David Oyelowo

Biography

David Oyetokunbo Oyelowo (/oʊˈjɛloʊwoʊ/ oh-YEL-oh-woh; Yoruba pronunciation; born 1 April 1976) is a British actor, director and producer. His accolades include a Critics' Choice Award, two NAACP Image Awards, and nominations for three Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a BAFTA Award. In 2016, he was appointed as an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to drama. Oyelowo rose to prominence for portraying Martin Luther King Jr. in the biographical drama Selma (2014) and Peter Snowden in the HBO film Nightingale (2014), which garnered him critical acclaim. He also achieved praise for his roles as Louis Gaines in The Butler (2013), Seretse Khama in A United Kingdom (2016) and Robert Katende in Queen of Katwe (2016). He has also played supporting roles in the films Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), The Help (2011), Lincoln (2012), Red Tails (2012), and Jack Reacher (2012). On television, Oyelowo has played MI5 officer Danny Hunter in the British drama series Spooks (2002–2004) and Javert in the BBC miniseries Les Misérables (2018). He also provided the voice for Agent Alexsandr Kallus in the Lucasfilm Animation series Star Wars Rebels  (2014–2018) and Holston Becker in the Apple+ drama series Silo. He stars in and co-produces the 2023 Paramount+ western series Lawmen: Bass Reeves. Description above from the Wikipedia article David Oyelowo, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Late Night with Seth Meyers

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

The Kelly Clarkson Show

The Good Wife

Interstellar

The Jennifer Hudson Show

All Movies (67)

• Clarissa2026 · as Peter
• Newborn2026 · as Chris Newborn
• National Theatre Live: Coriolanus2025 · as Coriolanus
• Becoming King2024 · as Self
• The After2024 · as Dayo
• The Book of Clarence2024 · as John the Baptist
• Role Play2023 · as Dave
• The Tiger Who Came to Tea2022 · as The Tiger (voice)
• See How They Run2022 · as Mervyn Cocker-Norris
• Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire2022 · as Narrator
• The Bastard King2022 · as The Bastard King
• Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway2021 · as Nigel Basil-Jones
• Chaos Walking2021 · as Aaron
• The Midnight Sky2020 · as Adewole
• Come Away2020 · as Jack Littleton
• The Water Man2020 · as Amos Boone
• Don't Let Go2019 · as Detective Jack Radcliff
• Brave Girl Rising2019 · as Narrator
• Gringo2018 · as Harold Soyinka
• A Wrinkle in Time2018 · as The It (voice)
• The Cloverfield Paradox2018 · as Kiel
• Family Feud2018 · as 2148 Descendant
• August 28: A Day in the Life of a People2017
• The Lion Guard: The Rise of Scar2017 · as Scar (voice)
• A United Kingdom2016 · as Seretse Khama
• Queen of Katwe2016 · as Robert Katende
• Five Nights in Maine2016 · as Sherwin
• Nina2016 · as Clifton Henderson
• Captive2015 · as Brian Nichols
• Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal2015 · as Agent Kallus (voice)
• A Most Violent Year2014 · as D.A. Lawrence
• Selma2014 · as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Interstellar2014 · as School Principal
• Default2014 · as Atlas
• Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion2014 · as Agent Kallus (voice)
• Nightingale2014 · as Peter Snowden
• 9 Kisses2014 · as Customer
• The Butler2013 · as Louis Gaines
• Jack Reacher: When the Man Comes Around2013 · as Self
• Complicit2013 · as Edward Ekubo
• Jack Reacher2012 · as Det. Emerson
• Lincoln2012 · as Corporal Ira Clark
• Middle of Nowhere2012 · as Brian
• The Paperboy2012 · as Yardley Acheman
• Rahab2012 · as Cen
• Red Tails2012 · as Joe 'Lightning' Little
• 96 Minutes2011 · as Duane
• The Help2011 · as Preacher Green
• Rise of the Planet of the Apes2011 · as Steven Jacobs
• Rage2009 · as Homer
• Who Do You Love2008 · as Muddy Waters
• Sweet Nothing in My Ear2008 · as Leonard Grisham
• A Raisin in the Sun2008 · as Joseph Asagai
• Born Equal2006 · as Yemi
• The Last King of Scotland2006 · as Dr. Thomas Junju
• As You Like It2006 · as Orlando De Boys
• Shoot the Messenger2006 · as Joseph Pascale
• Derailed2005 · as Patrol Officer
• The Best Man2005 · as Graham
• A Sound of Thunder2005 · as Marcus Payne
• Tomorrow La Scala!2002 · as Charlie
• Dog Eat Dog2001 · as CJ
• American Blend—
• Othello— · as Othello
• Heist of Benin—
• The Return of the Rocketeer— · as The Rocketeer
• Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Affair— · as Reverend Elijah Grant

All TV Shows (46)

• The American Revolution2025 · as Olaudah Equiano / Sam (voice)
• Government Cheese2025 · as Hampton Chambers
• Big Cats, Small World2024 · as Narrator (voice)
• After Midnight2024 · as Self
• Off Script with The Hollywood Reporter2023 · as Self
• Lawmen: Bass Reeves2023 · as Bass Reeves
• Silo2023 · as Sheriff Holston Becker
• Sherri2022 · as Self - Guest
• The Jennifer Hudson Show2022 · as Self
• Earth's Great Rivers II2022 · as Self - Narrator (voice)
• The Girl Before2021 · as Edward Monkford
• Home Movie: The Princess Bride2020 · as Prince Humperdinck
• Tamron Hall2019 · as Self - Guest
• The Kelly Clarkson Show2019 · as Self
• Earth's Great Rivers2019 · as Self - Narrator (voice)
• Les Misérables2018 · as Javert
• Black Hollywood: 'They've Gotta Have Us'2018 · as Self
• The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale2018 · as Self - Special Guest
• The Lion Guard2016 · as Scar
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert2015 · as Self - Guest
• Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter2015 · as Self
• Variety Studio: Actors on Actors2014 · as Self
• Star Wars Rebels2014 · as Agent Kallus (voice)
• Late Night with Seth Meyers2014 · as Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon2014 · as Self
• Off Camera with Sam Jones2014 · as Self
• The Arsenio Hall Show2013 · as Self
• The Frame2013 · as Steven Jacobs
• Conan2010 · as Self
• Blood And Oil2010 · as Keme Tobodo
• Small Island2009 · as Gilbert
• The Good Wife2009 · as Judge Edward Weldon
• Glenn Martin, DDS2009
• Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen2009 · as Self - Guest
• The Passion2008 · as Joseph of Arimathea
• Five Days2007 · as Matt Wellings
• The One Show2006 · as Self
• Mayo2006 · as Eddie Barton, 'Sexy' M.P.
• Jimmy Kimmel Live!2003 · as Self - Guest
• Spooks2002 · as Danny Hunter
• Maisie Raine1998 · as Sonny McDonald
• The View1997 · as Self
• As Time Goes By1992 · as Patrick
• LIVE with Kelly and Mark1988 · as Self - Guest
• Tony Awards1956 · as Self - Presenter
• The Oscars1953 · as Self