Latest news with #DavidOyelowo
CBC
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
How a 2-second movie trailer clip led to the biggest role of Stephan James's career
Over the years, Stephan James has established himself as one of Canada's finest dramatic actors with a reputation for playing historical figures in acclaimed films. In 2013, he was cast as civil rights activist John Lewis in Selma, Ava DuVernay's Martin Luther King Jr. biopic. It was a major breakthrough role for the young Canadian actor — and he says the opportunity was only made possible because of a movie trailer he appeared in for less than three seconds. In a live on-stage conversation with Q 's Tom Power at the Banff World Media Festival, James recalls how British actor David Oyelowo (his co-star in Selma) recommended him to DuVernay after seeing him in the trailer for the sports drama When the Game Stands Tall. WATCH | Stephan James's full interview with Tom Power: "I'm in the trailer of this movie for, I kid you not, like two and a half seconds," James says. "David Oyelowo, who's a fantastic human being, a fantastic actor, he had taken his kids to the movies. And one of the previews was When the Game Stands Tall …. I'm not sure what provoked him to be like, 'Whoa. That guy should be John Lewis.'" After the news reached James that he was being considered to play Lewis, he enlisted his little brother to help him make a self-tape using one of his bed sheets as a shoddy backdrop. "I had to do 15 takes, of course, because I was like, 'Ava DuVernay and Oprah are going to see this!'" he says. "I sent in the tape, and I kid you not, maybe 20 or 30 minutes later, I get a call from my agent, and he was like, 'Hey man, Oprah and Ava DuVernay wanna Skype with you.' … The rest was history." If you want to see what was so impressive about James's brief performance in the trailer for When the Game Stands Tall, you can check it out below (he appears at the 0:57 mark). Interview with Stephan James produced by Catherine Stockhausen.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
David Oyelowo on Why He Made It a Priority to Shoot ‘Government Cheese' in Los Angeles
There's a moment in Apple TV+'s 'Government Cheese' where David Oyelowo's character is swallowed by a catfish. 'That's something I didn't have on my dance card, and something I'm sure not a lot of actors can say that they've done,' Oyelowo tells Variety's Awards Circuit Podcast. Tthe phrase that keeps coming up from people is it's unlike anything they've seen. That, in and of itself, is a huge source of pride for me.' But in the surrealist comedy, anything is possible. 'That is definitely part of the joy of both doing it, and I hope watching it, is that you're getting to see scenarios you haven't really seen before,' Oyelowo says. That includes 'seeing a Black family under these circumstances that you haven't seen them in before, but in a familiar time.' More from Variety Brett Goldstein on Working With Michael J. Fox on 'Shrinking,' Returning to 'Ted Lasso' and Preparing His Next Comedy Special: 'It's a Good One!' 'The Amazing Race' Has Won 10 Reality Competition Emmys - But It's Still Not Enough Emmys Acting Contenders: From Pedro Pascal and Diego Luna to Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, Who Was Officially Submitted Oyelowo spoke to the Awards Circuit Podcast about 'Government Cheese,' including the unconventional storylines and shooting in the deep San Fernando Valley. He also shared more details on his production company, and what's to come. Listen below! 'Government Cheese' is based on creator Paul Hunter's family and his experiences growing up in California. Oyelowo stars as Hampton Chambers, the patriarch of a family living in southern California's San Fernando Valley in 1969. The Chambers – wife Astoria (Simone Missick) and sons Einstein (Evan Ellison) and Harrison (Jahi Di'Allo Winston) — are a quirky bunch pursuing lofty and seemingly impossible dreams. The plot kicks off when Hampton is released from prison, and, as the series synopsis explains, his long-awaited family reunion doesn't go quite as he'd planned. During his absence, his wife and kids have formed an unconventional family unit, and Hampton's return spins their world into chaos. 'The first thing that drew me in was Paul Hunter, the filmmaker,' Oyelowo says. 'When he asked to meet me, I took a bit of a dive into the work he'd done — most of which was seminal music videos that I had watched, not knowing that the same person had done all of these visually stunning, culturally potent, short films.' In the case of 'Government Cheese,' Oyelowo says he also was inspired by the scripts, filled with 'this sort of parabolic, biblical, whimsical, surreal component. Of this guy who's going on a spiritual journey… you're just in his POV, so you have to go along with it. Him being stuck in the belly of a catfish, him finding himself in a flood, him having a death and resurrection experience. These are all biblical references, but they are played as as literal. But because the world is so fantastical, you find yourself going, 'is this real or imagined?' And without any need, as far as we're concerned, to explain that.' As for the location, also inspired by Hunter's upbringing in the Valley, Oyelowo could also relate: He's lived in places like Studio City, Sherman Oaks and Tarzana for nearly 20 years. 