SPOTLIGHT: DAVID OYELOWO

Having taken his first acting class because a girl he had a crush on asked him to, actor David Oyelowo has become one of the most promising actors to date.

  Born in Oxford, England to Nigerian parents, David spent the early days of his career in theatre. After completing a year at the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, David soon found himself touring with the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he was the first-ever black actor to play an English King in a Shakespeare production; this role later garnered him an Ian Charleson Award in 2001.

David made his US debut in the HBO productions, As You Like It directed by Kenneth Branagh, and in the mini-series, Five Days, where he won the Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television. The versatile actor, who is nominated for an Indie Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his new film Middle of Nowhere,  can also be seen in films such as: The Help, Rise of the Planets of the Apes, and most notably George Lucas' Red Tails.


With all of his impending success, David maintains the true key to his success is not losing perspective:

"I think it's vital to have something outside your acting to keep you rooted in the real world, and help you fill the vacuum. If you have nothing else, it can be unhealthy."


-FARIDA