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.
Government Cheese
Hampton Chambers · (10 episodes)
2025
National Theatre Live: Coriolanus
Coriolanus
2025
Big Cats, Small World
Narrator (voice) · (2 episodes)
2024
Becoming King
Self
2024
The After
Dayo
2024
After Midnight
Self · (1 episode)
2024
The Book of Clarence
John the Baptist
2024
Off Script with The Hollywood Reporter
Self · (1 episode)
2023
Role Play
Dave
2023
Lawmen: Bass Reeves
Bass Reeves · (8 episodes)
2023
Silo
Sheriff Holston Becker · (5 episodes)
2023
The Tiger Who Came to Tea
The Tiger (voice)
2022
Sherri
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
2022
The Jennifer Hudson Show
Self · (1 episode)
2022
See How They Run
Mervyn Cocker-Norris
2022
Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire
Narrator
2022
Earth's Great Rivers II
Self - Narrator (voice) · (3 episodes)
2022
The Girl Before
Edward · (4 episodes)
2021
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway
Nigel Basil-Jones
2021
Chaos Walking
Aaron
2021
The Midnight Sky
Adewole
2020
Come Away
Jack Littleton
2020
The Water Man
Amos Boone
2020
Tamron Hall
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
2019
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Self · (1 episode)
2019
Brave Girl Rising
Narrator
2019
The Lion Guard: The Rise of Scar
Scar (voice)
2017
Solitary
Chris Newborn
Family Feud
2148 Descendant
2018
American Blend
Home Movie: The Princess Bride
Prince Humperdinck · (1 episode)
2020
Don't Let Go
Detective Jack Radcliff
2019
Earth's Great Rivers
Self - Narrator (voice) · (3 episodes)
2019
Les Misérables
Javert · (6 episodes)
2018
Black Hollywood: 'They've Gotta Have Us'
Self · (3 episodes)
2018
Gringo
Harold Soyinka
2018
A Wrinkle in Time
The It (voice)
2018
The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale
Self - Special Guest · (1 episode)
2018
The Cloverfield Paradox
Kiel
2018
August 28: A Day in the Life of a People
2017
A United Kingdom
Seretse Khama
2016
Queen of Katwe
Robert Katende
2016
Five Nights in Maine
Sherwin
2016
Nina
Clifton Henderson
2016
The Lion Guard
Scar · (1 episode)
2016
Captive
Brian Nichols
2015
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Self · (1 episode)
2015
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
Self · (1 episode)
2015
Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal
Agent Kallus (voice)
2015
A Most Violent Year
D.A. Lawrence
2014
Selma
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
2014
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Self · (1 episode)
2014
9 Kisses
Arm Wrestling Man #1
2014
Interstellar
School Principal
2014
Default
Atlas
2014
Star Wars Rebels
Agent Kallus (voice) · (69 episodes)
2014
Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion
Agent Kallus (voice)
2014
Nightingale
Peter Snowden
2014
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self · (1 episode)
2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self · (1 episode)
2014
Off Camera with Sam Jones
Self · (1 episode)
2014
The Arsenio Hall Show
Self · (1 episode)
2013
The Butler
Louis Gaines
2013
Jack Reacher: When the Man Comes Around
Self
2013
The Frame
Steven Jacobs · (1 episode)
2013
Complicit
Edward Ekubo
2013
Jack Reacher
Det. Emerson
2012
Lincoln
Corporal Ira Clark
2012
Middle of Nowhere
Brian
2012
The Paperboy
Yardley Acheman
2012
Rahab
Cen
2012
Red Tails
Joe 'Lightning' Little
2012
96 Minutes
Duane
2011
The Help
Preacher Green
2011
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Steven Jacobs
2011
Conan
Self · (2 episodes)
2010
Blood And Oil
Keme Tobodo · (2 episodes)
2010
Small Island
Gilbert · (2 episodes)
2009
Rage
Homer
2009
The Good Wife
Judge Edward Weldon · (1 episode)
2009
Glenn Martin, DDS
(1 episode)
2009
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest · (2 episodes)
2009
Who Do You Love
Muddy Waters
2008
Sweet Nothing in My Ear
Leonard Grisham
2008
The Passion
Joseph of Arimathea · (6 episodes)
2008
A Raisin in the Sun
Joseph Asagai
2008
Five Days
Matt Wellings · (10 episodes)
2007
Born Equal
Yemi
2006
As You Like It
Orlando De Boys
2006
The One Show
Self · (1 episode)
2006
Shoot the Messenger
Joseph Pascale
2006
Mayo
Eddie Barton, 'Sexy' M.P. · (1 episode)
2006
The Last King of Scotland
Dr. Thomas Junju
2006
Derailed
Patrol Officer
2005
The Best Man
Graham
2005
A Sound of Thunder
Marcus Payne
2005
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self · (1 episode)
2003
Tomorrow La Scala!
Charlie
2002
Spooks
Danny Hunter · (26 episodes)
2002
Dog Eat Dog
CJ
2001
Maisie Raine
Sonny McDonald · (1 episode)
1998
The View
Self · (1 episode)
1997
As Time Goes By
Patrick · (2 episodes)
1992
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Self - Guest · (4 episodes)
1988
Tony Awards
Self - Presenter · (1 episode)
1956
The Oscars
Self · (1 episode)
1953