All language subtitles for Becoming.King.2024.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.H.264-FLUX

♪ I am ♪

♪ Making my way ♪

♪ Through this dark ♪

♪ And troubled world ♪

♪ I am making my way ♪

♪ To the glory ♪

♪ You foretold ♪

♪ The glory... ♪

I am an actor and the son
of Victoria Nwakaego Oyelowo

and Stephen Oyelakin Oyelowo.

Oyelowo, or as in its
proper Yoruba pronunciation,

"O-ye-lowo," means
"a king deserves respect."

In 2014, I was blessed
with the opportunity

to play the most
influential civil rights leader

of the 20th century,
Dr. Martin Luther King.

Early on in my journey
towards playing Dr. King,

my wife asked
if she could document

the highs and lows
of what lay ahead.

Let me be clear.

My process as an actor
being followed

was very uncomfortable for me.

But I reluctantly agreed.

And this is the story

of the most wonderful,
horrible, turbulent

and terrific chapter of my life.

♪ Yes, I know
I was born to reign...♪

Hi!

I mean, look at those ki--

♪ I was born to reign
with the music ♪

♪ That I play,
and I'll shine...♪

♪ Yes, I know... ♪

There's another
gate there, baby.

a one-bedroom situation whereby
we all slept in the same room.

It was a compound, basically,
for lower-income families.

My dad, being from a Nigerian
royal family, has pride

in the best sense and didn't
want to sponge off anyone.

We went it alone.

This room here?

This is where we had showers.

We had communal toilets,
communal kitchen.

It was a compound.

Honestly,
it's not until coming back

and just seeing it just now.

I've just never,
ever thought of...

us ever being poor.

All their money went
into our private education.

So I went to school
with some of the most

wealthy people in Nigeria.

But we lived a very frugal life

because all their money went
into our education.

- That was here?
- It was here.

like a king. My mum,

there's not really
a word to talk about how...

how my mum carries herself.

"Queen" is too small.

Get my coat now.

All right.

- Hi, Daddy.
- Hello, Jessie.

- Talk to me about David.
- Oh.

- When you...
- Where do I start?

How you got his name.

Okay, okay. Yes.

In a dream, I just saw...

I saw my dad.

And said,
"Oh, we are expecting this baby.

What name do you
want to give us?"

He said, "Call him David."

And what that means to me is

to do with David and Goliath.

No matter what, how big,

whatever effort anybody
want to play to destroy me...

...I will overcome.

And that is my own David.

moved away from an increasingly
difficult political landscape

in Nigeria, back to my country
of birth, England.

My dad had to finish up
his work contract in Nigeria

for a further four years.

We went from close-knit
to being apart

while living
in a homeless hostel.

But I discovered something
new in London: acting.

♪ Oh, yeah ♪

♪ Mm-hmm ♪

♪ Oh, yeah ♪

♪ I'm a good man... ♪

- So, when I met David,
he was 14.
- Okay.

And I'd set up a youth theater
here at the National.

There were
about 30 students in it.

And one of the girls said,
"Would it be all right

to bring a friend along?"

And I said,
"Well, yes, let's have a look."

And she brought David,
and I think

David had no idea what he was
letting himself in for.

I don't think he had it
in his mind at all.

And it was really
evident from the go

that even though he'd had
no drama experience,

that I knew of-- very limited--

that he was
leading man material.

and he was telling me
what he was doing

and how he was planning
to go to law school.

'Cause he wanted
to become a lawyer,

and his father was keen that
he become a lawyer.

And I said, "Have you thought
ever about acting?"

And he said,
"No, how would I do it?"

And we talked and I realized
he was actually interested.

Telling stories
and acting was my newfound love.

Gill helped me apply
to drama schools,

and much to my dad's
disappointment, I got in.

Right before I started,

I joined the National Youth
Music Theatre,

where I honed my craft
and met my future wife.

Jess was 17, I was 18.
We became friends.

And when I realized
a future without her in it

was unthinkable,

three years after we met,
we got married.

I had done the plays
and I had done youth theater

with Jessie. And acting--

they inhabited
the same space for me.

Those were
the things I loved to do.

And I wanted to see if I could

make my passion my profession.

An actor. Ah.

"Actor? No, not an actor."

Sincerely, I knew that
it may be difficult for him.

Difficult for him because
this is a white man's country.

he said, "I want
to be put up for work

that is not ethnically specific.

I want to do everything."

If they perceive dissension
in our looks

and that within ourselves...

that I can't take
any credit for.

He was cast as Henry VI.

He became the first Black actor
to play a royal part at the RSC.

So, what was it
that you saw in David

that made you think,
"Oh, he could play a king"?

There was a class,
there was a, a confidence

about him,
especially for a baby,

working with a lot more
experienced people around him.

I didn't actually know that
David was a practicing Christian

until we were in rehearsal.

But it was good.

It was good because

Henry is a figure of,
yes, great vulnerability.

