HE'S AN INCREDIBLE ACTOR YOU KNOW FROM "SELMA," "COME AWAY,"
AND "THE BUTLER."
HE'S JUST MADE HIS DIRECTORIAL DEBUT WITH THE BRAND-NEW FILM
"THE WATER MAN," WHICH HE ALSO STARS IN.
THE DIVINE, DAVID OYELOWO WE COULDN'T BE ANY MORE
THRILLED.
HOW ARE YOU?
>> I'M VERY WELL, BACK IN BLIGHTY JAMES.
>> James: ANYONE WATCHING WOULD THINK DAVID OYELOWO HAS A
VERY SPARSE HOUSE.
THIS IS MINIMALIST, BUT THIS IS KIND OF FLEEING YOUR HOME.
>> EVERYTHING WAS A LITTLE BIT JUNKY.
I WANTED TO FOCUS ON ME JAMES.
>> James: HOW COULD WE FOCUS ON ANYTHING ELSE?
YOU'RE DOWN THERE IN BRISTOL.
YOU TRAVEL OLOT TOGETHER, THE KIDS AND EVERYBODY ARE YOU HERE
TOGETHER?
>> WE WERE TOGETHER, MY THREE BOYS HAVE NOW GONG BACK TO L.A.,
THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE TOGETHER IN PERSON IN SCHOOL NOW.
BUT ZOE IS HERE WITH MOMMY AND DADDY AT THE MOMENT DOING ZOOM
SCHOOL.
>> James: IT MUST HAVE BEEN STRANGE FOR YOUR WIFE TO HAVE
THE FAMILY SEPARATED.
DID YOU DO ANYTHING SPECIAL FOR YOUR WIFE?
>> I DID.
I GAVE HER -- WE WERE ACTUALLY IN LONDON YESTERDAY BECAUSE I
WAS DOING SOME ON LOCATION STUFF, IT WAS FIRST TIME JESS
WAS WITHOUT ANY OF OUR BABIES, AND SHE LOVED IT!
>> James: I BELIEVE IT.
>> IT'S JUST YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE, YOU'RE A DAD YOURSELF, BUT
FOR JESS SHE'S AN INCREDIBLE MOTHER.
OUR LIVES REVOLVE SO MUCH ABOUT OUR KIDS BUT BEING ABOUT HER AND
NOT THE BABIES WAS A GREAT THING.
>> James: DAVID, YOUR OWN MOTHER PASSED AWAY A FEW YEARS
AGO BUT YOU HAVE ANOTHER PERSON WHO YOU CALL EVERY YEAR ON
MOTHER'S DAY WHO YOU CALL YOUR MUM O.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHO THIS IS?
>> YES, SHE'S A LADY CALLED OPRAH WINFREY, NOT MANY PEOPLE
KNOW HER.
SHE AND I MET PLAYING MOTHER AND SON ON THE BUTLER AND SHE'S KIND
OF BEEN MY MAMA SINCE.
BUT SHE DOESN'T LOVE IT WHEN I CALL HER THAT IN PUBLIC BECAUSE
SHE LIKES TO THINK THAT SHE'S NOT AGE-APPROPRIATE TO BE MY
MOTHER.
SHE IS!
>> James: (LAUGHTER)
..
>> I'M GOING TO GET KILLED JAMES.
>> James: DID YOUR MUM APPROVE OF YOU CALLING OPRAH MUM
O?
IS SHE OKAY?
>> SHE COULDN'T DISTINGUISH BETWEEN WHAT WAS REAL AND
ACTING.
I REMEMBER DOING A TASTE OF HONEY, IN LONDON, SHE CAME TO
SEE IT.
MY MUM SAT IN THE FRONT ROW WITH MY DAD.
THERE IS THIS KISSING THING AND I HEARD HER SAY IN THE
BACKGROUND, PUT HER DOWN, YOU'RE MARRIED.
PUT HER DOWN.
I WAS LIKE: AND I HAD TO WHRIS PER TO MY FELLOW ACTOR, I'M SO
SORRY, THAT'S MY MOM TELLING ME TO PUT YOU DOWN.
