NEW YORK (AP) – David Oyelowo, who played the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in the film “Selma,” says there’s an interesting upside to not getting an Oscar nomination.
“In many ways I think we probably got more attention for not being nominated,” he said in a recent interview. “I’ve actually found that people were so disgruntled by some of the love that ‘Selma’ didn’t get with certain award shows that it makes their love for it even more vehement. When they hug me, they hug me real tight, you know?”
Certain award show snubs aside, Oyelowo is nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for his performance in the HBO TV movie “Nightingale,” where he plays a man unraveling after committing a heinous act off-screen.
Next, he co-stars with Kate Mara in “Captive,” opening Sept. 18. It’s based on the 2005 true crime story of Brian Nichols, a killer who takes a young waitress hostage and the two connect on a spiritual level.
Oyelowo told The Associated Press about his work, being “a goofball” and what kind of film he’d love to do next.