Uh, in some ways,
a slightly otherworldly figure.

Certainly a man of peace

and the most articulate man
on peace and reconciliation.

My mum would often talk about,
you know, "You are going to...

You're going
to walk among kings."

And I remember her saying that
when I was very young

and I didn't really
know what it meant.

I mean, you know,
we don't have kings anymore.

You don't walk amongst kings.

There aren't,
like, rooms full of kings

that you just walk--
walk in and amongst.

Um...

But, uh, I guess it sort of made
more sense as I've gotten older.

Kings have been a theme.

I said, "How can...

"a Black man play

King of England?"

It was in Telegraph newspaper.

There was debate and all.

And when he did it,

Prince Charles
went to see him three times.

An Oxford don said

in a major newspaper in the UK

that we open ourselves to
ridicule if we allow people

who are not white to
play kings of England.

That was the point
beyond which I was like,

"Okay. Okay.

That's all I need to hear."

So after nearly ten years
of marriage and with two kids

in tow, we took the scary step
of leaving behind friends,

family,
and our careers in the UK

to move our young family
to Los Angeles,

a place where I could see
what I wanted to be:

a Black man who could one day

play leading roles
in popular films.

I get a call, my assistant says,

"It's David Oyelowo
on line one,"

and I-I don't-- I think
he mispronounced his name.

And I said,
"Who's David Oyelowo?"

He was very calm,
and he said, "Hello, um,

are you the head of
the talent department at ICM?"

And I said, "Yes."

And he said, "Oh, good, uh,
because I'm a client of ICM,

"I've moved here from London,
my whole family's here,

"and we've been here
for about six months,

"and I haven't received
one script

"nor have I got one meeting,

um, and I'm starting
to get concerned."

And I was like...

And David had this kind of
strong confidence of,

"I've-- I'm doing
everything right.

This is your problem."

He was basically saying,
"Can you help me?"

I think one of the first things
I did send him was Selma.

hit the doormat.

And, um, I can't remember why,
but we were in a time of praying

and fasting, I think,
at the church.

Something like that.

I just remember
being very hungry,

uh, while I read the script.

And, um...

on the 24th of July, 2007,
I felt God say,

"You are going to play Dr. King
in Selma."

And on that day, I wrote it
as an entry in a new diary

because it was so bizarre

and I just wanted to see
how this played out.

This is the diary
in which I, um,

wrote on the 24th of July '07.

It says,
"I am certain in my spirit

"that the part
of Martin Luther King is mine,

"but of course my flesh
is playing tricks on me.

"God has told me
this part is mine,

but He's also asked me
what I'll do with it."

Like many, I knew of Dr. King.

I knew he led the fight

for the civil rights
of African Americans

and that his work
for social justice was cut short

by his assassination
in Memphis, Tennessee.

But who was this man?

What motivated him
to fight for the cause

he was ultimately killed for?

A cause for which people
are still dying today.

I found myself in the grip
of an obsession to know him.

Reveal him. Honor him.

Driven by the calling I felt,

I put four scenes on tape
from the original Selma script

and auditioned for the role
I now felt destined to play.

A few weeks later,
the director called and said,

"He's a good actor,
but he's not King."

His truth is marching on.

And in all honesty, in my soul,

I was a bit crushed,
a bit embarrassed,

but my spirit was very clear.

First director
was Stephen Frears.

It's remarkable to think
about it now,

but it was Stephen Frears,
I think Paul Haggis,

um, then...

Spike Lee,

then Lee Daniels.

In my search for King

came, you know,
the usual suspects.

So, the day
for the audition came,

and I remember
I was very nervous.

Very, very nervous.
Clammy hands, all of it.

And, uh, I was just going
through my lines.

And you had been praying for me
and you said, um,

"Beware of distractions."

And I said,
"What does that mean?"

"What does...? That's not...

Let's talk about
what I'm gonna do in the..."

You just said, "Be-- no,
beware of distractions."

And I was sat in the lobby,
uh, about to go up.

I felt something...

I don't know what it...

I-I can't f--
I-I can't fully, um,

articulate what it was,
but I just felt,

I f-- it was,
it was like a cloak

sort of just being put on--

like, I-I felt this kind of...

Something just
descended upon me.

And I went into this zone.

And then I w-- got called--
I was at the Chateau Marmont

here in L.A., and I got called
to go for my audition.

I walked in the room
and Lee said, "What,

what have you been doing?"

I said, "I don't know.
What do you mean?"

He said, "Well, Dr. King
just walked in the room."

I remember opening the door,

looking at him, and saying,

"Oh, my God, I found King.

Yeah, I have found King."

And I said, "Okay.

Just keep doing
whatever you're doing."

I turned to my sister
who's casting, I said,

"Is he casting a spell
on me or something?"

He's-- what's going on?

I can't describe what it was.

I still can't describe
what it was.

I said, "Well, let's tape this,
shall we? Let's audition."

