Watch: David Oyelowo Has a Banner Season Ahead with ‘Selma’ & ‘Interstellar’

Maybe you haven’t heard of Brit actor David Oyelowo, but you probably saw his bravura performance in “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” as the prodigal, politically outspoken son of Forest Whitaker’s White House right-hand man. In DuVernay’s “Selma,” set for Christmas Day limited release, Oyelowo plays MLK Jr. and, according to Women and Hollywood’s early look at the film, convinced the producers to hire DuVernay after working together on her intimate 2012 hit drama “Middle of Nowhere.”

At the same Q&A, Oyelowo said, “If Meryl Streep can play Margaret Thatcher, I can play Dr. King.” Early award hopes are high for his portrayal of the American activist (watch the Urbanworld panel below). He will also be appearing this fall in Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar,” out November 7, in a role that remains mysterious even on IMDb.

Oyelowo has prominent billing in J.C. Chandor’s period crime drama “A Most Violent Year,” starring Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain as urban opportunists and hitting theaters December 31. As announced this morning, the film opens AFI Fest in Los Angeles on November 6.

Catch leading man Oyelowo in Simon Brand’s claustrophobic, airplane-bound thriller “Default,” about Somali pirates that take a chartered jet hostage in pursuit of an American journalist target. The film hits theaters and VOD on October 17 via Amplify.

He also riveted in Elliott Lester’s “Nightingale,” which bowed at the LA Film Festival in Summer 2014 and is still seeking a US distributor. Oyelowo ably commands the screen entirely on his own as a lonely war vet who shoots increasingly unhinged dispatches on his webcam. 

The 38-year-old actor has a busy season ahead, and “Selma” looks to be his major breakout. Count us excited.