David Oyelowo on "Selma," his faith & "Captive"

By Gabriel Noble

He got everyone’s attention with his breakthrough performance as Martin Luther King Jr. in “Selma,” but this British actor has been breaking new ground and riveting audiences throughout his career on both the stage and the screen. In 2001, he became the first black actor to play King Henry VI on the Royal Shakespeare Company’s stage. It paved the way for him to take on a series of pivotal roles that speak to the African-American experience. His roles as a U.S. cavalryman in the film “Lincoln,” a Southern preacher in “The Help” and the activist Louis Gains in “The Butler” have each earned him high praise. And now he’s up for an Emmy with a powerful performance as a war veteran who suffers from PTSD in HBO’s “Nightingale.” David Oyelowo sat down with Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric over afternoon tea at Le Colonial in New York City to discuss his life and career, the impact of “Selma” and his newest film, “Captive.”

“Captive,” based on the true story of Ashley Smith, is a thriller about a drug-addicted single mother (Kate Mara) who finds herself taken hostage in her apartment by an escaped convict (Oyelowo) after he murders the judge overseeing his trial. Oyelowo plays both a monstrous killer and a man who ultimately finds redemption through the humanity shown to him by his captive. On whether his faith as a devout Christian influenced his interest in taking this role on, he told Couric, “something about a meth [drug] addict and a murderer in an apartment for seven hours produced something good for her [Smith’s] life. I could not shake the miraculous nature of that.”

Reflecting on his iconic role of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., Oyelowo cannot help but see uncanny parallels between the march on Selma, Alabama, for the vote in 1965 and the racial tension demonstrated today by the police and African-American youth. He said that as the film’s editing team was putting together “Selma,” they were watching on television the turmoil in Ferguson after the Michael Brown killing, and images of tear gas and civil unrest were prevalent in both. “There are undeniable evidences that this country has made huge strides forward — our president is one of the greatest symbols — but there are other things that show we have not come as far as we like,” he said. “That is another reason I am proud this film exists — as a symbol of hope and what can be achieved.”

Oyelowo was born in Oxford, England, and despite spending several years of his childhood in his parents’ native land of Nigeria, and currently residing in Los Angeles, he very much still identifies with being British. After a spot of English breakfast tea, scones and jam, he answered a lightning round of personal questions, from his favorite British saying to his ultimate celebrity crush.

Following a string of tour-de-force performances, David Oyelowo’s star continues to rise, but he’s keeping his eye on the ball. “To me, I’m always looking for a character that’s going to challenge me, and that always challenges the audience.”