We prayed first,
and it was the first time

in all of my adult career

that I was praying
in an audition.

I whispered to my sister,
"Either he is sent from God

or he's the biggest con
that I've ever met."

And, um, so I sat down,

and then he said to...

his sister Leah,
who's also his casting director,

"Okay, let's set up the camera
so David can do his audition,"

and Leah said, "Uh... camera?

"I thought
this was just a general.

I didn't know
you were actually gonna..."

And Lee went,
"David, I'm so sorry.

Ghetto Productions. Leah."

And, you know,
they went into this whole...

brother and sister routine,

and she went, "I have a Flip.
I have a Flip in my bag."

Lee was like, "What's a Flip?

What are you talking about
a Flip? I need a camera."

And-and she goes,
"No, it is a camera."

But I-- and I remember
that during the audition,

the phone was ringing and s--
people was answering the door

and it was just quite a debacle.

But I just kept on hearing
your words,

"Beware of distractions,
beware of distractions."

And even though
it had, it had confused me,

just hearing it meant
I wasn't thrown in a way of...

"This is going badly."

It was a disaster, basically,
in terms of distractions,

but I never broke.

And I felt sort of bad for him,
but he stayed--

he was in the pocket,
he stayed in the pocket,

and I was impressed with that.

I subsequently found out

that that was one of the things
that got me the part.

I-- my spirit said,
"This is King."

David effectively came on board
with Lee Daniels,

and David was very assiduous
and obsessive about this role.

So every time he would
come to London from L.A.,

whenever he was passing through
town, he would come and see me,

to find out where we were,
what my budget level was,

what the demands were for other
cast members, et cetera.

"Are we gonna go,
are we not gonna go?

Are we gonna go,
are we not gonna go?"

Liam Neeson's gonna do it,
Robert De Niro's gonna do it,

Joaquin Phoenix is gonna do it,
Renée Zellweger's gonna do it.

Ray Winstone's gonna do it.

Uh, you know, but-but can-can
we get the money?

All I'm thinking
the whole time is, "Guys,

"I'm the little guy in this.

I'm the no-name actor who just
got given this opportunity."

The looming cloud
was always budget.

The clock was ticking.

And it felt like the beginning
of an amazing journey

towards playing it,
with Lee Daniels as director.

I first auditioned
for Selma in 2007,

but I was finally cast as
Dr. King by Lee Daniels in 2010.

I assumed the budget
would be easy to raise

and we would be shooting soon.

After all, this was Dr. King.

But there were endless delays.

While Lee was trying
to get Selma off the ground,

I was cast in four other films

when all I really wanted to do
was play MLK.

But these films
were all set against

the civil rights history
of America.

Each of the roles gave me
context and insight

into the life and mission
of Dr. King.

Jess decided to give up working
for a time to homeschool

our now four children

so we could all hit the road
together

while I shot these films
and learned more

about the heart of the man

I felt destined to play.

And God tells us,
commands us, compels us,

- to love. Amen?
Amen.

The announcement of me
playing King in and of itself

had done huge things
for my career.

I think people thought, "Wow,
wow, this-- here's this guy

who's gonna play King,
quick, let's hire him,"

and that's exactly why I was--
I mean, literally why

I was in The Help.

Tate Taylor called me up
and said,

"I hear you're gonna be
Martin Luther King.

"I need a King type
to play a preacher.

Do you want to write
a couple of sermons?"

♪ Victory today is mine ♪

♪ O, Lord... ♪

Now that white people
have accustomed themselves

to seeing Negro men with guns
fighting on their behalf,

and now that they can tolerate

Negro soldiers
getting equal pay,

maybe in a few years,
they can abide the idea

of Negro lieutenants
and captains.

In 50 years,
maybe a Negro colonel.

In 100 years, the vote.

ever said to me when I met him
on the set of Lincoln.

I had auditioned for him
on tape.

I walked up to Steven Spielberg
and he said,

"You're-you're gonna play King?"

I had always felt
that playing Ira Clark

in Lincoln was,
he was a preincarnate version

of King in terms of quoting
the Gettysburg Address

to Lincoln and saying,

"You can't just say these things
and not do them."

Effectively, I say the same
thing to Lyndon Johnson.

19 presidents later.

Same actor.

I don't think
that's an accident.

That we here highly resolve

that these dead
shall not have died in vain.

That this nation, under God,

shall have
a new birth of freedom,

and that government
of the people,

by the people, for the people,

shall not perish from the Earth.

A friend of mine who was a, uh,

photographer,
military photographer,

told me the story of Red Tails.

PILOT [over comm]: Where
the hell are you, Lightning?

I said, "This is
a great idea for a movie."

Come on, come on, come on.

- Gotcha!
- Obviously, there is
a racial angle to it,

but at the same time, I didn't
want to make it about that.

I wanted to make it about
ordinary GI World War II heroes.

I did realize at the time

that there weren't really
very many movies out there

that were just about
Black people.

