About this episode

David Oyelowo shares his journey from a shy kid in Nigeria to a celebrated actor, highlighting the pivotal role of his teacher Jill Foster in his life.

Before David Oyelowo became a critically acclaimed actor and the man who brought Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to life on screen, he was a shy kid who came back from Nigeria struggling to find his place in British life. Then Jill Foster, a theatre studies teacher at his Sixth Form College, saw something in him he hadn't yet seen in himself. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, the award winning actor sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the teacher who changed everything when she cornered him outside a London tube station and said the words he'll never forget: I think you could do acting professionally. And I want to help you with that. David opens up about growing up between two worlds, living in Lagos, Nigeria from ages six to thirteen with a father who bore tribal marks and came from a royal family. He talks about what it felt like to experience life as a black man who was not a minority, and how those formative years gave him an identity so secure that no one could take it away. He shares the story of returning to the UK, discovering acting because he had a crush on his pastor's daughter, and meeting Jill Foster, the teacher who didn't just encourage…

People in this episode

Host: David Begnaud

Guest: David Oyelowo

Topics covered

• acting
• identity
• education
• personal growth
• cultural experience

Keywords

• David Oyelowo
• acting
• Jill Foster
• identity
• cultural experience
• National Youth Music Theatre
• Prince's Trust

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: National Youth Music Theatre, Prince's Trust

Books & works: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Places: Nigeria, London

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