12 The Best Man
![The Best Man](https://www.awardsandshows.com/image/david-oyelowo-the-best-man-22177.jpg)
In the movie 'The Best Man', David Oyelowo played the character of Graham.
11 Red Tails
![Red Tails](https://www.awardsandshows.com/image/david-oyelowo-red-tails-7029.jpg)
David Oyelowo played the role of Joe "Lightning" Little in the 2012 film "Red Tails." In this historical drama, he portrayed one of the African American Tuskegee Airmen, a group of talented pilots who overcame racial discrimination to become heroes during World War II.
10 Gringo
![Gringo](https://www.awardsandshows.com/image/david-oyelowo-gringo-30487.jpg)
David Oyelowo portrayed the character of Harold Soyinka in the 2018 film 'Gringo'. Harold is a mild-mannered and naive Nigerian immigrant who works for a pharmaceutical company. His character undergoes a dramatic transformation as he becomes embroiled in a dangerous world of drug cartels and corporate greed during a business trip to Mexico.
9 A United Kingdom
![A United Kingdom](https://www.awardsandshows.com/image/david-oyelowo-a-united-kingdom-52711.jpg)
In the film 'A United Kingdom', David Oyelowo portrayed the real-life character of Seretse Khama, the Prince of Bechuanaland (now Botswana), who falls in love with and marries a white British woman, Ruth Williams, played by Rosamund Pike.
8 Jack Reacher
![Jack Reacher](https://www.awardsandshows.com/image/david-oyelowo-jack-reacher-4045.jpg)
In the movie 'Jack Reacher', David Oyelowo plays the character of Pittsburgh Police Detective Calvin Emerson.
7 A Most Violent Year
![A Most Violent Year](https://www.awardsandshows.com/image/david-oyelowo-a-most-violent-year-6247.jpg)
In the 2014 drama 'A Most Violent Year', David Oyelowo played the character of Lawrence.
6 The Butler
![The Butler](https://www.awardsandshows.com/image/david-oyelowo-the-butler-386.jpg)
In the 2013 film 'The Butler', David Oyelowo portrayed Louis Gaines, the eldest son of Cecil Gaines, played by Forest Whitaker. Louis is a civil rights activist who becomes involved in the struggle for racial equality during the 1960s and 1970s, which puts him at odds with his father's role as a White House butler serving multiple presidents.
5 Lincoln
![Lincoln](https://www.awardsandshows.com/image/david-oyelowo-lincoln-8263.jpg)
In the movie 'Lincoln', David Oyelowo portrayed the character of Corporal Ira Clark of Union Army.
4 Queen of Katwe
![Queen of Katwe](https://www.awardsandshows.com/image/david-oyelowo-queen-of-katwe-63555.jpg)
In the film 'Queen of Katwe', David Oyelowo portrayed Robert Katende, a real-life Ugandan chess coach. His character is instrumental in discovering and nurturing the talent of Phiona Mutesi, a young girl from the impoverished Katwe slum in Kampala, Uganda, played by Madina Nalwanga.
3 Selma
![Selma](https://www.awardsandshows.com/image/david-oyelowo-selma-3246.jpg)
In the historical drama film 'Selma', David Oyelowo portrayed the iconic civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The film chronicles the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches, a pivotal moment in the American civil rights movement.
2 Rise of the Planet of the Apes
![Rise of the Planet of the Apes](https://www.awardsandshows.com/image/david-oyelowo-rise-of-the-planet-of-the-apes-8581.jpg)
In the movie 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes', David Oyelowo plays Steven Jacobs, Supervisor of Dr. William Rodman (played by James Franco) at Gen-Sys.
1 The Last King of Scotland
![The Last King of Scotland](https://www.awardsandshows.com/image/david-oyelowo-the-last-king-of-scotland-7183.jpg)
David Oyelowo had a supporting role in the film 'The Last King of Scotland'. He played the character of Dr. Junju, a Ugandan physician who works alongside the main character, Nicholas Garrigan, portrayed by James McAvoy. The film primarily focuses on the fictional relationship between Garrigan, a Scottish doctor, and the real-life historical figure, Idi Amin, brilliantly portrayed by Forest Whitaker. Oyelowo's character, Dr. Junju, represents the local perspective and serves as a moral compass in the face of Amin's brutal regime.