INTERVIEW: David Oyelowo Talks 'Government Cheese,' British Vs. American Acting & Opportunities, Oprah + More

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club – Interview with David Oyelowo

Episode Title: INTERVIEW: David Oyelowo Talks 'Government Cheese,' British Vs. American Acting & Opportunities, Oprah + More
Release Date: April 17, 2025
Host: Charlamagne Tha God, Lauren LaRosa, Jess Hilarious
Guest: David Oyelowo

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1. Introduction of David Oyelowo

The episode begins with host Charlamagne Tha God warmly welcoming acclaimed actor and producer David Oyelowo to "The Breakfast Club." Oyelowo is introduced as a special guest to discuss his latest project, 'Government Cheese,' as well as his perspectives on acting, representation in media, and his collaborations with influential figures like Oprah Winfrey.

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2. Intentional Role Selection and Representation in Media

Charlamagne Tha God opens the conversation by acknowledging the powerful roles Oyelowo is known for and asks about his intentionality in selecting such roles.

David Oyelowo emphasizes the intentionality behind his choices:

“...I’ve definitely gravitated towards roles and projects that mean that I am trying to change what I saw growing up. I'm trying to widen the aperture and contextualize who and what we are as black people.”
(Timestamp: 02:00)

He discusses his upbringing in the UK and Nigeria, highlighting how his experiences informed his understanding of Black representation in film and television. Oyelowo reflects on the importance of creating meaningful narratives that accurately portray Black communities, moving away from stereotypes and marginalized roles.

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3. Challenges in Filmmaking and Black Narratives

The conversation delves into the evolution of Black representation in Hollywood, particularly contrasting the 1990s golden era with the present.

Oyelowo explains:

“What has happened a lot is that our stories, we craft them, we develop them, but at some point, you've got to take it to people who have green light power who are not from our demographic.”
(Timestamp: 05:20)

He critiques how the transition of storytelling control to non-Black figures often leads to diluted narratives, moving away from authentic and empowering stories about Black lives.

Charlamagne Tha God adds his observations on the shift from shows like "The Cosby Show" and "Different World" to more reality-based programming, questioning the deliberate move away from socially redeeming narratives.

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4. Transition to Producing and 'Selma'

Lauren LaRosa inquires about the emotional weight Oyelowo carries in his roles, particularly referencing his portrayal of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 'Selma.'

Oyelowo shares his journey of becoming a producer:

“I couldn’t have anticipated was producing. And so I thought, oh, okay, well, I can do that again for the things that I believe in and I'm passionate about.”
(Timestamp: 10:53)

He recounts the challenges in getting 'Selma' made, facing multiple rejections before finally securing support from influential figures like Oprah Winfrey and Ava DuVernay. This experience ignited his passion for producing films that authentically represent Black stories.

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5. Impact of Streaming Services on Opportunities

The discussion shifts to how streaming platforms have revolutionized opportunities for Black-led projects.

Oyelowo highlights:

“Streaming from... there is data. We see the lawman Bass Reeves. It got rejected by Hollywood three times. Went on to be the most successful, widely viewed show on Apple TV plus globally in 2023.”
(Timestamp: 14:56)

He credits streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, and Apple for providing platforms where previously marginalized stories can thrive based on actual viewership data, bypassing traditional gatekeepers' biases.

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6. 'Government Cheese' and Its Symbolism

Introducing his latest project, 'Government Cheese,' Oyelowo explains the series' significance and symbolism.

Oyelowo describes:

“Government cheese for us was symbolic of what we tend to do as black people. Necessity being the mother of invention, we will take nothing and make it into something.”
(Timestamp: 22:44)

The series portrays a Black family in the 1960s, navigating economic and personal challenges with resilience and creativity. Oyelowo emphasizes the aspirational aspect of the narrative, showcasing characters striving to overcome adversity through ingenuity and determination.

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7. Balancing Career and Family Life

Lauren LaRosa brings up an article Oyelowo did with Men's Health, discussing his efforts to balance his demanding career with his role as a father.

Oyelowo reflects on the importance of being present for his family:

“A life well lived is not really about what you did. It's how you made people feel... I want the people closest to me to feel like I was present.”
(Timestamp: 29:03)

He shares personal anecdotes about family trips and how these experiences rejuvenate him, allowing him to return to his professional roles with renewed energy and perspective.

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8. Relationship with Oprah and Mentorship

The conversation explores Oyelowo's close relationship with Oprah Winfrey, whom he credits with pivotal support in his career.

Oyelowo recounts:

“Oprah... I sat down next to a guy on a plane who was watching a TV show I had done in the UK... I called her, asked her if I could be in her movie.”
(Timestamp: 49:10)

He describes Oprah's mentorship and unwavering support, highlighting how her guidance has been instrumental in his successes, including his directorial debut.

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9. Typecasting and British Actors in American Roles

Addressing the common trend of British actors portraying American characters, Oyelowo offers his perspective.

Oyelowo challenges the notion of scarcity in acting opportunities:

“I think it's to do with scarcity here as it pertains to the work we have. If there's scarcity, there are less opportunities.”
(Timestamp: 34:48)

He argues that the focus should be on creating more opportunities rather than questioning why British actors are chosen over their American counterparts. Oyelowo emphasizes the importance of expanding the "pie" to accommodate diverse talents and authentic storytelling.

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10. Future of African Storytelling in Hollywood

Concluding the discussion, Oyelowo advocates for more authentic African narratives in global media.