The focus was completely
on Black pilots.

To me,
one of the most important parts

of making a movie is the cast.

David was great,

for all his opinions.

So then, I went
to every single studio.

Nobody would distribute it.

And they said,
"Well, no, we don't think

there's a market there for it."

But eventually I had to go
and say,

"Look, I'll rent
the studio from you--

"the distribution part
of the company--

"I'll pay you this amount
of money and everything,

I'll do everything."

So I did.

And, um... uh,
then the movie came out,

and it did what I wanted it
to do, which is,

you know, the guys are heroes.

How you like that, Mr. Hitler?

Keep in mind,
we were still trying to do

the dance with Selma,

Selma all throughout
the process.

I began production
on The Butler,

and I put David in it
because he was family.

Get up, monkey. Get up.
What is this?

Listening to us?

It says, "Whites only."

tells you just how many places
and people

the budget
had to be gathered from.

41 producers in total.

"Black doesn't travel"
was still the excuse.

The film was made
for around $20 million.

It made close to $200 million.

To have played

the sweep
of civil rights from...

1865 through to 2008.

1865 with Lincoln,

the '40s with Red Tails,

um, you know,

the '60s in The Help,

and-and the '50s

through to the 2000s
in The Butler.

Basically, God

told me I was going to do this,

then sent me to school.

- I love you, Mama.
- I love you, son.

- I love you always.
- I love you.

I made you ham sandwiches.

Thanks, Mama.

in The Butler,

and then we just became
very good friends

um, over the course of
shooting The Butler,

partly 'cause I never--
I've never--

Gosh, this is a weird place
to admit this.

I've never watched
a full episode

of The Oprah Winfrey Show.

- You get a car! You get a car!

You get a car!

Everybody gets a car!

Everybody
gets a car!

"You're kind of a big deal."

And she said,

"David, I can't believe--

"I've been doing stuff.

I need to send you some DVDs."

I said, "No, you don't have to
send me anything.

I-I can see, you're a big deal."

David showed me
a tape of himself

doing the "Mountaintop" speech,

the last speech that
Dr. King gave

before he was murdered
in Memphis.

I wouldn't have had the chance
later that year in August

of 1963 to try to tell
America...

And it's the first time
I actually noticed that,

oh, gee, there's
a resemblance there.

He doesn't look like him,
but I can find it in his face.

And I appreciated the work

that had gone into

the memorization and the cadence

and the power and strength

of King's eloquence.

But I could see that
it was not there,

that it was a,
it was more an imitation

than it was an embodiment.

She said,

"It's okay. It's good.

But you have to go deeper."

then you have to enter
the life of King.

And I really tested
our friendship in that moment

by saying to him, eh,
I'm gonna tell you what

I really think,
and not what I know

everybody who sees
this tape says.

Because the obvious reaction is,
"Oh, my God, that's so great.

Oh, my God, you look like King,
you sound like King."

about the fact that
I was receiving an award

for something that had
not yet been achieved

in the United States
and in the world.

"Um, I'm gonna tell you that
I think you need to go in,

and you need to go deeper."

And I loved that.

I loved the fact that
she didn't say

what a lot of other people
had been saying.

"It's great, it's amazing.
You look like him."

She, I knew, was gonna
tell me the truth.

And I said, um,

"I know I'm gonna do this
before I die."

Even though I was receiving
a Peace Prize,

we were still having
tragic bombings in Mississippi,

and murders in Mississippi
and Alabama and Georgia

and other places.

What murdered these
little girls?

Every Negro who refuses
to go down

to try to register and vote
participated in that act.

What murdered these four girls?

The apathy and the complacency
of many Negroes

who will sit down on their
stools of "do nothing,"

and not engage
in creative protest

to get rid of this evil system.

This evil system.

This evil system.

I felt about David playing King

the same as I felt about Obama
becoming president.

When David then shared with me

that on July 24, 2007,

he literally heard that thing
speak to him and say,

"You're going to do this,"
I knew that it was destiny.

What are you going to do
with-with Selma?

He knew the answer.
He knew the answer.

He knew the answer.

I found and talked to
contemporaries of Dr. King,

tried to gain a deeper
understanding

of how his faith motivated him

in his fight against
racial oppression.

I felt supernaturally guided
through this process.

I thought I was ready,
and felt ready to go.

It was the first time ever
that my heart was broken in...

That my heart was broken
in-- from my work.

Because I knew that the movie
was gonna go on without me.

I couldn't let go of Selma.

I had done a film called
Rise of the Planet of the Apes,

and I was on a plane
to Vancouver

to do reshoots for it.

And I sat down next to a guy
who was watching a show

called Spooks in the UK,
MI5 here in America.

And he paused it on my face,

turned to me and said,
"Is this you I'm watching

on my iPad?"

I said,
"Yeah, that's-that's me."

He went, "That's crazy.

I downloaded this
just a day ago."

