David Oyelowo
Actor · Producer
50 years (Apr 1, 1976)Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK
Known for
David Oyelowo is a British-Nigerian actor born in Oxford who trained on the English stage and made history at the Royal Shakespeare Company playing Henry VI. After the spy series 'Spooks' (2002-2004), he moved to Hollywood and delivered his defining performance as Martin Luther King Jr. in 'Selma' (2014), earning a Golden Globe nomination. His range spans 'The Butler' (2013), 'A United Kingdom' (2016), the chess drama 'Queen of Katwe' (2016), 'The Midnight Sky' (2020) and the series 'Silo' (2023). A performer of controlled fire, he specialises in dignity asserting itself against history's weight.
David Oyelowo
Actor · Producer
Known for
David Oyelowo is a British-Nigerian actor born in Oxford who trained on the English stage and made history at the Royal Shakespeare Company playing Henry VI. After the spy series 'Spooks' (2002-2004), he moved to Hollywood and delivered his defining performance as Martin Luther King Jr. in 'Selma' (2014), earning a Golden Globe nomination. His range spans 'The Butler' (2013), 'A United Kingdom' (2016), the chess drama 'Queen of Katwe' (2016), 'The Midnight Sky' (2020) and the series 'Silo' (2023). A performer of controlled fire, he specialises in dignity asserting itself against history's weight.
53 Movies
Plays School Principal
Interstellar
2014
Plays Steven Jacobs
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
2011
Plays Preacher Green
The Help
2011
Plays Det. Emerson
Jack Reacher
2012
Plays D.A. Lawrence
A Most Violent Year
2014
Plays Corporal Ira Clark
Lincoln
2012
Plays Nigel Basil-Jones
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway
2021
Plays Aaron
Chaos Walking
2021
Plays The It (voice)
A Wrinkle in Time
2018
Plays Louis Gaines
The Butler
2013
Plays Adewole
The Midnight Sky
2020
Plays John the Baptist
The Book of Clarence
2024
Plays Kiel
The Cloverfield Paradox
2018
Plays Dr. Thomas Junju
The Last King of Scotland
2006
Plays Mervyn Cocker-Norris
See How They Run
2022
Plays Dave
Role Play
2023
Plays Robert Katende
Queen of Katwe
2016
Plays Patrol Officer
Derailed
2005
Plays Peter
Clarissa
2026
Plays Clifton Henderson
Nina
2016
Plays Harold Soyinka
Gringo
2018
Plays Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Selma
2014
Plays 2148 Descendant
Family Feud
2018
Producer
Plays Seretse Khama
A United Kingdom
2016
Plays Marcus Payne
A Sound of Thunder
2005
Plays Duane
96 Minutes
2011
Producer
Plays Jack Littleton
Come Away
2020
Director
Plays Amos Boone
The Water Man
2020
Plays Joe 'Lightning' Little
Red Tails
2012
Producer
Plays Detective Jack Radcliff
Don't Let Go
2019
Plays Customer
9 Kisses
2014
Plays Yardley Acheman
The Paperboy
2012
Producer
Plays Chris Newborn
Newborn
2026
Plays Orlando De Boys
As You Like It
2006
Producer
Plays Brian Nichols
Captive
2015
Plays Brian
Middle of Nowhere
2012
Plays Graham
The Best Man
2005
Plays The Tiger (voice)
The Tiger Who Came to Tea
2022
Producer
Plays Sherwin
Five Nights in Maine
2016
Plays Scar (voice)
The Lion Guard: The Rise of Scar
2017
Producer
Plays Dayo
The After
2024
Plays Homer
Rage
2009
Plays CJ
Dog Eat Dog
2001
Plays Atlas
Default
2014
Plays Joseph Pascale
Shoot the Messenger
2006
Plays Edward Ekubo
Complicit
2013
Plays Keme Tobodo
Blood and Oil
2010
Producer
Plays Peter Snowden
Nightingale
2014
Plays Cen
Rahab
2012
18 TV Shows
Plays Agent Kallus (voice)
Star Wars Rebels
2014
Plays Danny Hunter
Spooks
2002
Producer
Plays Hampton Chambers
Government Cheese
2025
Plays Matt Wellings
Five Days
2007
Producer
Plays Bass Reeves
Lawmen: Bass Reeves
2023
Plays Long John Silver
Treasure Island
2026
Producer
Plays Javert
Les Misérables
2018
Plays Joseph of Arimathea
The Passion
2008
Plays Sheriff Holston Becker
Silo
2023
Plays Edward Monkford
The Girl Before
2021
Plays Gilbert
Small Island
2009
Plays Keme Tobodo
Blood And Oil
2010
Plays Patrick
As Time Goes By
1992
Plays Olaudah Equiano / Sam (voice)
The American Revolution
2025
Plays Scar
The Lion Guard
2016
Plays Eddie Barton, 'Sexy' M.P.
Mayo
2006
Plays Sonny McDonald
Maisie Raine
1998
Plays Prince Humperdinck
Home Movie: The Princess Bride
2020
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
Clarissa
Full Filmography
Treasure Island
Long John Silver · 6 episodes
2026
Clarissa
Peter
2026
Newborn
Chris Newborn
2026
Government Cheese
Hampton Chambers · 10 episodes
2025
The American Revolution
Olaudah Equiano / Sam (voice) · 2 episodes
2025
National Theatre Live: Coriolanus
Coriolanus
2025
The After
Dayo
2024
The Book of Clarence
John the Baptist
2024
Lawmen: Bass Reeves
Bass Reeves · 8 episodes
2023
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is David Oyelowo and where are they from?
David Oyelowo is 50 years old, born on April 1, 1976 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK.
What are the most famous roles of David Oyelowo?
David Oyelowo is best known for roles in Interstellar, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Help.
How many movies has David Oyelowo been in?
Over a 25-year career (since 2001), David Oyelowo has appeared in 52 movies and 17 TV shows.
What was David Oyelowo's first movie?
The career of David Oyelowo began with Dog Eat Dog (2001).
What is David Oyelowo's most recent movie or series?
David Oyelowo's most recent release is Treasure Island, which premiered on October 11, 2026.
What TV shows has David Oyelowo appeared in?
On television, David Oyelowo has appeared in Silo, Star Wars Rebels, The Good Wife, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Does David Oyelowo have any upcoming projects?
Yes, David Oyelowo's upcoming work includes: Clarissa (2026).
David Oyelowo
1976-04-01 · Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK
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.David Oyelowo, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.