Oyelowo states:

“We need more African stories. We just need more stories. And I think a huge untapped source of amazing global storytelling is Africa.”
(Timestamp: 39:23)

He underscores the universal appeal found in specific cultural narratives and calls for stories to be made by those deeply integrated within the respective cultures to ensure authenticity and resonance with global audiences.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

1. David Oyelowo on Role Selection:

   “I am trying to change what I saw growing up. I'm trying to widen the aperture and contextualize who and what we are as black people.”
   (02:00)

2. On Black Narratives in Media:

   “If I'm not part of the solution, I'm part of the problem.”
   (02:00)

3. Regarding 'Selma' Production:

   “I’ve told myself I can’t afford to be safe.”
   (17:14)

4. On Streaming Platforms:

   “...we have raw data. And that’s the thing that streaming has done as well.”
   (14:56)

5. On 'Government Cheese' Symbolism:

   “Necessity being the mother of invention, we will take nothing and make it into something.”
   (22:44)

6. Balancing Family and Career:

   “A life well lived is not really about what you did. It’s how you made people feel.”
   (29:03)

7. On African Storytelling:

   “We need more African stories. We just need more stories.”
   (39:23)

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Conclusion

David Oyelowo's interview on "The Breakfast Club" provides deep insights into his commitment to authentic Black storytelling, the challenges within the Hollywood system, and his dedication to balancing a thriving career with a fulfilling family life. Through his experiences, Oyelowo highlights the importance of representation, the power of streaming platforms in democratizing content, and the need for more diverse narratives in global media.

Availability:
'Government Cheese' is currently available on Apple TV, showcasing Oyelowo’s continued efforts to create meaningful and culturally resonant content.

Transcript

[Charlamagne Tha God]

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[David Oyelowo]

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[Charlamagne Tha God]

Early in the morning.

[David Oyelowo]

The Breakfast Club.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yep, it's the world's most dangerous morning show. The Breakfast Club. Charlamagne, tha God, Lauren, LaRosa, Envy and Jess are out, but we got a special guest. David Oyelowo was here. Did I say it right?

[David Oyelowo]

You did. You did. You did. Okay.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I had to ask you beforehand.

[David Oyelowo]

I appreciate that. You did. Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I see it all the time, but I'm like, I don't want to hack it when I try to say it.

[David Oyelowo]

Everyone does, but you nailed it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

How are you, sir?

[David Oyelowo]

I'm very good. Very good. It's great to be here.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Absolutely.

[Lauren LaRosa]

So you got a government cheese happening right now on Apple tv.

[David Oyelowo]

Yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

So in watching this, but also some of the other things that I've seen you play in. Can you just first talk about your career and, like, the roles that you select? All of the roles that I know you for are very powerful. Very. Like, you tell stories that are, like, so important to black people. Coming out the gate, you are. Is that something you were like, hey, this has to be it for me. This is what I want to do? Or did you just fall into these roles because, like, how did it happen?

[David Oyelowo]

No. Thank you for saying that. It's very intentional. You know, I was incredibly influenced by film and television growing up, and I was aware quite early that the images I was taking in were in some ways informing me of what blackness means, globally speaking. And then I had this incredible moment where having been born and grown up in the UK. We moved back to Nigeria for six years from the age of six to 13. And I was suddenly in a country in an environment where I was not a minority. Everything on offer in that. In that society was mine for the taking. And I realized that these images that I was internalizing that often had black people on the periphery or playing what I deemed to be caricatures or stereotypes were insidious, were detrimental to us as a people. And so, having moved back to the uk, becoming an actor, I felt that if I'm not part of the solution, I'm part of the problem. And so I've definitely gravitated towards roles and projects that mean that I. I am trying to change what I saw growing up. I'm trying to widen the aperture and contextualize who and what we are as black people.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's interesting. I wonder how did you know that, you know, they were caricatures and stereotypes if you've never. If you hadn't been to America to see for yourself yet?

[David Oyelowo]

Because I was living in communities where black people were central to their own lives. And I knew that what I was seeing, because it wasn't just America, it was in the UK as well. You know, know, if. If every time you see a black person, they are on the periphery of the narrative, if so often they are criminalized or marginalized, that was not my experience walking through the earth. And so it was. I felt that's intentional, that's political, that's propaganda, in a sense. And it's having a. A detrimental effect on me because there is a disconnect between my lived experience and what I'm internalizing on screen. And so that's how I knew it was something to become better.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You know, it's so interesting, right, Because I have that conversation often because, you know, when you watch film and television in the 90s, if everything had some type of socially redeeming value.

[David Oyelowo]

Right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You know what I mean? And I always wonder what the hell happened to that. It felt like it was intentional for them to stop showing us that and start giving us, like, the reality television.

[David Oyelowo]

Yeah. Well, I can tell you exactly what happened. So often why you got. You had those films that were bringing context to who we are as black people is because it was largely being framed and made by black people. What has happened a lot is that our stories, we craft them, we develop them, but at some point, you've got to take it to people who have green light power who are not from our demographic. And so therefore, you're having to push who we are through their perception of who we are. And it almost always gets eroded, watered down, or marginalized. And that's what's happening for some reason, in the 90s, there were producers, there were creatives, there were directors who were just doing it all themselves, and it was getting celebrated and it was less watered down. And that's why I think we had that golden era.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah. Because how you go from the Cosby show being the number one show on television, different world being the number two show on television, and then all of a sudden it's just like, okay, that don't work no more.

[David Oyelowo]

Right, right. I think there's some intention behind it. You know, you look at what's happening in the education system, there's a reason why they're trying to red. We have access to. By way of knowledge as to who we are, because knowledge is power. So you take that power away, you can continue to subjugate people. So, you know, in. In relation to what you said, I love what I get to do. I love being a storyteller. But I do often feel like it's also a political act. Gets odd. Get our stories told.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Is it ever heavy for you? Because, like, I remember watching you in the story about Dr. Martin Luther King.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And Selma.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah, and Selma. And, like, I know there's a lot. Because you also have done theater.

[David Oyelowo]

Yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

You're very serious about what you do. So I know that there's a lot of study and, like, deep study and things of that nature. So you're probably doing that for every single role. And there's a lot of, like, just trauma that you take on differently because you get so close to your characters. How does that stick with you? Like, in that pressure from outside world, too, of, like, these are characters and people that, you know, have shaped our world.

[David Oyelowo]

Yeah. I mean, I try to stay away from the trauma component. What I mostly gravitate towards are aspirational representations of us. So in playing Dr. King, the gift for me was to see a leader, to see someone who was an icon, but who was a human being as well. And I'm interested in stories where we get to be triumphant, where we get to be someone you would aspire to be, no matter what. What demographic of person you are. More often than not, when you see black people in a historical context, we are browbeaten. We're broken down, and often we don't. We're not allowed to ascend. You won't catch me in that narrative. For me, personally, we have got to, for me, be on an upward Trajectory in whatever we do. So it's less traumatic. It's more celebratory of who we are without shying away from the challenges we faced.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, they never want to show you the slave revolting.

