"The question comes from a place of scarcity" — David Oyelowo speaks on playing Martin Luther King Jr. as a British actor

Actor and director David Oyelowo shared his thoughts about playing Martin Luther King Jr. in the 2014 historical drama Selma. On April 17, 2025, the actor sat down on the Breakfast Club Power 105.1 FM podcast, where he touched upon several topics, including the differences he felt between British and American acting.

Charlamagne tha God, the host, asked him:

“Why do British actors often portray Americans in movies and on TV but American actors rarely play British characters?"

The actor replied:

“I would say that the question comes from a place of scarcity as opposed to the artistry of what we do. Daniel Day-Lewis is never having to feel that question when he plays Lincoln."

He went on:

"You know, white British actors who play a myriad of American roles Christian Bale, Kate Winslet, they just not asked that question. We don't ask that question when Meryl Streep goes and plays Margaret Thatcher really, we actually don't really ask that question.”

David Oyelowo explained that the strong reactions about who gets certain acting roles often come from the lack of opportunities in the industry. When there are fewer chances available, people naturally pay closer attention to who gets them.

He believed the focus should be on creating more opportunities instead of arguing over who gets what role. For example, he mentioned how it took Morgan Freeman decades to try to get a movie made about Bass Reeves, and despite all efforts, it still didn’t happen until much later.

David Oyelowo felt fortunate to make it happen, but questioned whether it would have been better to let the story go untold. He added that he makes an effort to do justice to these projects and supports seeing actors of African descent play roles that reflect their heritage, no matter which side of the Atlantic they are from.

David Oyelowo was surprised that there wasn’t a major film on Martin Luther King Jr.

Charlamagne tha God asked Oyelowo if he had any reservations about portraying Martin Luther King Jr., as he was a British actor. David Oyelowo said he didn’t. He explained that when he first read the script in 2007, he wasn’t thinking about playing Dr. King, but after some prayer and fasting, he felt called to take on the role.

David Oyelowo said he worked harder than anyone to get the film made, helping bring key people like Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey on board. He was surprised there hadn’t yet been a major film about Dr. King, especially considering King was the only Black American with a national holiday in his name.

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David Oyelowo didn’t feel that being British should disqualify him from playing the role; he believed in the importance of making the film happen.

When director Lee Daniels was casting for The Butler, Oyelowo knew he was competing against actors he admired. Once he was chosen, his focus shifted from whether he was the right person for the role to doing the best job he could with it. He believes that in the end, it’s the quality of the performance that matters most.

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