The Butler's David Oyelowo Faces Ongoing Star Wars Questions

British actor weighs in on working with director J.J. Abrams

By Marc Malkin Nov 12, 2013 8:51 PMTags
David OyelowoJason Merritt/Getty Images

Michael B. Jordan may have confirmed that he's auditioned for a role in J.J. Abrams' Star Wars reboot, but don't expect most other hopefuls to do the same.

David Oyelowo, who played Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey's son in The Butler, is rumored to be up for Star Wars: Episode VII, too.

"Everyone is asking me about Star Wars," Oyelowo said Saturday at the BAFTA LA Jaguar Britannia Awards. "The breaking news is J.J. Abrams is going to give you that breaking news."

He added, "I'd go anywhere to work with J.J. Abrams. I think what he did with Star Trek was so extraordinary…And I think what he'll do with Star Wars will be just as impressive."

While it's not clear which role Oyelowo could be on the list for, he did say that Lando Calrissian (played by Billy Dee Williams in the original Star Wars films) is his favorite character. "He was pretty cool," the actor said.

How so?

Oyelowo said with a big smile, "Because he looks like me."

Ewan McGregor told us earlier in the year that he's open to returning to the Star Wars franchise.

"I'd be up for it," he said at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, adding, "I'm available."

It was announced just four days ago that Stars Wars: Episode VII will be released on Dec. 18, 2015.

"We're very excited to share the official 2015 release date for Star Wars: Episode VII, where it will not only anchor the popular holiday film-going season, but also ensure our extraordinary filmmaking team has the time needed to deliver a sensational picture," said Alan Horn, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, in a statement.

It's scheduled to begin shooting in spring of 2014.

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