Jan. 4, 2015 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, Oprah Prime on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network celebrates the life of Dr. Martin Luther King,Jr. and the Selma marches 50 years later.
Oprah sits down with acclaimed actor David Oyelowo, star of the upcoming feature film Selma, along with the film’s award-winning director Ava DuVernay, for a conversation about the Martin Luther King, Jr. biopic and that important time in the history of the civil rights movement.
In the episode, David shares with Oprah his seven-year-journey to portraying Martin Luther King, Jr., and how he never lost sight of his vision that he would someday play the role of the civil rights leader. Oprah also discusses with Ava her own path to the film and what it means to be a female, African American director in Hollywood whose film is garnering award season buzz and critical acclaim.
The episode will also feature stories of those who were impacted by the march and their reflections today on that time in American history. Selma, which opens nationwide Jan. 9, 2015 chronicles the 1965 Selma to Montgomery protest marches in Alabama led by a group of brave men and women in the fight for equal voting rights. These marches ultimately led to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a landmark achievement of the Civil Rights Movement that prohibits racial discrimination in voting.
Clip Excerpt: How David Oyelowo sold his father on becoming an actor:
Clip Excerpt: Ava DuVernay’s full circle family moment:
Clip Excerpt: Ava DuVernay’s two goals in directing the film Selma:
For more information, visit Oprah.com
