Meet Oprah's pick for best actor

That would be David Oyelowo.

Last night at AFI Fest, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. movie Selma (in select theaters on Christmas Day) was only supposed to showcase 30 minutes of footage. But director Ava DuVernay decided to pull a few all-nighters to get her civil rights drama done so she could show off the whole thing. "I'm on my 38th hour of no sleep," she admitted while introducing the film at Hollywood's Egyptian theater. "I figured people were going to come for 30 minutes, these people are hardcore. Let's just show them the full thing."

It was worth her efforts: Selma earned a standing ovation on Tuesday night, as a tearful Oprah Winfrey and David Oyelowo, who plays MLK, hugged backstage. The two met back when they were shooting The Butler and he was playing her son.
"David is the reason I came on board," said Oprah. "David and I became fast friends when we did The Butler together. He told me that this had been his dream for a very long time. He showed me a tape he had done and I saw that tape and I said, 'Yeah -- I can see King in you.'"
Oyelowo (pronounced Oh-yellow-oh) has been working on MLK for seven years as funding continued to drop out of Selma, which chronicles the civil rights leader's march led from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in the name of equal voting rights. In the meantime, Oyelowo's starred in films like Lincoln, Jack Reacher, and recently, Interstellar. (Oprah joined as a producer, and took a supporting role in the film.)

Industry insiders say you should keep your eye on this movie.
"Selma will likely earn a best picture nomination and David Oyelowo has a good shot at breaking into the crowded best actor race," wrote Variety's Jenelle Riley. "And DuVernay could very well make history as the first female African-American nominee for best director."
Before you can see it December 25, enjoy the trailer: