In Selma, David Oyelowo portrays Martin Luther King, Jr. in the events surrounding the 1965 Selma voting rights marches. Oyelowo’s performance received widespread acclaim in the weeks leading up to its limited release on Christmas Eve. Selma is now going into wide release today and audiences all over the U.S. can now see Oyelowo’s career-defining portrayal of the civil rights icon.
In conversation for the Screen Actors Guild Foundation with Pete Hammond of Deadline, Oyelowo spoke about the intimidation of playing the role (especially since he wasn’t born in America), the trials he went through to play the role, staying in character as King during the shoot, and why he feels the film is appropriate that the film is being released now.
Check out the video above!