And he said, "You're an actor.
Is it good to invest in movies?"

I said, "Well, that's
a loaded question.

What do you mean?"

He said, "Well,
a friend of mine has just

"asked me for $50,000

to put into this small movie."

I said, "Well, what is it?"

"Well, it's called
Middle of Nowhere.

The director's called
Ava DuVernay."

I had only two weeks before
seen her giving an interview

about a film that she had done
called I Will Follow,"

and been very impressed by her.

And I said, "That rings a bell.
Wow. Um, well,

"I'll read your script

and I'll give you my opinion."

He sent me the script, and on
the flight on the way back

I read Middle of Nowhere.

Blew my socks off.

Brilliant, brilliantly
written script.

Got off the plane, called Ava.

"My name is David Oyelowo,
I read your script.

I would love to be in it."

She said, "Oh, my goodness,
you are on my short list,

"but I just thought
you would never consider

a film like this."

Long story short,
we did that film together.

And it became very clear to me
that this is the person

who has to direct Selma.

But the film we had done
together

was a $200,000 film.

Selma was always gonna be
in the region of $20 million.

That's a tough ask.

But I went to plan B,
Pathé, the companies

who had the rights
to the film, and said,

"I think I found our director."

Initially, understandably,
there was pushback.

And with time
and a bit of cajoling,

maybe a little bit
of emotional blackmail,

um, they met her.

And when you meet Ava,
that's it, it's a wrap.

You know, she's so intelligent,
so bright.

And she came on board.

♪ I know that God is
in command...♪

My journey with Selma
begins and ends with David.

I wouldn't have been thinking
nothing about Selma

if it wasn't for David.

David and I worked together
on Middle of Nowhere,

which was an independent film
that I did before Selma.

So many people in Hollywood,

so many people in this industry,
just in general,

wait for permission to move,
wait for permission to act.

But that is not him
and never has been him

as long as I've known him.

So when Lee Daniels,
the director who had

previously cast
and stepped away from Selma,

David found himself
an actor without a director,

an actor without a film,
and so he did what

very few actors do.

He moved the project forward.

There's never been a film made
with Dr. King at the center

in the 50 years since
these events happened.

Dr. King has been a tangent,
an addendum.

A supporting character
to the main action

of somebody else.

Whoever that is, I would argue,

is not as important as Dr. King.

I don't know who it was,
but over the years

there have been other people

who've been the central
character.

So you finally have,
after 50 years,

a film with Dr. King
at the center.

King and his comrades,
moving forward,

the notions of equality,
justice, dignity, liberty

within the context of a very
racist, prejudiced country.

Hello?
Ava.

- Yes?
- I had to call you.
I had to call you.

I'm sitting here reading
this thing just like,

oh, my-- you're ripping
my heart out with this thing.

I'm reading scenes

that are sort of evocative

of scenes I've read before

in different drafts,
and it's just...

The night and day of it,
in terms of the tone

and feel, the poignancy of it,

the loving nature of it,
the rhythm of it,

the authenticity of it.

To have all these figures
in there, humanized,

it's, like, the greatest gift

we can give these warriors,
you know?

Mm-hmm.
- It's great, man. It's great.

You know, I'm sitting here
trying to do other things

and thinking what's going on
over there?

So this call was helpful.

I've very happy that
you like it so far.

Happy's not the word.
Relieved.

gave it a beautiful perspective,

deepened the character
of Dr. King.

But we still couldn't
get the film made.

Going into Paramount Pictures,

uh, this week.

Being in this period of
not knowing if it's gonna go

in April or October.

So, mentally and physically

I sort of feel like

I'm on pause, 'cause

I can't
sort of let go of...

...him entirely.

Uh, because in a moment's notice

I may be, you know, like,

ten to 15 weeks out from having
to actually do the film.

Since being told

that I would do this,

all that's changed, you know,
that hasn't changed,

I have changed.

You know, my very first
reaction to...

...feeling acutely that

I would play this role

was, uh, a feeling of...

...surprise, a feeling of doubt.

Feelings of anxiety because...

...am I-- I don't know that
I'm worthy of it.

And what do I need to be,
how do I need to be

to stay worthy

of that opportunity?

Um, and you know,
through the years,

what's changed is that

I know I'm not worthy
of the opportunity,

and I know that it is

unmerited favor.

I was in a headspace of,
"I've got to do this now."

Now, as time has gone on,
I realize that

- this will be done through me.
- Mm.

And so that's both freeing,
releasing...

Um, it gives me a sense
of relief.

It gives me a sense
of excitement

because I don't know
what that looks like, you know.

I have cobbled together
performances.

I have envisaged performances
in my head

and effectively executed them.

But I don't-I don't know
what this will be.

I don't know what me plus God
plus King plus this film

plus Ava's script equals.

I feel it equals
something divine,

but I don't know what it is.

Enough has happened with this...

this episode in my life

for me to know that

the right thing for the film

will be what happens.

This was given to him
from on high,

and he took it,
and he ran with it.

And every decision,
every other thing

that's come into play
was only following

the natural course that had
already been set

because he stepped into...
You know what I mean?

He stepped into what was his.

No, no, he wasn't deserving.
He was chosen.

David being at the heart
of all of this,

it was David who introduced Ava,

um... and it was David

who introduced Oprah Winfrey.

uh, "We need you.

I need you."

"To do what?"

"Would you consider being
a producer on the movie?"

"What does that mean?"

"I just, I just, I just need you
around this thing."

"Okay."

That's literally
how that phone call went.

I knew that it was destiny,

and I wanted to be
a part of that

because he now is my friend,

and so I will do whatever I can
to help you as my friend.

There was an absolute

galvanizing effect
when Oprah came on board.

25 years after
moving back to London

and discovering acting,

and seven years
after hearing and believing

that I would play
Dr. King in Selma,

all the elements for actually
shooting the film

had finally come together.

We had eight weeks left
until day one of filming.

I don't even know
what to do with myself.

I'm in such a...

- I-I mean...

Seriously, when you-when you,
when I... literally,

I'm, like, literally,
I was a nanosecond away

from pressing "send"
on this Bible verse.

I was about to say,
so that's why when I saw

- your name come up,
I was like, Ava.
Aw.

And then you just,
you just break into,

"So, uh, by the way,
you know, that whole...

- uh, looking, looking--"

Yeah, no, but even
just that thing of...

I-I thought it was like,
"Oh, my sister,

she just needs
a-a 'phonal' hug."

And then you...

And then you'd,
you drop full asking.

Full.

Yeah.

Right.

A lot of good things.

You're finally doing it?

Looks that way.

So, the movie
is called Selma, right?

Mm-hmm.

And...

How long have you been
working on it again?

About seven years.

That's a lot.

I have to go eat now.

- Love you, Dad.
- Love you, baby.

The-the reason I felt that
in playing Dr. King

I had to do this is, when I,

when you see him
giving a speech, you know

he's flowing in his anointing,
you know that God is moving

through him and speaking
to him and out of him.

How do you do that as an actor?
Well, I don't know.

The gamble I took was
to do all the work,

all the preparation I could,

and then trust that...

...there will be
spiritual activity

that would speak
to the audience.

All I knew is that
that had to happen.

♪ Ooh ♪

You want him to explain that,
to bask in it,

to take a couple of years off,
you know.

He comes back
to the Nobel Peace Prize

in the middle of December,
like, December 15th.

On January 2nd,

he's at Selma.

I turned to my wife Coretta,

and said the same thing
I often say

when one of our leaders
is struck down--

Our lives are not fully lived

if we're not willing to die
for what we believe.

In order to play Dr. King,
you know, there's...

There's the superficial stuff
and then the spiritual stuff.

The superficial stuff
was weight gain.

♪ You were made for me
and, baby ♪

♪ I was made for you... ♪

Shaving my hairline back,
growing a moustache,

which is very detailed,
very tough work.

And then... his voice.

You know,
people often say to me,

"Gosh, you're British.
How did you do the voice?"

I...

defy any American
to just ship up

and sound like Dr. King.

Glory, hallelujah!
Glory, hallelujah!

Our God is marching on
and so I say,

work together, children,
don't you get weary.

There's a great camp meeting
in the promised land.

in the way he spoke,
and basically,

what I had to do is
deconstruct the way he spoke.

20. So 20 million Negro.

- 20.
- Yes.

You almost want a "T-W-I-N."

- Twin.
- Twenty.

- Yes.
- Twin...

but he had a lot of Boston

in his accent.

He had the tremulous voice

of a Southern Baptist preacher,
but he was reacting against

the style of his father.

Then, you have to build a bridge

between what we know
he sounds like publicly

and what he had to have
sounded like privately.

Ever wish we could
go back before?

- Yes, sir.

Dr. King.

- Good.
- Well done.

- Yeah.
- Well done.

Work in progress
that we're sending to Ava.

Mm-hmm. Okay.

Necktie.

In the same way that
I was deconstructing King

in the narrative
and trying to figure out

how do you get to the man,

David was doing that in little

humanizing, bite-sized pieces.

I mean, he's such a master
at what he does.

I do not have command
of my own life.

I cannot determine
my own destiny,

for it is determined for me
by people who would

rather see me suffer
than succeed.

We see our children
become victims

of one of the most violent,
one of the most

- vicious attacks ever.
Vicious crimes.

...vicious crimes ever
perpetrated by humanity

within the walls
of their own church.

They are sainted now.

They are the sainted ones
in this quest for freedom,

and they speak to us still.

Every white politician
who feeds on hatred

and prejudice,
every white lawman

who abuses the law to terrorize,

who murdered Jimmie Lee Jackson.