I DID THIS FILM CALLED RED TAILS IN WHICH MY CHARACTER DIES, IN
THE MOVIE, SPOILTER ALERT FOR ANYONE WHO HASN'T SEEN RED
TAILS.
I TURNED TO HER AFTER, I SAID MUMMY WHY WHAT DID YOU LIKE
ABOUT THIS MOVIE?
SHE SAID, YOU DIE.
I DON'T LIKE YOU DYING, YOU DIED.
WHEN I GOT THIS FILM, THE BUTLER AND I KNEW OPRAH WAS GOING TO BE
PLAYING MY MOM, I THOUGHT, SHE'S GOING TO HATE THIS.
I SAID MOMMY I'M DOING THIS FILM THE BUTLER, OPRAH WINFREY IS
PLAYING MY MOM.
SHE SAID OH THIS IS PERFECT!
>> James: SO DID YOU SPEAK TO OPRAH YESTERDAY?
>> DID I, I DID SPEAK TO HER YESTERDAY.
SHE WAS HAVING A LOVELY MOTHER'S DAY IN MAUI.
I DON'T KNOW IF SHOULD I SAY THAT, SHE'S IN MAUI.
>> James: WHEN YOU SPOKE TO OPRAH DID SHE BRING UP HOTELS AT
ALL?
I'M NOT SURE WHY SHE SHOULDN'T.
THE WHEELS HAVE BEEN TURNING.
WE HAVE BASICALLY GIVEN OPRAH A BILLION DOLLARS.
>> I'M VERY, VERY AWARE OF WHAT HOTELS.
NO, OPRAH AND I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS.
SHE AND I ARE GOING INTO A PARTNERSHIP AND THEY ARE
ACTUALLY GOING TO BE CALLED OYELOWO-OTELS.
>> James: I LOVE A SISTER BRANCHES.
I LOVE THE OPRAH'S HOTELS ARE THE BIG GRAND GORGEOUS HOTELS
ANDTHE OYELOWO-OTELS A LOVELY BOUTIQUE.
>> AT THE GARDEN IN THE BACK.
>> James: YOU KNOW THAT'S WHERE YOU STAY.
DAVID YOU POSTED A PHOTO ON YOUR BIRTHDAY LAST MONTH.
THIS IS A SIDE BY SIDE OF YOU AT 15, AND THE OTHER PHOTO IS YOU
AGED 45.
I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW ANGRY THIS MAKES ME.
I CANNOT TELL YOU.
WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE?
HOW ARE YOU NOT AGING?
HOW IS THIS REMOTELY POSSIBLE?
IS THAT IT?
>> THIS IS WHAT I DO, JAMES.
AH!
WHEN I'M HAVING DINNER, WHEN I'M HAVING BREAKFAST, A BIT OF THAT.
YOU DO THAT JAMES?
>> James: YEP.
(LAUGHTER) >> James: AH!
>> OH THERE WE GO!
>> James: NOW DAVID WE'VE GOT TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON THE WATER
MAN WHICH IS A MOVIE YOU HAVE SO BEAUTIFULLY DIRECTED.
FOR ANYONE WHO DOESN'T KNOW TELL THEM WHAT IT'S ABOUT, WHO YOU
PLAY AND HOW YOU CAME ABOUT THIS MOVIE IS YOUR DIRECTORIAL DEBUT?
>> WELL, YOU AND I ARE OF THE SAME GENERATION.
I BET YOU LOVED ET GROWING UP.
>> James: YES.
>> THE GREMLINS?
>> James: OF COURSE.
>> NEVER ENDING STORY?
>> James: NOT SO MUCH.
I FIND -- LET ME TELL YOU THIS.
HANG ON.
THIS IS MY ISSUE WITH NEVER ENDING STORY.
WHETHER THEY MADE NEVER ENDING STORY PART 2.
>> YES.
>> James: I WAS WELL, THEN YOU CAN'T.
THAT'S IT.
THEY WERE DEAD TO ME AT THAT MOMENT.
