'Selma' Scores Oscar Nomination for Best Film, But Cast and Crew Snubbed

By Emma Koonse, Christian Post Reporter Thursday, January 15, 2015

"Selma," the moving biopic on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., earned two bids at this year's Academy Awards, but the talented cast were noticeably absent from the ballot.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced 2015's contenders on Thursday with "Selma" up for both "Best Picture" and "Best Original Song." Despite the film's countless accolades, British-born actor David Oyelowo who portrayed Dr. King in the film and director Ava DuVernay were not among the nominees in their respective categories.

In an unusual turn of events, Oyelowo's role as Dr. King went unnoticed at the Oscars on the same day as his character's birthday – Jan. 15. Dr. King would have been 86-years-old today. Ahead of the Oscars snub, Oyelowo told The Christian Post that his portrayal of Dr. King in "Selma" had already proved satisfactory through countless other reviews and awards.

"I think any review that talks about me having been able to humanize Dr. King is incredibly encouraging because that was the mandate I set for myself," the actor said. "I truly feel to do the man justice is to see that he was just a flesh and blood man."

The 38-year-old actor, who has also appeared in films such as "Lincoln" and "The Help," went on to address the "relegation" of Dr. King's influence today, including the pastor's profound faith in God.

"People barely know [the speech] 'I Have a Dream,' no one knows he was 39-years-old when he died - I shouldn't say no one knows, but very few people are aware of how young he was- it's starting to fade from memory now," Oyelowo told CP. "Or the fact that he won the Nobel Peace Prize, he was only 26 when he engaged in the Montgomery bus boycott. He was a father of four, and the fact that he was truly a preacher as well. He followed the conviction of his spiritual calling, that's where it all flowed from for him. That's what brought about change - his spiritual faith."

"So for me, that's the thing I hope people see when they see ['Selma'] because it's something we could use in spades today," the Christian actor added.

Meanwhile, "Selma" opened in theaters everywhere earlier this month and follows Dr. King's fight for the vote in a desegregated, but still racist South. King's march in Selma served as a catalyst for the signing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. "Selma" also stars Oprah Winfrey, Common, and Carmen Ejogo, among many others. Watch the trailer here.