[David Oyelowo]

Right, right. Exactly. Exactly. And. And for me, you know, that's why I resist slave narratives, because it's very hard to find the triumphant in that. The closest I came to that was playing Bass Reeves in this show, Low Men. Bass Reeves. He starts enslaved. But the great thing about being a producer is that you can ensure or be a voice in where the narrative goes. I would not have taken that on if he didn't go from enslavement to empowerment. Staying in enslavement is not something that I want to project to our people, because there are people who enjoy that narrative as a means of keeping us down.

[Lauren LaRosa]

You said something interesting. You said it. Being a producer, you get to kind of like, you know, help to figure out where the character development goes and stuff like that. What part of your career did that become an option for you? Because not all actors have the ability to be on a set and say, hey, I think that we should change this or empower differently because of how my people will see this. When did that happen first in your career?

[David Oyelowo]

It happened by accident. It was on Selma. I got the script just as an actor in 2007. Felt a real calling to play that role. But I auditioned for it, and the first director said, david oyelowo is not Dr. King. That was literally the feedback. And it took another seven years before the film came to fruition. But what I could never had anticipated was that I would go from being an actor who was rejected initially to three directors later because they just kept on not wanting to make that movie. Because black doesn't travel, the audience is not going to gravitate towards it. Whatever the excuses are, they still say that. Well, they did back the Tyler Perry. Oh, yeah. I mean, yeah. You think this is a film about Dr. King Tyler Perry.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Because they said that they told Tyler Perry, black people wouldn't leave the theater to go to the movies. They don't travel beyond.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I think you meant global. You meant like global. Global box office.

[David Oyelowo]

Right, Globally. But here as well. The narrative was, black people don't want to see black struggle. White people don't want to see, you know, feel white guilt and things like that. But, you know, it wasn't till 2010, Lee Daniels actually came along and was the one who actually cast me in it. Still couldn't get the film made in the Meantime, I did a small film with Ava DuVernay called Middle of Nowhere, small $200,000 movie. And I felt she is a genius. Lee had moved on from the project because they wouldn't give him enough money to make it. And I went in and fought very hard for Ava to be the one to direct it. She rewrote the script. It was brilliant. Rewrite of the script, still couldn't get it made. I'd done the Butler with Oprah at that time. I invited Oprah on to be a producer onto. On the. The film. 12 Years a Slave came out and had done well, which had broken down this notion of our stories not traveling. And so the aggregation of all of those things is what went on to mean Selma got made. What I didn't realize I was doing by bringing on Ava, bringing on Oprah, fighting daily to try and get the thing made was producing. And so I thought, oh, okay, well, I can do that again for. For the things that I believe in and I'm passionate about. And so, you know, that was 10, 11 years ago now, and I haven't stopped since.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I was going to say that's so crazy because 12 Years a Slave came out in 2013.

[David Oyelowo]

Right.

[Lauren LaRosa]

That. That was even still a conversation then.

[David Oyelowo]

Absolutely. It was. It was the conversation back then. I mean, I had done the Last King of Scotland before that. And people may not remember, but the. Even though we think of Forest Whitaker in that film, the lead of that film was actually James McAvoy. They would not have made that film unless there was the Scottish white doctor as the lead of the role. It was the sheer force of Forest Whitaker's performance that meant he went on to win Best Actor. I was in the Help. It was the character played by Emma Stone, who was the lead character of the Help, not Viola Davis, not Octavia Spencer. It was the sheer force of their performances that means that they are the ones we think about.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Right?

[David Oyelowo]

So when I first read Selma in 2007, Lyndon Johnson was the lead character. Dr. King was a supporting character. This is how these films were getting made back then. Then they were always fronted by. By white characters. And you were sort of on the. On the periphery. But it's the sheer force of who we are as performers that meant that you go, oh, that's, you know, the same thing with Glory. You know, Matthew Broderick is the lead of that movie, but we think of Denzel and Morgan Freeman, you know, in that movie. So that's how these films always got made until, you know, 2013. There was 12 Years a Slave without 12 Years a Slave, I don't think Selma gets greenlit in 2014.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Is that racism or business?

[David Oyelowo]

Is racism really? No, I mean, it's. That it's not business. When the Butler. We couldn't get the film made because no one would put money in. We had to go to Cannes to raise the funds. We sold, sold 17, maybe 18 foreign territories, got the $18 million to make the movie. The only reason the film got completed, because that wasn't enough money to make it, is because a hurricane hit the city set. So we use the insurance money to complete the movie. So we made it. I think the end of the day was around $25 million. We made that movie for it, made $172 million. So it's not business because, you know, anytime we end up making these shows or these films and they succeed, they then get deemed that they have overperformed, which in my opinion.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Even with the white lead.

[David Oyelowo]

Yes, because. Because, well, in the Butler, Forest Whitaker's the lead, and it centers around a black family. So that's why there was resistance to making it. But there's no way you're struggling to raise $25 million to make a movie if you knew it was gonna make $172 million. The assumption is that it won't make that money. So that's why I say it's not a business decision. It's a race.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I just wonder what those assumptions are based off. Are they based off box office success? I mean, you know, now in 2025, it would be much harder to have those conversations because of the success of a lot of black led movies. But back then, you know, because we've.

[David Oyelowo]

We've eroded the lie. Yeah, we have too many. We have raw data. And that's the thing that streaming has done as well. You know, streaming from. I saw a clear upturn in my career when streaming came along. Because the reason why it's racism is it's tied to the opinion of a very small sample size of people who are not our demographic, who make these decisions purely based on opinion, not on raw data. Now, Netflix, Amazon, Apple, you know, there is data. We see the, you know, lawman Bass Reeves. I tried to get that show made for 10 years. It got rejected by Hollywood three times. Went on to be the most successful, widely viewed show on Apple TV plus globally in 2023. There's no way that would. That. That was the estimation of what it would be, you know, in relation to how many times it was rejected.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Right.