'It's incredibly unique as a California location, it has a very specific light and still looks a little bit like it's stuck in the past, depending on where you go,' he says. 'When Apple was talking about, which tax break town or city can we go to? I was like, it has to be the Valley. It has to be the it is a character in this show. The thing I didn't know is how populated by Black people the Valley was back in the day. For Paul, that was his experience growing up in Pacoima, in the Valley in the 60s and 70s. And that was also something unique about the show that I wanted to see.' It also helped that after shooting 'Lawmen: Bass Reeves' far from home, Oyelowo was looking to star in something in his backyard. 'We just need more production here in L.A.,' he says. 'We're really, really struggling. And it was really typified by the fact that almost every day, a crew member would come up to me and say, 'Thank you so much for shooting this here. I can't remember the last time I got to shoot in LA, be with my family and get to do a job for six months.' Our industry has been really challenged by the pandemic, the strikes and now the fires. So that was a real joy to be able to do that.' Might there be more 'Government Cheese' to come? 'That's the hope,' he says. 'Gosh, the last time I did seasons of anything was 24 years ago — it was called 'MI-5' here but 'Spooks' in the UK. A spy show, and we did three seasons of that. I have a very voracious and eclectic appetite. so I always like going from one thing to the next. But I loved doing this show. To do more of it would be great.' Oyelowo and his wife Jessica are behind Yoruba Saxon, a production company that has a first-look deal with Apple, where they have several projects in development. 'A big focus for me is the African continent,' he says. 'Over a billion people on that continent, and I feel like streaming has come along and solved the piracy issue. So the excuse of it not being a valid market, I think, has been eroded. We have several projects that are going to be be African, in either in location or in subject matter, which is something I'm deeply proud of.' Oyelowo's upcoming projects include a film about a man coming out of solitary confinement, directed by Nate Parker; as well as a psychological thriller. He is also developing a limited series based on the Chinua Achebe novel 'Things Fall Apart' with Idris Elba (they'll also star together), as well as 'Biafra,' focusing on the civil war in Nigeria, with the BBC. Also on this episode, Brett Goldstein discusses 'Shrinking' and 'Ted Lasso,' as well as his Emmy-contending HBO Max standup special 'Brett Goldstein: The Second Best Night of Your Life,' and whether he's working on his next routine. Listen below! Variety's 'Awards Circuit' podcast, hosted by Clayton Davis, Jazz Tangcay, Emily Longeretta, Jenelle Riley and Michael Schneider, who also produces, is your one-stop source for lively conversations about the best in film and television. Each episode, 'Awards Circuit' features interviews with top film and TV talent and creatives, discussions and debates about awards races and industry headlines, and much more. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or anywhere you download podcasts. Best of Variety Emmy Predictions: TV Movie — Peacock, HBO and Netflix Battle as 'Bridget Jones,' 'Mountainhead' and 'Rebel Ridge' Lead in 39-Title Race Emmy Predictions: Supporting Actor (Comedy) — 161 Hopefuls Include Apple TV+ Standouts From 'Shrinking' and 'The Studio' Emmy Predictions: Lead Actress (Limited) — Michelle Williams Leads 54 Contenders in Bid for Second Win With 'Dying for Sex'
New York Times
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
David Oyelowo Considers Oprah ‘Chosen Family'
'Government Cheese' began as what David Oyelowo called 'a beautiful experiment.' He had long admired the fantastical storytelling of Wes Anderson and the Coen brothers. But he hadn't seen that applied to a Black family. Then the filmmaker Paul Hunter approached him about playing a version of his own father — an ex-con eager to reunite with his family and make his fortune — in a short film with absurdist elements set in the San Fernando Valley in 1969. Eventually they spun it into a television series for Apple TV+, taking care to leave that tone intact. 'We were very keen to make something that we knew might not be for everyone, but was very unique in its nature,' said Oyelowo, who is an executive producer on the show in addition to its lead. 'It's very rare that people of color get to make things where they are not feeling the need to explain their existence.' Oyelowo lives in the San Fernando Valley, where the series was shot, which meant there was little danger of violating the 'no more than two weeks apart' rule that he and his wife, Jessica, established early in their relationship. And which they've broken only once, by 11 hours. In a video interview, Oyelowo elaborated on why his rambunctious dogs, going to the movies and Oprah Winfrey are essential to his life. These are edited excerpts from the conversation. I was brought up in the church, but it never really meant much to me because I was sort of piggybacking my parents' faith. Then I had what can only be called a spiritual awakening at 16. And all of those stories that I grew up reading suddenly took on different meaning and have remained that way. It's where I learned the true definition of love. We've now known each other for 30 years. When we met, she was 17, I was 18, and she just