Oyelowo reveals that he often uses a mix of approaches when acting. He says, “With Dr. King in Selma I had to ‘go over there’ to fully get to him. Another film I did called Nightingale was another performance in which I couldn’t be me. For A United Kingdom, I felt more access to it. Yes, I had to build his accent and physicality, but it was accessible enough to feel I didn’t need to be in his persona moment to moment.”
Staying in character can sometimes place an actor in curious situations. Oyelowo brings up an example from when he was shooting Selma. He recalls, “The weirdest thing, because I stayed in character for the three month shoot, that it got to the point where one night I was doing something simple like brushing my teeth and looking in the mirror – and I couldn’t see myself. It was very freaky experience, to the point in which I had to leave the bathroom. Who I am had dissipated in a disturbing way. It’s amazing what the human mind can do, when inhabiting a certain place for long enough.”
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