[David Oyelowo]

So we have consistently eroded that. But we still are being saddled with this, what I deem to be a pejorative, which is it overperformed. No, didn't overperform, just performed. The audience gravitated towards it because we're human beings telling great stories in a great way, and the global audience are rewarding us for it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I do get mad at. I do get mad at us sometime when we don't show up for certain projects.

[David Oyelowo]

Right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Because you have to, like, at the end of the day, I understand everything you're saying, and you're right, but it is still a business.

[David Oyelowo]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

At the end of the day. And we make it easy for them to say no when we don't show up.

[David Oyelowo]

Well, I guess it depends on when you deem us not showing up. I've definitely had projects where I was like, oh, come on, guys, show up. But, you know, I think we're 14% of the population here, but black and brown people, you know, a trillion dollars.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

In spending power, though. Exactly a year.

[David Oyelowo]

Yeah, but we over index. It's like 40% of viewership on. On. On streaming is us, you know, so we show up for the art form. We are the culture. We are the drivers of the culture. And so to constantly have the folks who are driving that culture on the margins of it doesn't really make sense.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I wonder if it's the type of art, too, though. That is easy, because they're quick to make a comedy.

[David Oyelowo]

Right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

They'll make a.

[David Oyelowo]

Right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You know what I mean? But when it's actually something of some substance, it's a little harder to make.

[David Oyelowo]

Well, that's why. And to your point, that's why I try to push the envelope with what I do. I'm always trying to find something that is a fresh way into telling a story. So, you know, Government Cheese is a comedy, but it's a surrealist, parabolic fantastical comedy that has this sort of spiritual journey element, something you'd probably expect more from Wes Anderson than from us. So it's, it's comedy, but I like to think it has more substance, you know, artistically, that there's, there's, there's layers to it. And, and so it's, it's, it's a little bit chicken and egg as well, because if we get opportunities to do one thing, and that one thing is doing well, well, you're going to keep feeding that machine.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Right.

[David Oyelowo]

If it's harder for us to color outside the lines, and then there's so much pressure on whether that thing succeeds. Or not. That's really difficult because, you know, if I'm a white person and I'm taking a big swing, the chances are I'm gonna have about four, five, six, maybe seven at bats. You know, with us one, maybe two. And so that puts a lot of pressure. And so the temptation is to keep on doing the safe thing. But that's the thing. I've. I've told myself I can't afford to be safe.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I wanted to ask real quick, why didn't they want you? Why didn't the director want you to play mlk? What was his reasoning?

[David Oyelowo]

Well, he was. He was entitled to his opinion. I mean, he. He was a white male director who I think was more focused on the LBJ character, and he had another actor in mind. Like I say, his. His. His. His choice. But to be honest, when I think about it now, that's not the version of the story I would have ever truly been proud of. Or, you know, that's in line with those other movies I talked about. You see it with the Constant Gardener or Blood diamond as well. You know, these. These films that insist on a white protagonist when we are central to the story. And that's what that version of Selma was going to be. So I'm actually really glad that that version isn't what. Isn't the one that got made.

[Lauren LaRosa]

What's success for you now? Because when I think about the Selma movie, I remember the Oscar situation where you guys were up for these awards like the movie itself, but then you and Ava DuVernay and you spoke out and said that you feel like you guys are snubbed because you protested wearing the I can't breathe T shirts. So it can't be award shows for you at this point, right?

[David Oyelowo]

No, no, no, no, no. I mean, you, You. The, The. The. The opportunity that adversity has afforded is to know that ultimately, I don't know that those accolades are necessarily designed with us in mind. Don't get me wrong. Happy to get them if and when they come along. But the reward, which I couldn't have foreseen with Selma was Oscar so white. You know, the fact that Selma started that movement and, and meant that our industry was held to account from without. The industry, the culture literally said, we do not agree with how you treated that film or how you're treating us generally. And that pressure really did change the face of Hollywood. For a time, anyway. You know, it definitely moved the needle.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Because that year all 20 actor nominees were white.

[David Oyelowo]

Right.

[Lauren LaRosa]

But how so for you, when you come in after that year. And you're. You know what I mean? You do your whole back. You're very vocal about how you feel, what you're experiencing on the business side of it as a producer, someone that is directing and doing all these things that you're doing. Are studios welcoming you with opening arms, like in an ideal world, or do you feel the resistance even more after a moment like that?

[David Oyelowo]

It's complicated because, you know, in that situation, it was that first year, and then the next year it was the same thing. Thing.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Right.

[David Oyelowo]

So, you know what was helpful about that is that you, again, like I said earlier, Data, it's not. I'm not just playing the race card. I'm not just complaining. You have two years in a row where every nominee is a white person and not a person of color. That suggests there is something wrong with our industry. When you consider how much our communities support this industry, how prolific we are within this industry, the. The work that we're producing, which the audience is saying they value and are remunerating at the box office. And so that becomes something you can hold the industry accountable to. And that's something like you say, I've been vocal about, I've been very energized about, and that has been a big driver for my work.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I love something you said. You said the opportunity that adversity has afforded.

[David Oyelowo]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Can you expound on that, Fred?

[David Oyelowo]

Well, you know, when you're in the middle of it, it's no fun, you know, when. When your film is being attacked, when it's being accused of inaccuracy, when people actually, the. The Selma march was Lyndon Johnson's idea, not Dr. King's idea. All of which is completely true. Sorry. All of which is completely false. But you can feel the reason you're being attacked is because you're actually doing something worthwhile. Doesn't feel great. Breaking new ground doesn't feel great. But the. The ultimate reward is there is nowhere in the world I go now where, you know, black people in particular are not just hugely supportive of. Because that adversity that we face publicly, people are facing in their lives privately and say they. They go, I see you, I see what you're trying to do. I'm with you. I'm going to support you. And so that level of support is something no one can take from me. And since that adversity, I can feel it, and it's a continuing groundswell because my contract, not just with black people as an audience, but with the audience generally, is I'm going to just consistently try to contextualize who we are as black people. If you're down for that, come on the ride with me. And that may have not been something I was so focused on if I'd had all the accolades that, you know, could have been afforded.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I want to talk about government cheese. So the name itself of the series. Let's talk about that first, because it's referring to the government cheese program, which is a kind of like an overarching conversation that you guys have throughout the series without really having it all the way. Yeah, so talk about the, you know, just the choice to title it that. And you know what you hope. The hope is that people get just from looking at the title before they even see it.

