*There was more on the menu at an intimate luncheon with David Oyelowo (“Selma,” “Queen of Katwe,” “A United Kingdom,” “The Butler”) than great food. At the North End Grill in New York, Oyelowo, one of Hollywood’s finest and most sought after talents, revealed all when asked.
“Gringo,” an action packed comedy, was first on the agenda and he talked about his comedic role.
“I’m not a fan of comedies that are self consciously comedic, with fart jokes [thank goodness!] and pie in the face kind of thing,” he said.
One of the reasons Oyelowo chose “Gringo,” is because he was able to craft the character.
“The beautiful thing is that my character Harold can’t be written off as someone who’s not bright or someone that can be dismissed. With the choices I make, I’m determined as an actor, to bring complexity to what it is to be a black person on planet earth in everything I do. I can’t afford to play caricatures, or stereotypes.”
Oyelowo went on to explain that when he first read for Dr. Martin Luther King in “Selma,” King was a supporting character and LBJ was the lead.
“It wasn’t until Ava DuVernay got her hands on the script, and Oprah got involved, that the film became what it should have always been.”
It was DuVernay, Oyelowo admitted, who shut down a demonstration at the Oscars to discredit “Selma,” although the damage had already been done.
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“Those attacks we faced were real,” Oyelowo grimaced. “It was a rival studio who planted stories about how we had marginalized Dr King in our film and that narrative literally took over the period of the voting for the academy. The moment the voting stopped, the story disappeared. I haven’t told anyone that but that’s how it happened with the protests.”
Echoing my sentiments (https://eurweb.com/2018/02/black-panther-ultimate-reality-check/), about “Black Panther,” Oyelowo was ecstatic about the history making film.
“It’s ironic that it’s taken a fictional view of Africa to depict what it truly feels like to be African; that self perception, that regality, the embracing of the resources on the continent, that is all based on truth,” Oyelowo stated.
“There has been so many lies told about Africa to us as black people. There is something insidious and intentional about the marginalization of powerful images. The lies perpetuate the myth that enables white supremacy to keep its hold because that’s what colonialism lives on. That’s what the prison industrial complex is all about. It’s about a narrative that maintains the status quo, that enables the so-called dominant culture to continue to self perpetuate.”
As a part of the “Nina” film, Oyelowo was asked about the casting of Zoe Saldana, who was not the first choice.
“There were people on that list who were perfect, and I’m not going to name names.” He eventually told us one was Mary J. Blige. As he was about to be pulled out the room by his people, Oyelowo was asked what story he has not told that he wants to tell?
“I haven’t told it because there’s a reason [Laughs]. I’ve actually said a lot here that I have never said anywhere else.”
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