Every Negro man and woman
who stands by

without joining this fight

as their brothers
and sisters are humiliated,

brutalized and ripped
from this Earth.

One struggle ends

just to go right to the next
and the next.

You think of it that way,
it's a hard road.

But I don't think of it
that way.

I think of these efforts
as one effort.

That one effort is for our life.

What I couldn't have
anticipated is...

...my mum having a...

...having a brain hemorrhage.

Got a text from my dad saying,

"Your mother is
in critical condition.

Call me."

She had had a brain hemorrhage.

I flew to London...

and she was in a coma.

Here we are...

...on the ITU.

Possibly the worst week
of my life.

Hi, Mum.

Then I had to just
drop everything.

I couldn't think about Dr. King.

I couldn't think about eating
in order to gain,

gain the weight.

This thing that

had been a seven-year
dream journey,

I could feel it slipping
through my fingers.

And I was doing anything
and everything

but preparing to play Dr. King.

My dad was a-a mess.

My brothers were lost.

I was lost.

My mum is...

the glue in our family.
She just is.

God is in control,
as my mum always says.

We shall overcome.

♪ We shall overcome ♪

♪ We shall overcome ♪

♪ We shall overcome ♪

♪ Today ♪

I believe. In my heart.

♪ I believe ♪

♪ We shall... ♪

What God said about me
doing this role...

Um...

outside of my own control
is, uh...

very true.

I didn't quite expect it
to be this, though.

We were moving house the day

my mum had a brain hemorrhage
and slipped into a coma.

I had to drop everything,
leave Jess with the kids

and fly back to London.

I had to sell
my parents' business,

clean and rent out their house,

and forget about preparing
to play Dr. King

with only a few days left
before shooting would begin.

She had prayed this film into
existence more than anyone else.

But to do it,
I had to leave her.

She was still in a coma
in intensive care

when I flew back to the U.S.

to finish my prep
to play this man

who was feeling more present
with me every passing day.

I felt like death was
constantly around me.

though sickness comes
and the cross looms,

nevertheless!

You ought to have
some great faith

that grips you so much
you will never give it up.

I've dreamt about,

daydreamed about...

longed for, um,

agonized over

whether or not it will happen--

the first day of shooting.

But I feel ready
and that I'm very happy

to be able to say that--
I feel relaxed.

I really feel God's hand on it.

Um...

Yeah, I feel ready.

Let's do it.

Yes.

It's nice you're here.

Thanks.

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Yeah, hallelujah,
thank you, Jesus...♪

My Father, my heavenly Father,
come before me.

Pray that every word I utter,
every word, to Your glory.

Thank you, Father.

Okay.

♪ I know the storm inside
is on its way over...♪

It's special,
a very special day.

It wasn't this hot
in March of 1965.

So, you got to help me
fake it and act

like it's
a beautiful breeze, right?

Even though it's very hot.

And action.

Perfect.

♪ I got to tell you
one more thing now...♪

♪ Some time ago ♪

♪ Some time back there ♪

♪ Never, no, I won't cry ♪

♪ I know the storm
is passing over ♪

♪ I know, I know. ♪

The first day of shooting,
being, was very emotional and...

...full of relief.

And, uh, you know,
the moment where

we all got
to pray together, and...

remind ourselves
of the fact that, um,

this has to be
an act of service.

That was, uh, that was emotional

and that was very meaningful.

It set the tone in a sense,

for what this should be.

And I-- and I truly believe
after yesterday's shooting,

that is what this
is going to be.

You know, my fear
has always been

that there would be
this crippling...

uh...

sense of worthiness, and...

...you know, we're doing
something very important,

which I-I do believe we are.

But if you do it in that spirit,

it's going to be too heavy
and probably unwatchable.

Day two now.

♪ Mmm, mmm ♪

♪ Ain't no hill too high
that you can't climb ♪

Action.

♪ Just now getting started ♪

♪ Mmm, yeah, it's your time ♪

♪ It's time to take it ♪

♪ More than what they see ♪

♪ Mmm, gotta finish strong ♪

♪ It's your destiny ♪

♪ I got it, I got it, I got it ♪

♪ Oh, I see it, I see it,
I see it...♪

Action!

♪ Mmm, I feel it,
I feel it, I feel it ♪

♪ Yeah, go get it,
go get it, go get it ♪

♪ Mmm, mmm ♪

♪ Mmm, mmm-mm ♪

♪ Mmm, mmm ♪

♪ Mmm, mmm-mm ♪

♪ Mmm, mmm ♪

♪ Mmm, mmm-mm ♪

♪ Mmm, mmm ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah ♪

♪ I got it, I got it,
I got it ♪

♪ Victory ♪

♪ Oh, I see it, I see it,
I see it.♪

We have not fought
only for the right

to sit where we please and go
to school where we please.

We do not only strive here today

to vote as we please.

- But we know the truth.

We know the truth,

and we will go forward
to that truth, to freedom.

Today is the day that the
Civil Rights Act went into law.