YOU CAN NEVER HAD HAVE A NEVER ENDING STORY PART 2.
IT'S EITHER A NEVER ENDING STORY OR IT'S NOT.
THE FIRST THREE I'M WITH YOU.
>> YOU'RE MAKING A VERY GOOD POINT.
I ACTUALLY SHARED THAT FILM WITH MY KIDS AND THEY SAID DAD, WE
WERE OKAY UNTIL THE DOGGIE DRAGON.
WHAT IS IT WITH THE DOGGIE DRAGON?
THAT'S A FAIL ON MY PART.
THE OTHERS, THEY DON'T REALLY MAKE THOSE KIND OF MOVIES LIKE
THAT ANYMORE.
I HAVE MY KIDS NOW, AND I WAS GOING BACK TO THE '80s.
I WAS LOOKING FOR THAT TYPE OF FILM TO MAKE.
THAT CAME BACK ON THE BLACK LIST, THE TOP 100 FILMS MADE IN
ANY YEAR, I CAME ONTO THAT FILM AS A PRODUCER AND ACTOR, WE GOT
AMAZING LONNIE CHAVIS TO STAR, AND WE GOT THE WRITER ANNA NADEL
WHO SAID DAVID, YOU'VE BEEN DEVELOPING THIS FOR FOUR YEARS,
I THINK YOU SHOULD DIRECT IT.
I TOOK TWO WEEKS OF PANICKED DECISION MAKING TO THINK ABOUT
IT BUT I L DROPPED INTO THE DIRECTOR'S CHAIR.
IT WAS SIR CUE TO US BUT I DID IT.
-- CIRCUITOUS TO DO IT BUT DID I IT.
>> James: YOU'RE SO CREATIVE IN EVERY FACET OF YOURSELF
REALLY BUT WERE YOU NERVOUS THAT FIRST DAY AS THE DIRECTOR?
>> YES, INCREDIBLY.
IN FACT YOU KNOW ONE OF THE BEST THINGS IF YOU EVER DECIDE TO DO
THIS JAMES ONE OF THE BEST ASSETS YOU'LL HAVE JAMES IS THE
FACT THAT YOU'RE AN ACTOR.
BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO SORT OF ACT MORE CONFIDENT THAN YOU ARE IS
THE REALITY.
YEAH, I WAS REALLY NERVOUS ABOUT IT NOT LEAST BECAUSE I WAS ALSO
STARRING IN THE FILM AND I WORKED WITH SOME AMAZING
DIRECTORS AND I KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
I KNOW WHAT GOOD DIRECTION LOOKS LIKE.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS SOMETHING I DIDN'T KNOW IF I WAS GOING TO
DO.
BUT THE THING I LEARNED DOING ALL THOSE GREAT FILMS AND WHAT
THOSE GREAT DIRECTORS DO IS THEY HIRE INCREDIBLY TALENTED PEOPLE,
VERY CLEAR WITH THEIR VISION AND WATCH THOSE PEOPLE MAKE YOU LOOK
GOOD AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.
>> James: I THINK THAT'S THE FIRST OF THE MANY MOVIES AND
STORIES THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DIRECT FOR US.
I REALLY DO, IT'S COMPLETELY BRILLIANT.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT A CLIP FROM THE WATER MAN WHICH IS IN
THEATERS NOW.
>> I JUST THOUGHT THE WATERMAN WAS A BUNCH OF BS, KEEPING KIDS
FROM SNEAKING OFF INTO THE WOODS BUT THEN I MET HIM FACE TO FACE.
AND I HAVE THE SCAR TO PROVE IT!
SOME OF WHICH YOU'VE HEARD IS TRUE.
LIKE HOW HE LIVES OUT IN THE WOODS BY A LAKE CALLED WILD
HORSE.
THAT THE FOREST IS TURNED WEIRD BECAUSE OF HIS POWERS.
THAT HE'S GONE CRAZY BUT NO ONE KNOWS WHERE TO FIND HIM.
NO ONE, EXCEPT ME!