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David Oyelowo

David Oyelowo Quotes

Actor

David Oyelowo is a British actor born on April 1, 1976. He is known for his outstanding performances in various film and television projects, including 'Lincoln', '12 Years a Slave', and 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'. Oyelowo is highly regarded for his deep acting skills and diverse role choices.

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Famous David Oyelowo Quotes

“I like to think of myself as a physical actor.”

Thinking Actors

Author:David Oyelowo

“I admire many actors, though I don't think there's anyone whose career I would want to mirror sort of by the beats. What I'm really looking to do is constantly defy expectations. I'm very curious to see if you can actually have a character actor and a movie star's career combined.”

Ifs Thinking Want Character Actors Stars Careers Beats Expectations Mirrors Admire Curious Movie Star Character Actors

Author:David Oyelowo

“I think it's vital to have something outside your acting to keep you rooted in the real world, and help you fill the vacuum. If you have nothing else, it can be unhealthy. For me being a Christian has been invaluable: it simply means acting isn't the centre of my life.”

Ifs Thinking World Mean Has Beens Real Helping Christian Acting Real World Rooted Centre Vacuums Unhealthy Invaluable

Author:David Oyelowo

“I do think opportunity breeds bravery. It's such a competitive profession, no one owes you anything, talent in itself is not enough. I went to drama school with so many great actors who are not doing it anymore and it's circumstantial.”

Thinking Enough School Actors Opportunity Talent Drama Bravery Profession Great Actors

Author:David Oyelowo

“I certainly don't feel there's a distinction to be made between a television and a film actor. I think there's a distinction between great actors and not so great actors. But I really think if you watch a person working in television give a wonderful performance, that person is f - ing great, because there is no time.”

Ifs Thinking Giving Feels Persons Made Film Actors Watches Wonderful Television Performances Distinction Great Actors Film Actors

Author:David Oyelowo

“I think what a lot of people don't realize is how much being the leader of this movement weighed upon him. After all, he [Dr. Martin Luter King] was only 39 years-old when he was assassinated, and only 36 during the Selma campaign. He always seemed older than he actually was, and I believe part of that had to do with just how much life he had to live in order to lead this movement.”

People Thinking Years Believe Order I Believe Realizing Leader Movement Kings Campaigns Drs

Author:David Oyelowo

“I think that having a black president in this country has been a seismic shift, in terms of what has been going on racially in America. I think that America is now engaging with how we have come to this point.”

Thinking Has Beens Country America Black President Term Engaging

Author:David Oyelowo

“I know that there is still a lot of bitterness and anger, and arguably justifiably so, when you think about how brutal slavery was and what its brutal legacy still is.”

Thinking Knows Stills Slavery Legacy Bitterness Brutal

Author:David Oyelowo

“I truly believe slavery is why, as a by-product, we still have a disproportionate amount of black men incarcerated in the USA. It is an extension of that legacy, and that's not going to start to diminish until black people have a new sense of themselves that isn't tied to slavery and feeling inferior. I think the church can be instrumental in that, in terms of repentance, reconciliation and just being more embracing of each other - not just on Sunday, but in life generally.”

People Thinking Men Believe Stills Feelings Black Term Church Products Amount Slavery Legacy Usa Sunday Repentance Black People Tied Just Being Inferiors Extensions Diminish Reconciliation

Author:David Oyelowo

“I do think how two people dance with each other is indicative of how they feel about each other. It can tell a lot more than a verbal scene.”

People Thinking Feels Two Scene

Author:David Oyelowo

“I basically enjoy doing films that are about something, that have complex roles that I can sink my teeth into. Basically, I gravitate to things that scare me. They might be things that I don't think I know how to play. I like trying to find within me where this character may exist. Whether is it is a fictional character or not I am not motivated by that. It is more about how challenging it is. It is just so happens that the more high profile things I have done have been historical characters.”

“People have compact to go beyond our own culture and upbringing to a degree that I think we don't acknowledge enough really.”

People Thinking Enough Culture Degrees Acknowledge Upbringing Compact

Author:David Oyelowo

“I think that having a black president in America has been a seismic shift, in terms of what has been going on racially in America. I think that America is now engaging with how we have come to this point.”

Thinking Has Beens America Black President Term Engaging

Author:David Oyelowo

“I truly believe slavery is why, as a by-product, we still have a disproportionate amount of black men incarcerated in America. It is an extension of that legacy, and that's not going to start to diminish until black people have a new sense of themselves that isn't tied to slavery and feeling inferior. I think the church can be instrumental in that, in terms of repentance, reconciliation and just being more embracing of each other - not just on Sunday, but in life generally.”

“We're not served by only knowing our finest hours through film or media, or in the history that we are taught. I think the only way we have a chance to not make the same mistakes again, is to historically understand the bad behavior and mistakes we've made previously.”

Thinking Way Made Film Hours Chance Mistake Knowing Media Taught Behavior Finest Same Mistakes Bad Behavior Finest Hour

Author:David Oyelowo

“I think the notion that we are different just because of skin color, and that we should be kept apart or kept from interbreeding, is very hurtful.”

Thinking Should Different Color Skins Notion Hurtful Skin Color

Author:David Oyelowo

“I never, ever do a film and just kind of move on. I think of them as children of mine, and you don't give birth to a baby and just leave it on someone else's doorstep. You see it all the way through college.”

Thinking Giving Kind Children Film Moving College Baby Birth

Author:David Oyelowo

“Getting to do what I think was my fifth BBC drama with Nikki Amuka-Bird - we've done 'Shoot The Messenger,' 'Five Days,' 'The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency,' 'Born Equal' and now 'Small Island' - was another highlight for me. And filming in Jamaica was great, too.”

Thinking Done Born Five Drama Equal Bird Islands Agency Fifth Detectives Messengers Highlights Jamaica

Author:David Oyelowo

“It's fascinating to work with a company of actors of such different ages, experience and talents. I'm one of a generation brought up on television whose acting is more 'naturalistic', whereas with some of the older generation it's more heightened. But I think there's room for both styles.”

Thinking Different Age Actors Rooms Acting Company Generations Talent Style Television Fascinating Older Generation Different Ages

Author:David Oyelowo

“I think until Britain acknowledges just how much of a presence black people had here before the Sixties, then there are certain stories that are not going to be inclusive of what I have to offer.”

People Thinking Stories Certain Black Offers Acknowledge Britain Black People Sixty

Author:David Oyelowo

“I love that as a black person I've experienced not being a minority. I think that's helped me to combat the minority mentality people can have here, which can stop them scaling the heights.”

People Thinking Persons Black Height Minorities Combat Mentality Black Person

Author:David Oyelowo

About the Author

Born: April 1, 1976
Known for: Actor
Quotes: 79

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