Fitting day to end.

I have envisaged this day
for so many years.

Seven years to be precise.

And you all have worked so hard.

I have never been on a set

where there's been this much
dedication,

this much going the extra mile,

this much beauty
and service to a film.

And what has happened is

the most beautiful experience
of my life,

outside of getting married
to my wife and my children.

We pray for healing
over this nation.

The pain that
has been brought about

through ignorance,
uh, inequality.

We just pray, Father God, that
what we have learned as people

on this film we will take
out into the world

and our film will do the same.

We thank you for our families,

those who have
not seen us for a while.

We pray that we will go back
to them and be able

to hug them better
than we did before.

Have more love
than we did before

because of this experience.

Thank you so much, dear God,
for being present with us,

for keeping us, and I truly
believe for helping us

create beauty that
is going to bless the world.

We thank you so much!

Amen!

David, not even born
in this country,

actually born
of a name that says

"You're supposed to be a king."

You know, Oyelowo means
"a king deserves respect."

Oyelowo,
the king deserves respect.

♪ Eyes open, stay wholly ♪

♪ On and on and on ♪

♪ Stay open. ♪

But when I watch it, I...

So strange, because I...

I don't see any work, I just...

I just see...

Um...

I just see truth, and I see...

...a familial effort and, uh...

...so much love, so much...

pain.

Um, I don't see myself,

which is strange, but, um...

It's all on-screen, my dear.

Every sleepless night,
every... dream,

every ounce of your talent,

it's all on there,
it's beautiful.

No one can ever
take this away from us.

No matter what happens.

God has...

God has enabled us to

make something beautiful
out of so much pain.

I just pray that
people will see...

the heart of it.

It's just a...
It's just a call for justice,

a call for love,
a call for change.

And it is lovingly done.

It's in the spirit
of sacrificial love

that Jesus called for,

that Dr. King followed in.

We are part of that
lineage with this film.

I don't care what anyone says.

My wife felt God say
that she should buy a camera

and film my journey
into playing Dr. King,

turn it into a documentary
and call it Becoming King.

It was bizarre.

She had never even considered

making a documentary before,

but she researched cameras,
took some classes

and started shooting,
interviewing and editing.

No matter whatever difficulties,

we shall overcome it.

And it has happened.

The sky is the limit.

We are talking now
about the summit.

Because as if there are
greater things to come.

We have seen powerful white men

rule the world while offering

poor white men
a vicious lie as placation.

And when the poor
white man's children

wail with a hunger
that cannot be satisfied,

he feeds them
that same vicious lie.

A lie whispering to them

that regardless
of their lot in life,

they can at least be
triumphant in the knowledge

that their whiteness

makes them superior
to Blackness.

But we know the truth.

We know the truth,

and we will go forward
to that truth,

to freedom.

We will not be stopped.

When will we be free?

Soon. And very soon.

Because mine eyes
have seen the glory

of the coming of the Lord.

He is trampling on the vintage

Where the grapes of wrath
are stored.

He has loosed the faithful
lightning

of his terrible swift sword.

His truth is marching on.

Glory hallelujah.
Glory hallelujah.

Glory hallelujah.

His truth is marching on.

♪ Who said it would be easy? ♪

♪ It's a long, long road... ♪

for a purpose
greater than himself.

He was immeasurably so.

Having spent time with the king
of the Civil Rights Movement,

I know for certain I couldn't
have done what he did.

I just played a role and tried
to honor him as best I could.

♪ Long, long night
and I'm so scared ♪

♪ Takes a long, long time
to say my prayers...♪

I've learned a lot
and lost much.

Both of my parents
have now passed away.

♪ Get up, shake it off... ♪

My mother never recovered and
remained in a vegetative state

until she passed away in 2017,

three years
after her hemorrhage.

♪ Made the rules
for this wicked game...♪

My father succumbed
to the colon cancer

that had unknowingly grown
while he nursed my mother.

I miss them.

♪ The truth cannot
be bought or sold...♪

As Dr. King once prayed,

"Use me, God,

"show me how to take who I am,

"who I want to be
and what I can do

and use it for a purpose
greater than myself."

♪ Because there's more to go,
I said ♪

♪ Who said it would be easy? ♪

♪ But we can't stop now ♪

♪ Don't look back
because there's more to go ♪

♪ Long, long days
and cold, hard nights ♪

♪ Lost inside
but I see a light ♪

♪ In the distance far away ♪

♪ Once I get on my knees,
I pray ♪

♪ Help me keep on keeping on ♪

♪ Help me, I know
I can be strong ♪

♪ Don't know which way to go ♪

♪ But I got a long road
and a ways to go ♪

♪ Who said it would be easy? ♪

♪ It's a long, long road ♪

♪ Don't look back
because there's more to go ♪

♪ I said, who said
it would be easy?♪

♪ But we can't stop now ♪

♪ Don't look back
because there's more to go.♪