My Take
David Oyelowo is one of those actors who makes you feel like Hollywood somehow lucked into discovering him, even though he was already tearing up the London stage long before the cameras came calling. Born in Oxford to Nigerian parents and trained through sheer craft rather than pedigree, he brings a weight and precision to every role that most actors spend a lifetime chasing. His portrayal of Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma was simply one of the great performances of the 2010s — emotionally devastating, historically grounded, and somehow both intimate and monumental at once. The fact that it didn't get an Oscar nomination is still a minor scandal in my book. An OBE on top of Golden Globe and NAACP Image Award recognition? The man is genuinely respected across two continents, and he's earned every bit of it.
Overview
David Oyetokunbo Oyelowo ( oh-yeh-LOH-woh; ; born 1 April 1976) is a Nigerian-British actor, director, and producer. His accolades include a Critics' Choice Award and two NAACP Image Awards as well as nominations for three Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a BAFTA Award.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- David Oyelowo
- Name (Japanese)
- デヴィッド・オイェロウォ
- Reading
- でゔぃっど・おいぇろうぉ
- Born
- April 1, 1976 (age 50)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Dragon
- Origin
- Oxford, United Kingdom
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- stage actor / film actor / film producer / television actor / film director
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- City and Islington College
Awards & achievements
- Officer of the Order of the British Empire
- Ian Charleson Awards
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.