hijacked my heart. There was a moment where I realized I couldn't picture a single day of my life going forward without her in it. Selfishness is an occupational hazard as an actor. But the greatest gift my kids have given me is selflessness. What being a father has afforded me is the opportunity to gain a new habit, which is to constantly be thinking about others. That's a mental health thing for me. I need to sweat. I need to get those endorphins going. I need to shake things up. I remember in playing Dr. King in 'Selma,' I had to gain about 30, 35 pounds, so I couldn't be in the gym for several months. I hadn't appreciated just how difficult it is to stay mentally sharp when you are not as physically active. We have a Bernese mountain dog, a Siberian husky and a Cavalier King Charles. They're too rambunctious. Two of them are very big, and I wish they didn't jump on us the way they do — but I also love the fact that they jump on us the way they do. Oprah and I met in 2011 during 'The Butler,' playing mother and son. I've lost both of my parents now, and they were massive in my life. Oprah has kind of become my chosen family, which has been a profound reality. I call her Mama, she calls me Son O. I just love the communal experience of going to the movies. Between being a storyteller and being a lover of community and being a real believer in the fact of the healing ability that story has as a mirror to humanity, I can't imagine my life without that privilege. It coincided with the #BringBackOur Girls movement for the Chibok schoolgirls who were kidnapped in Nigeria. As much as I love being a Nigerian, it's a very patriarchal society, and I'm a big believer that one of the ways to bring peace on earth is to have more female leadership. We started with three girls and we're now at 44 girls, and we pay for all of their education, all of their mental health needs, all of their menstrual health needs. That is where the contract between actor and audience is cemented. We are going to go on a journey together, and I am going to do everything I can to tell the truth. Giving a performance hundreds of times to an audience, you start to understand what it costs to tell the truth. I'm a bit of an A-type personality, but there is simply no way from a capacity standpoint that I could do as much as I'm doing without Darnell Rhea, who is carrying in her body about 25 to 30 percent of my brain. She is the GOAT. I've told Darnell that, at the very least, she has to give me seven years' notice if she's thinking of quitting because she's that good at her job.
Wall Street Journal
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
‘Government Cheese' Review: David Oyelowo's Ex-Con Odyssey on Apple TV+
The push-button transmission on the indestructible Dodge Dart is one recurring late-'60s signifier in 'Government Cheese,' along with the pastels, paisleys and rampant polyester. They are all useful visual coordinates, considering that the story otherwise takes place in an unwelcoming Wonderland of surrealistic angst in which Alice is an ex-con, the looking-glass is Los Angeles and the dream involves a power drill. David Oyelowo, whose roles have included lawman Bass Reeves, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Kaley Cuoco's husband ('Role Play'), stars in and executive-produces this 10-part series created by Paul Hunter and Aeysha Carr. He seems eager to stretch as an actor, perhaps the way Steven Soderbergh did in 'Schizopolis,' or Eddie Albert in 'Green Acres.' Whether he will take his audience along on this particular trip seems a somewhat dicey proposition.
The Independent
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
PSA: Apple TV+ is just £2.99 a month for the next three months
It might be the most under-the-radar streaming service out there, but when everyone – and I mean everyone – is talking about season two of Severance, you probably owe it to yourself to give Apple TV Plus a go. Thankfully, the tech giant has just made that decision a whole lot easier. Apple has just sliced the cost of an Apple TV Plus subscription to just £2.99 per month for the next three months – saving you £6 a month and £18 overall. The good news is – the offer is available to both new and returning customers. The bad news? The limited-time deal ends on 24 April. With Seth Rogen 's satirical Hollywood comedy The Studio having just launched late last month, surrealist drama Government Cheese starring David Oyelowo, and the upcoming sci-fi series Murderbot with Alexander Skarsgård in the lead, as well as Apple TV Plus favourites like Severance, Ted Lasso, Trying and Bad Sisters just waiting to be watched (or rewatched) – there's never been a better time to subscribe. Since launching in 2019, Apple TV Plus has built up a strong library of original content, with something for just about everyone – from gripping dramas and sharp comedies to documentaries and kids' shows. Unlike its rivals, Apple TV Plus is all about originals, making it the only place to stream critically acclaimed series like Silo, For All Mankind, Shrinking and The Morning Show, as well as more niche gems like Pachinko, Calls and Dickinson. If you've got Family Sharing set up, you can share your subscription with up to five other family members across different devices – a handy bonus, especially with other platforms cracking down on password sharing. The offer ends on 24 April, so you don't have long to secure the saving.
