British actor makes all the right moves
Oyelowo expands range as mentor to chess prodigy in Queen of Katwe
David Oyelowo continues to test his range by playing Uganda chess coach Robert Katende in Queen of Katwe, which opens Friday.
But unlike Oyelowo’s Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, his latest portrayal will have far fewer pundits assessing his likeness.
Directed by Mira Nair, Queen of Katwe tells the true story of Phiona Mutesi’s early life as an unlikely chess champion from the Katwe slum in the Ugandan capital of Kampala.
First-timer Madina Nalwanga plays Mutesi while Lupita Nyong’o portrays Harriet, the girl’s disapproving mother.
During a recent interview, the 40-year-old Oyelowo offers his thoughts: On Queen of Katwe’s universal theme of overcoming the feeling you don’t belong: “I think anyone and everyone who’s been marginalized in any way can relate to it,” Oyelowo says. On the sub-text of the film: “It’s the struggle of a povertystricken young girl in a patriarchal society who is constantly surrounded by the notion that being female means you are lesser,” he says On shooting the movie where the story took place:
“It’s very important that Queen of Katwe was shot in Katwe,” Oyelowo says. “The temptation with these films is to shoot them elsewhere for tax breaks, but we needed to tell the truth of the place.” On filming in the church where Katende taught the Katwe kids how to play chess. “You’re barely having to act when that’s the case,” Oyelowo says. On the inexperience of Nalwanga, who plays Mutesi: “We took all the kids to see Jurassic World when we were halfway through Queen of Katwe,” Oyelowo says.
“Madina, who plays Phiona Mutesi, sat next to me, clutching my arm the whole time. And then she turned to me at one point and said, ‘Is that what we are doing?’ ”
“She had never seen a movie in a theatre before.” On meeting Katende: “He’s this great mentor and teacher and father figure to the kids,” Oyelowo says of the character he plays.
“But you still see him wrestling with this question: ‘Am I good enough for them?’ ” On Katende’s sacrifices while continuing his work with the Katwe kids: “His wife was pregnant while we were shooting the film and he had six other kids living in their twobedroom apartment, because they had nowhere else to go,” Oyelowo says. On filming Queen of Katwe with filmmaker Nair:
“It’s who (Nair) is,” he says of her feminist approach. “She goes for the girl as the protagonist and that ... makes the story unique.” On the point of view if a man had directed the film: “My character would have been the lead and it would have made it not as fresh,” Oyelowo says. On portraying another good man, Dr. King in Selma: “He was undeniably a good person, but there were rough edges,” he says. “We didn’t shy away from the fact that there were extramarital situations.” On auditioning for the Dr. King role:
“I faced a lot of opposition,” he says. “I’m British. I’m not a famous actor and I certainly couldn’t get the film financed.” On a major Oyelowo influence: “Her name’s Oprah Winfrey. You may have heard of her.” On what Winfrey told Oyelowo, who had co-starred with her in Lee Daniels’ The Butler: “She said, ‘I believe playing Dr. King is your destiny and I’m going to do everything I can to make that happen for you.’” On following up on her promise: “I know for a fact that Selma would not have happened for me without her advocacy and her encouragement,” Oyelowo says.