. David has an estimated net worth of around $5 million. Oyelowo was playing the King of England at the Royal Shakespeare Company, the first black actor to be cast in that role. He and his wife have four children together- oldest son Asher Oyelowo (born Oct 10, 2001), followed by son Caleb Oyelowo (born 2005), son Penuel Oyelowo (born 2009) and daughter Zoe Oyelowo (born 2012). Rosario Dawson and Lonnie Chavis in a scene from The Water Man, which Oyelowo directed. On being the first black person to play a king [Henry VI] in a Royal Shakespeare Company production. And his background does not affect the quality of work he delivers as he interprets every roles perfectly. It was all intentional. [12] He also spent time with the National Youth Theatre.[13]. If your notion of what it is to be black has been tarnished by what the culture in which you live in projects onto you, then you have a cankered sense of what that means. Oyelowo and his wife, Jessica Oyelowo, are executive producing the series under their Yoruba Saxon banner. Born on 1st April 1976, David's mother is from Edo State, while his father is from Oyo State. With David Oyelowo, Amiah Miller, Lonnie Chavis, Rosario Dawson. The Netflix executive Tendo Nagenda, who had worked with Oyelowo on Queen of Katwe and was an original champion of The Water Man when he was at Disney, compared Oyelowo to another actor-turned-director, Kenneth Branagh. He is not the only child of his parents and his siblings. So, of course, at some point I realized that that was a load of bologna so when he was then saying that we were from a royal family I was like, "Yeah, whatever." [6] Oyelowo is an omoba (or prince) of the Yoruba people in the Nigerian chieftaincy system, his grandfather having been king of a "part of Oyo State called Awe". The actor turned to directing after an eye-opening discussion with his son. In Television shows, he is best known for playing M15 officer Danny Hunter on the British drama series Spooks from 2002 to 2004. Over the past six years the couple has created small-budget films like A United Kingdom, in which Oyelowo played Seretse Khama, the heir to the Botswana throne who caused an international scandal when he fell in love and married a white Englishwoman in the 1940s, and Nightingale, the HBO movie that landed Oyelowo, who was the sole actor in the project, both a Golden Globe and an Emmy nomination. After living in south London until the age of 6, the family moved to Lagos, Nigeria where he attended "'military-style' boarding school. Basically, it was a non-traditional casting where he acted as an English King. Peter Rabbit, David Oyelowo, Jessica Oyelowo with their children- posted Dec 2019 (Image: Instagram), /biography/david-oyelowo-bio-wiki-wife-children-height-family-net-worth-ethnicity-divorce, Islington College, London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Learn how your comment data is processed. And when you get over this acting thing you will still be a scholar.". At age 14, he moved back to Islington, and enrolled into City and Islington College for Theatre studies. His accolades include a Critics' Choice Award and two NAACP Image Awards as well as nominations for two Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award and a BAFTA Award. [21] As of 2017[update], Oyelowo voices the spirit of Scar, the main antagonist in season 2 of The Lion Guard. "To know you came from a lineage of kings it makes you get out of your bed a very different way than if you feel like today is yet another fight. [Selma Director] Ava [DuVernay] would call me out of the blue at times just to check I think she was shocked that I was going to go through with this. Although he revealed that he has brothers in June 2015 interview . Since beginning his career as an actor, David Oyelowo started in theatre. David Oyelowo Connects to 'Don't Let Go' and Can't Escape His Own Britishness, Celebs Choose Their Next Co-Stars on the Oscars Red Carpet. It's a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy of being the thing that the larger society says you are. In 2005, he appeared in a production of Prometheus Bound, which was revived in New York City in 2007. It was a major moment not just for Oyelowo, but also for his father, who had experienced intense racism in the country in his younger years. Facebook: thebiographyscoop He appeared as Olaudah Equiano in Grace Unshackled The Olaudah Equiano Story, a radio play adapting Equiano's autobiography, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano. Asher is David's the first son, and although his parents love to keep the lives of their children out of the public eye, there have been pieces of interesting information about him. Inspirational quotes by Nigerians that will inspire success in your life. In 2006, he made his directorial debut on a production of The White Devil, produced by Inservice, his theatre company in Brighton which is co-run with fellow Brighton-based actors Priyanga Burford, Israel Aduramo, Penelope Cobbuld, and his wife, Jessica. [31] Oyelowo is also being considered to star in the film, which will center on "a retired Tuskegee airman who takes up the Rocketeer mantle". Required fields are marked *. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. [17] He starred in the HBO original film Nightingale (2014). If you believe our content has any misinformation, violates your copyright, or you want to propose an update, please feel free to contact us. He has been nominated for NAACP Image Award (2012, 2013, 2014), Black Reel Award (2012, 2013), Independent Spirit Award (2012), Screen Actors Guild Award (2013), Golden Globe Award (2014), Primetime Emmy Award (2014), Satellite Award (2014), among others. [29] More recently, his Yoruba Saxon company signed a first look deal with Disney. It was his way of doing his part to ensure that no other Black child would feel relegated to the supporting role again. David, being the first actor to play that role for RSC, was criticized by some people in the media. While a guest on "Fresh Air", David told interviewer Terry Gross that his father was a member of a royal family in Nigeria, and his last name literally means "a king deserves respect". The keen affinity the actor David Oyelowo has for his fellow performers is the best thing about "The Water Man," his feature directorial debut. Known for her roles in movies like "Sleepy Hollow" and "Alice in Wonderland," Jessica is also a talented singer and songwriter who works with various people in the industry to produce songs for movies. While a guest on "Fresh Air", David told interviewer Terry Gross that his father was a member of a royal family in Nigeria, and his last name literally means "a king deserves respect". Subsequently, he appeared as King Henry VI, in 2001 in one of Shakespeares trilogy. Are you going to be playing the best friend? Oyelowo recalled. He being a dual citizen, Oyelowo and his wife became naturalized US citizens on 20 July 2016. England, to Nigerian parents, of the Yoruba tribe. Now theres The Water Man, an adventure tale written by Emma Needell about a preteen boy who, in an effort to save his dying mother, tries to find a mythical creature with healing powers that is purported to be living in the Oregon forest. His father hails from Oyo, and his mother, Edo State. Needell knew it was Oyelowos job all along. When I was cast I had no idea that I was the first black person to be afforded that opportunity at the R.S.C. Aside from Asher and Caleb, David also has two younger kids. Sheridan is an executive producer, alongside David C. Glasser, David Permut, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, and David Hutkin. Oyelowo resides in Tarzana in the San Fernando Valley in Southern California with her husband, actor David Oyelowo.They met while attending the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. By Jeroslyn JoVonn / Jan. 2, 2021 2:58 pm EST. He is slated to star with Lupita Nyong'o in a film adaptation of the Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie novel Americanah. How I see love, he said. He was born in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, to Nigerian parents, of the Yoruba tribe. Its such a "I had a friend who mocked me so mercilessly. Twitter: @BiographyScoop Tags : There are a lot of challenges I have undeniably faced as a black person both in the U.K. and in the U.S. that contrive to make me feel lesser than what I am, and I can absolutely see that in the African-American experience in this country. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Continue with Recommended Cookies, Asher Oyelowo (son)Caleb Oyelowo (son)Penuel Oyelowo (son)Zoe Oyelowo (daughter). In 2006, he appeared in the television film Born Equal alongside Nikki Amuka-Bird as a couple fleeing persecution in Nigeria they also both appeared in Shoot the Messenger (2006) and in The No. Photo: Karen Ballard courtesy of The Water Man. I fought with a tiger, so they don't want to touch my son." They named Asher Oyelowo, Caleb Oyelowo, Zoe Oyelowo, and Penuel Oyelowo. Email: How David Oyelowo Earned His Father's Approval In One Touching Moment. It was constantly in the press. He graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), and received the "Scholarship for Excellence" from Nicholas Hytner in 1998. The two thespians eventually hit it off and began dating. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month.

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