[David Oyelowo]

Yeah, I mean, government cheese for us was symbolic of what we tend to do as black people. You know, necessity being the mother of invention, we will take nothing and make it into something. And government cheese, as people may know, is government subsidized food. There was powdered eggs, there was powdered milk as well. And with, with government cheese in particular, you talk to people, even now they have this, you know, they go into this place in their heads when they think about those grilled cheese sandwiches or the Mac and cheese and they, they talk about it incredibly fondly because it was, you know, a not particularly nutritious food that people made into a delicacy. And what you have with the Chambers family is that they are this black family in the valley in the 60s making something out of nothing. This guy starts the show incarcerated, has this epiphany about making a self sharpening drill. It's going to be the means by which his family comes out of the challenging situations they're in. So it's aspirational. You have the character that Simone Missick plays, she's a receptionist, but she wants to be an interior designer. You have our son who's aspiring to be a pole vaulter. You have this other son of ours who, you know, is completely obsessed with native American culture. Everyone is looking beyond where they are from an aspirational point of view. And in many ways government cheese is sort of symbolic of that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What's the equivalent of government cheese in the uk? I don't, I don't. As a British man, did you understand what that was?

[David Oyelowo]

Yes. I mean, we don't have exactly the same thing, but I remember, you know, you got bottles of milk that everyone got, you know, that would get dropped at your house every, every morning. And that was something that was a. Across the nation, super Rich people were not getting that necessarily, but it was, you know, lower income families. So that's the closest that we got in, in terms of that situation. But the thing I know from living in the uk, living in Nigeria, in Africa, living here, is that wherever you go, the resilience of black people in terms of, you know, making something out of nothing is just something that feels pretty universal.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You've had other roles that have highlighted black life in the 60s. What about government cheese felt different from those other projects.

[David Oyelowo]

This, the amount of joy on display. Okay. And just the, the relatability. I think, you know, our experience is very specific, especially in the 60s, as it pertains to civil rights and black struggle. But, you know, with this family, they are dealing not only with economic challenges, but marital challenges and they are raising kids and, you know, you know, just, just trying to make ends meet. And, and I, and I think all of those things are what make it fresh and familiar at the same time. You know, you've seen black people in the 60s, but never quite like this, Never quite in this place and never this family, you know, they're kind of out there. But, you know, I have a.4 kids myself. And you know, it's weird. It's not until you go to a, a restaurant and you see people looking you funny, you realize how weird and quirky your own family is because you're just being super loud and people are keying into your conversation. So I think we're probably also all a bit more quirky and weird than we care to admit.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Well, this, this series is definitely a lot more like, light and fun and, you know, even though it takes on like some serious undertones. But I was reading this article that you did with Men's Health magazine.

[David Oyelowo]

Yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

And you were talking about going out into Wyoming on a ranch with your kids.

[David Oyelowo]

Oh, yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

And I, when I saw the article, I was like, this is like a random interview for him to have right now. And then I was reading, I was like, I get it. Because you put yourself in a light of like a person who has had to learn again to just like, relax and just be fun and just be a person. Because, you know, you're studying, you're acting, you're working, and there's clauses where you can't go out and do stuff like that, which makes a lot of sense. But those moments with your kids where you're just, they're seeing you as like a human or as like, dad is fun. Dad can do these things. How does that reignite you when you get back on these sets, you know, you take on these characters like the one in Government Cheese.

[David Oyelowo]

I'm so glad you brought that up because, you know, everything I'm saying is hard work. And, you know, when I make a show, probably in the past to an unhealthy degree, I feel like it's a political act. I feel like it's not just about me going to work and taking on a story. I'm bringing my people with me. And you could argue that there are elements of that that are unhealthy. And so to. To smell the roses while you're on the journey to continue to intentionally enjoy your family, enjoy your marriage, enjoy your home has been something that I've tried to afford myself more and more as I've got deeper into my career, especially as there are now more wins on the board.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

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[David Oyelowo]

You know, there are really significant things I've done that are absolutely in line with what I set out to do, right? And the temptation is to just be like, okay, what's next? What's next? What's next? And you know, I have four kids Three. Three boys and a girl. I have a wife who I deeply love. And, you know, that is just as important. And a life well lived is not really about what you did. It's how you made people feel. And the thing says that, well, there you go. And you're right. And I want the people closest to me to feel like I was present, to feel like I didn't just say I loved them, but my actions demonstrated that as well. And I think that's time. That's just constantly demonstrating to the people you love that you value being in their presence. And so that is. That's. I'm working on it. I'm not going to tell you that, you know, I'm all the way there, but that's definitely an intention. I'm trying to bring more into my life.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Is that what you meant when you said in the article that you came back a different dad?

[David Oyelowo]

From which. Oh, in that. Yeah, I came back a different. Wow, you guys really do your research. You really read that article.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I would say, is this PR team, right? Or whoever. Whoever was that pitched that. That was so smart because in looking you up, everything else. Okay, go on.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I didn't even know she pitched that.

[David Oyelowo]

Yeah, yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Well, no, you don't just end up in Men's Health magazine.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, I thought you meant pitched it to us.

[David Oyelowo]

No, no, no, no.

[Lauren LaRosa]

If they gave me that story, I would have ran it up too. But no, when I saw that, I was like, it was so genius. Because I think your reputation as an actor is so, like, it's very, like, stern and, you know, silent and serious.

[David Oyelowo]

Right.

[Lauren LaRosa]

And then I see this article about you doing all this stuff in Wyoming with your kids. I'm like, wait, hold on. What? He be having fun. So it made me go read it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But that's what I guess.

[David Oyelowo]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

When you said you came back a different dad, I guess you just read, realize, like, I can't just be so much into my work. I still gotta be pops.

[David Oyelowo]

But. But also, you know, I. I was a really rambunctious kid. I would throw myself all over the place. I was one of three boys. And then I had my own kids and I got super, like, wrapping them in cotton wool, like, oh, careful, careful. Don't do that. You know, and then we went on this trip where we're horse riding and ATVing and we're. You're shooting arrows and bike riding. And I just really just let myself go, probably a bit too much because I went flying over the handlebars of the ATV at one point. But, you know, I do that when I'm playing a role, because it's like, throw yourself into the role. Do whatever the role requires. But for my kids to see me having fun in that way was an eye opener for them. And I came back differently because I was like, you know what? I am almost playing a role for my kids in order for them to be safe, but they also need to see dad sort of letting loose and having fun, because then they'll hopefully take the right kind of risks, not just, you know, careless risks. And it was a shift in the dynamic, and it was something I actually didn't want to go on, particularly. My wife won it in a raffle, this trip to this dude ranch, and then sent us all out. And, you know, I'm so grateful that we did it, and we've done so many more things like that since then because it was hugely beneficial for our family.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Won a trip at a raffle?

[David Oyelowo]

Yeah, you gotta get you more money for a movie, man. What the hell? It was very posh raffle. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, I know. That made it sound bad.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Did you have any reservations about playing mlk because you are a British actor and, you know, there's always that thing of, why are all of the British actors playing the roles of American icons?

[David Oyelowo]

No, because of the way it came in. You know, when I read the script in 2007, I had never been thinking of myself as Dr. King, you know, but I'm a Christian. I was in a time of praying and fasting, and I felt, God, tell me you are going to play this role. And then the way it came about eventually, which is that, you know, I can safely say pretty much no one worked as hard to get that film made as I did. And I would probably say no one else was quite as influential in getting that film made between bringing on Ava, between bringing on Oprah, between all the. The work done behind the scenes to try and get the film made. So for me, I just found it unacceptable that the only American who had a holiday named after him in the 20th century, who happens to be a black man, had not had a film made about him yet. I wasn't feeling like I have to be the one to make it. But this was already 50 years after his assassination. Why do we not have the movie? And I'm a big believer in if not me, then who? And so I was never really thinking, I'm British. It should be someone else. And the reality is that when Lee Daniels was casting for it, he met everyone like I met I saw the list of some of the people he met. I was like, oh, my Lord, I cannot believe I'm going up against my heroes to even dare think I'm going to be the one to play this. But I eventually got the role. And so for me, it's a question of, okay, now I've been given the opportunity. It's less about whether or not I should play it, it's more about how well I do it. And that is going to be, at the end of the day, the thing that I want people to judge. And so I never really thought about it in that way, because at the end of the day, I have no interest in playing myself on screen. I'm always going to be gravitating towards the most extreme challenge in terms of playing someone who's not necessarily me.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

How do you answer that question? When people say, why do British actors often portray Americans in movies and on tv, but American actors rarely play British categories?

[David Oyelowo]

I would say that the question comes from a place of scarcity as opposed to the artistry of what we do. Daniel Day Lewis is never having to feel that question when he plays Lincoln. You know, white British actors who play a myriad of American roles, Christian Bale, Kate Winslet, you know, they just not asked that question. We don't ask that question when Meryl Streep goes and plays Margaret Thatcher. Really. We actually don't really ask that question when Forest Whitaker goes and plays IDI Amin, an African character, or Morgan Freeman goes and plays Nelson Mandela, or the great and late Chadwick Boseman plays an African character in Black Panther. I think it's to do with scarcity here as it pertains to the work we have. And so if there's scarcity, there are less opportunities. Who gets the opportunity is more scrutinized. And I think it's a function of that. And so I'm less concerned with that debate. I'm more engaged with, let's create more opportunity and let's actually realize there's more pie than we care to realize or admit. And if you don't know that, create that. You know, because Morgan Freeman tried to get Bass reeves made for 30 years, I just don't understand how Morgan Freeman couldn't get that made. You know, I came along 150 years after Bass Reeves was walking the earth, and, you know, I feel very blessed that I managed to get it made. My question becomes, would you rather it didn't get made or. Or that we just wait another 150 years? You know, I can't speak to why I've been the one afforded the opportunity. But I will tell you that it's pretty tough to outwork me when it comes to getting these stories right. And I welcome, you know, a situation whereby Viola Davis gets to play an African warrior in Woman King. You know, that's, that's what we should be doing because we are all from that place. And so, you know, like I say, all those African Americans playing African characters is beautiful. I don't see why it is so contested when that, when the flow is the other way as well.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, I forgot who we were talking to. It was an American actor, I can't remember. And they were just simply, they simply said because British actors are better and they take the craft more serious.

[David Oyelowo]

And yeah, I challenge that. I challenge that because I think it's also to do with opportunity. Look, my. The tradition in the UK is you go to drama school for three years. It's an expensive education. My son is at Lambda, the same school I went to. Right now. It's expensive. I managed to get a scholarship to go there. Here there are great actors who have trained. There's Andre Holland, there's Colman Domingo, there's Grantham Coleman. There are these extraordinary actors who have trained and are getting those opportunities. Chad, Chad, Chad Bozeman was, was trained as well. And, and so I wouldn't say that it's a question of better. There's just a tradition in the uk where it's almost an apprenticeship. You do those three years. Then I went, I was at the Royal Shakespeare Company for another three years. So that's a six year training, you know, so when I then eventually turn up to Hollywood, 10 years after I've graduated, I'm coming in with a wealth of, of opportunity and training that I had in the uk and that's a tougher thing to get here. But economically speaking, the great schools that provide that kind of education. But I'm working with African American actors who are just extraordinary. I mean, you know, it was one of the things I was very focused on when we did Bass Reeves. You have Lauren E. Banks who went to Howard and Yale. You have Joaquina Kalakango who was at Juilliard. You have Grantham Coleman who was, who trained. You have, you have these extraordinary actors. It's just that they're not getting the opportunities to advance at the rate that their white counterparts will. And so we don't get. That's why we don't get to know who Denzel is or Morgan Freeman is or Don Cheadle. Is they're in their 30s, their 40s. Because it's all tied to opportunity.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I saw a quote when you were talking about just African stories that are being told right now.

