David Oyelowo (born 7 January 1976) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Martin Luther King, Jr. in the biographical film Selma (2014), and as General Adeogun in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Black Panther (2018).
He was born in London to Nigerian parents of Yoruba heritage. His father, who worked for the British Army, spent long periods of time stationed in Nigeria, and Oyelowo has stated that he received his surname from his mother, who he believed to be Scottish
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He was educated at Buckhurst Hill School, an independent school in Essex. In the mid-1990s, he read a book by Napoleon Hill called Think and Grow Rich, which discussed Hill's philosophy on success and personal growth. The book was a "huge influence" on him and he began to read more about motivational psychology, which led him to study psychology at University College London.
Oyelowo is a supporter of the New York City-based non-profit organization Do The Right Thing (DTRT), which focuses on social activism through education and community development around health issues such as HIV/AIDS and food security.
In October 2014, the organization partnered with Selma director Ava DuVernay to establish a promotional campaign known as "Do The Right Thing Day", aimed at encouraging African Americans to vote prior to the United States midterm elections later that month. In November 2014, Oyelowo spoke at a DTRT event held at Harlem's Apollo Theater as part of the organization's voter registration push.
In December 2014, it was announced that Oyelowo would star as Martin Luther King Jr., alongside fellow actor David Oyelowo as Coretta Scott King in Selma, David Oyelowo's directorial debut for Paramount Pictures. The film was released worldwide on 18 March 2015 to positive reviews from critics and grossed $176 million worldwide against production costs of $20 million.
Oyelowo received critical acclaim for his portrayal of King and earned praise from many former members of the civil rights movement such as Michael Eric Dyson and Clayborne Carson who praised Oyelowo for portraying King "as he really was". The film earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and won an Academy Award for Best Picture which made him only the third Black actor to win an Oscar (after Sidney Poitier and Denzel Washington). Oyelowo
