Actor and producer David Oyelowo started out with stage roles before his breakup with Selma as “Marthin Luther King Jr.” The British-born Nigerian talent has touched different film faculties, adding new perspectives to his portfolio. Despite the difficult obstacles faced in the industry, Oyeleowo has stayed true to his dreams and is now reaping the rewards of his consistency.
David Oyelowo’s story is one that should be heard by any budding Hollywood actor. Several questions have been raised regarding the seemingly enigmatic actor who is rapidly rising to prominence. Dwelling on the actor’s life would mean answering some of these questions.
Who is David Oyelowo?
He is a renowned actor born on April 1, 1976, to his Nigerian parents in Oxford, England. His family, who returned to Nigeria when he was six years old, returned to London eight years later when he was 14. Based in Islington, David, always inclined towards the creative arts, attended City and Islington universities where he enrolled in theatre. He then trained as an actor at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), after which he started looking for roles. Oyelowo started acting on stage in 1999, when he played a character in Ben Jonson. Volpone. One of his most notable performances is his character as King Henry VI in the Shakespear production.
Oyelowo started making television appearances from the late 90s. After Maise Raine in 1998, he played the role of an MI5 officer in the series, Spooks from 2002 to 2004. He made a another appearance in the TV movie Born Equal which depicted the private life of a suffering Nigerian couple. Alongside Nikki Amuka-Bird who he starred with in ‘Born Equal’, he has also made guest appearances in television productions; Shoot the Messenger (2006), The No. 1 Women’s Detective Agency (2008). He had a leading role in Little Island in 2009.
David Oyelowo portrays the character “Scar” in the second season of The Lion Guard. He is also the voice behind the character of Alexsandr Kallus in an animated series Star Wars Rebels. The actor made an appearance in the movie In the Middle of Nowhere which premiered in 2012 at the Sundance Film Festival. He established his independent production; Yoruba Saxon Productions in 2014. The company has created productions such as; C aptive, Nightingale, A UK, and others.
Oyelowo starred in Selma as Martin Luther King Jr in 2014 and shot to popularity in the industry. For his outstanding role in Selma, the actor awarded the 2014 “Critics’ Choice” movie award to the film “Best Actor”. He also won the NAACP Image Award for “Best Actor in a Motion Picture” that year. Also in 2014, the Selma star received a Golden Globe nomination for the first time for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama.
His net worth
David Oyelowo is a work in progress and is still many steps from the peak of his career. Although some sources put his net worth at $3 million, some still believe the actor has raked in more than that. Anyway, this amount will probably become insignificant in a few years.