[David Oyelowo]

Yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Because you mentioned us being able to play roles for those type of movies and you said that you don't feel like there's enough stories out of Africa that don't involve a white savior.

[David Oyelowo]

Yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

You like, can you expand more on that and like the feeling around that? And I know you have your production company, your wife and some of the things that you're doing to kind of counter that.

[David Oyelowo]

Yeah, I mean, traditionally speaking, like I said before, for a narrative to come out of Africa and be deemed global, there tends to be a mindset that it needs to be fronted by a white person person to make it palatable, to make it so that the, the west is going to in some ways embrace it. The weird thing about that is that the global majority is black and brown people, not white people. And that's over a billion Africans who now, you know, the, the, the piracy issue is becoming solved by, by streaming. And you know, the diaspora is huge. So some of this thinking, in my opinion is antiquated and comes from a time where it was still 12 people in Hollywood dictating what should be made and how it's going to be seen and whether or not it's going to be successful. When you have Squid Game being one of the biggest shows on Netflix and it's not even English speaking that shows that globally speaking we've been being told lies about what an audience is going to gravitate to towards on the basis of who's fronting it or not. And some of that mindset still exists because a lot of the gatekeepers still retain that mindset because they are still the gatekeepers in power being able to say what gets made or not. So my point is that we need more African stories. We just need more stories. And I think a huge untapped source of amazing global storytelling is Africa.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Absolutely.

[David Oyelowo]

And so, and for those stories to be authentic, they need to be made by people who are integrated in that culture. Because I truly believe the universal is found in the specific. The more authentic those stories are, I actually think the more potent they become.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Do you ever. Could you have your production company, Euroba Saxon. Yeah, did I say that right? Yoruba Saxon. So I know that you and your wife co run that production company and I'm sure a lot of the stories that you guys tell are very close to the heart as far as like Black stories just by your passion here, do you get backlash at all because you're not married to a black woman doing that? And how do you deal with that?

[David Oyelowo]

If so, not to my face.

[Lauren LaRosa]

All right.

[David Oyelowo]

I'm sure there are plenty of people who feel some kind of way about that, but we called it Yoruba Saxon because, you know, I'm from the Yoruba tribe in, in Nigeria. She's Anglo Saxon. And so, you know, our company is a demonstration of the fact that we are more alike than we are different as human beings, generally speaking, you know, in making government cheese. Yes, it's a black family, but my hope and my bet is that everyone is going to see their family in that family because of the relatable themes and components that we've woven into it. And so, you know, I'm, I'm incredibly proud of my family. I fell in love with my wife when, gosh, we met when we were teenagers. We got married when she was 20, I was 22. And everything we have we built together. So, you know, for me, sometimes the accusation, you know, in marrying a white woman is, you know, they say things like there's self loathing in there or what's the other one? Oh, or that she's a trophy or something like that. We, we were so poor when we, when we started out, there couldn't be less, less trophy or if it tried. But you know, I am an incredibly proud black man, African Christian husband, father. There are so many things that I am on top of my demographic and who I'm married to and those are all reflected in the, in the work that I. And we do year and it's been.

[Lauren LaRosa]

25 years with y'all together.

[David Oyelowo]

26. 26 years married. 30 years next month that we've known each other.

[Lauren LaRosa]

What have y'all learned just as like co producers and working partners on projects like race or just life.

[David Oyelowo]

Oh God. I mean, work, life, balance. That's a real thing to, to, to try and find. We have a two week rule. We're never apart for more than two weeks. We manage that for 26 years. Yeah, because, you know, to be in a relationship, you have to be in proximity to be able to relate. Ours is a very tough business on marriages. And so, you know, we, we made that choice because we didn't want to be another statistic in our, in our business. We learned that, you know, the marriage is the center. The kids are a welcome addition. Do not let the kids be the glue between you. You know, always keep, stay invested in, in, in that relationship and those things have all stood us in good instead, as. As business partners, you know, respect, never taking each other for granted. You know, the. The thing. Those are the things that have kept us strong.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You and your wife should be thinking about producing a biopic on a great man named Dr. Umar Johnson. He's an activist here in America. Scholar.

[David Oyelowo]

Oh, wow. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I should think about that.

[Lauren LaRosa]

No, no, no.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Just look into.

[David Oyelowo]

Look.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Look into it.

[David Oyelowo]

Listen. Look into it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Really, just look.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Here, listen.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Don't listen to her.

[David Oyelowo]

I'm gonna keep looking at you. He's about to get me in trouble.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Your wife.

[David Oyelowo]

Was I about to become a meme just then? Is that what was about to happen?

[Lauren LaRosa]

A meme? There's a whole chance.

[David Oyelowo]

Don't listen to her.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Trust me, they'll love you for that. Was there ever a role that you would pitch that you morally said to yourself, I can't do this?

[David Oyelowo]

Well, what tends to happen is the minute you play a civil rights leader, you get every civil rights leader who's ever lived, which. So I definitely. I definitely said no to those. The minute you play a groundbreaking character. There's a whole genre called the first black man who. You know, I get a lot of first black man who. Which I'm not interested in.

[Lauren LaRosa]

What's the craziest thing you was like, y'all didn't even know a black man did that.

[David Oyelowo]

God. I mean, I want to say that there have been. There have been, like, windscreen wipers, the guy who invented the paperclip, the guy who, like, it's ridiculous. It gets as ridiculous as that, and people will come to you, like, full of passion. The other one you want to really avoid is when someone goes, man, I got this script. It's about my dad, and he. He the first person who had a car wash in Alabama and all that kind of stuff. And I just, like, I. I don't know how to. To tell you that. That is not a movie. I'm just. I'm just so sorry, but that's not going to be my next. But I got your next project, and.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I'm like, your accent go in and.

[David Oyelowo]

Out is crazy, because it happens a lot, a lot to me. So. So, yeah, those are the ones to avoid as well.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Absolutely.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Oh, you mentioned so casually multiple times. Oprah. Oh, right. Like, just. Just very casually. I read another story about when you invited her to Othello opening night and she had to sit on them hard benches, and she never let you lay that down.

[David Oyelowo]

She just never stopped talking about how Child. Those benches. But she came to Coriolanus, which I just did in London, and they had cushion seats.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yes.

[David Oyelowo]

So, you know, we are beyond the. The bad benches now. But. Yeah, and they were very tough benches to watch three hours of Shakespeare. So. So she. Fair point, but I'm glad that we've broken the deadlock.

[Lauren LaRosa]

She show up a lot for you, though. It sounds like just in what I'm hearing you say, like, what. What's that relationship? And like, because, you know, Oprah ain't coming out the house for everybody.

[David Oyelowo]

She. She is not. She's not. Yeah. You know, we met during the Butler together. And I remember being stood at a party at Lee Daniels house that he was renting in New Orleans when we were shooting that. That film. And I. It was at a time when I just felt. I felt very isolated. I felt very alone. I'd moved here with my family. If I'm totally honest, I felt like there were other actors who felt. Saw me as a threat in a way that confused me because I was like, I'm just, you know, I'd come out of theater in the uk. It's an environment where it's all about, you know, about the work and working together. And there were people who were like, you know, that coming here to take our jobs thing was a real thing I was feeling. And I just remember being stood in a corner at this party and Oprah came up to me and said, you okay? I said, you know what? You know, I'm really glad to have gotten this movie, but just, I don't know if you've ever felt this just like. Like your own community is. Is resisting you, which is what I'm feeling.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Got that, baby. Especially about black men. They be.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

She's the first. Whatever. Whatever you said earlier. The first ever.

[David Oyelowo]

Yes, I know. And so exactly your reaction there is. Was her reaction. She was like, baby. And she talked about how Sidney Poitier was the one who took her under his wing and said, no, you're not crazy. This is a real thing. It's something that is unfortunately part of ascending in our community. And he mentored her. And she literally said to me, I am going to do for you what he did for me. And she has never abated on that. You know, Selma doesn't happen without her. My directorial debut doesn't actually happen without her. So much of the advice, so much of the financial literacy I have came from her because I didn't come from means. My parents were not particularly good business people, even though they had a Business. And so, yeah, she has really, really made good on that promise. And it's been absolutely life changing.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I know them people definitely hate you now.

[David Oyelowo]

Oh, no, I know.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I'm here getting all the roles. You can call Oprah, and she just pop outside. You ain't getting invited nowhere.

[David Oyelowo]

I know, I know, I know. I made a rod for my back. I should have shut up.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Would you pause? Would you consider that a moment of divine intervention?

[David Oyelowo]

Absolutely. So many moments in my life have been divine intervention. And when I. When I look at how indisputably my life changed for having met her. But you look at the journey towards even playing Dr. King in Selma. You know, like I said when I first read that script, script in oh, seven, the reason I ever even met Ava DuVernay is because I sat down next to a guy on a plane who was watching a TV show I had done in the UK on his iPad. He looks to me and says, is this you I'm watching on my iPad? I said, yes. He pauses. It says, oh, okay, you're an actor. Give me some advice. Someone just asked me to put $50,000 into this film called Middle of Nowhere. It's been directed by this lady, Ava Duke. Souvenir. You know, what do you think? I was like, well, send me the script. I'll give you my opinion. I read it, blew my head off. And on the script was the title, her name and her number. And I called her, asked her if I could be in her movie. And that's how I met. Wow. That was in 2011. And. And that's how Ava came to direct Selma. If I'd literally been sat in the row behind that guy, I don't know that I'm meeting Ava DuVernay. So, you know, to your point about divine intervention, that has been a big part of my life.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So this Hampton character is kind of a little bit of typecasting.

[David Oyelowo]

There you go. There you go. I love how you wove that back in, because that is one of the things I just loved about Hampton Chambers. Paul Hunter approached me six years ago with a short film called Government Cheese, based on his youth growing up in the valley in the 60s and 70s. And I'm playing a version of his dad in this. In this show. And Paul has. Has his own relationship with God. I have my very clear relationship with God. And when I read that script, I just related so deeply to a complicated relationship with God. Mine is, I like to think, very functional, but it is a back and forth. There are moments where I'm confused There are moments where I'm like, what are you doing? And that's what my character is doing throughout these 10 episodes, is like, he's trying to be a better man. He's trying to be guided by God. But he is very, very challenged at ceding control to God. And the tension in the show is, you take the wheel. No, I'll take the wheel. No, you take the wheel. No, I'll take the wheel. Which I think is something that no matter where you are on the religious spectrum, we can all relate to.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Absolutely. David, thank you for joining us, brother.

[David Oyelowo]

Thank you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Government cheese is on Apple TV right now, and it was a pleasure talking to you, man.

[David Oyelowo]

Yeah, you too. Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Don't be a stranger. It's David Oyello again.

[David Oyelowo]

Oh, yellow. Yes.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

A yellow.

[David Oyelowo]

Yes, yes.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

David Oyellowo.

[David Oyelowo]

Definitely not making that film he was recommending.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No, I'm telling you, Dr. Umar Johnson.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I mean, it depends on where you want to live. You want to go Drew ski style skit or y'all would want to continue on your theater?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Wouldn't you want to see?

[Lauren LaRosa]

You know what I mean? What?

[David Oyelowo]

You know him now. He. He. He is unsafe.

[Lauren LaRosa]

If you do do it. Please, please, please let us like something. Like, we got. We got to see it first.

[David Oyelowo]

Okay? Okay. Okay.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Go look up Dr. Umar and let us know how you feel.

[David Oyelowo]

Okay.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It's the breakfast.

[David Oyelowo]

I'm dreading to see what I'm gonna find.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You love it, man. Okay.

[David Oyelowo]

Okay.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All right. Just Google Dr. Umar Johnson. Snow bunnies. Never.

[David Oyelowo]

Oh, my God. Why would you do me like that? Oh, my gosh. Nobody's watching. Oh, Lord, I gotta tell you. Okay. It's the Breakfast Club. I'm so glad you're here, Lord.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Wake that ass up early in the morning.

[David Oyelowo]

The Breakfast Club.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

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