David Oyelowo Says Doing ‘Gringo’ Only Scratched His Comedy Itch A Little Bit

We’d like to start off by saying that if you haven’t seen the David Oyelowo-led crime comedy, Gringo, you’re missing out on one of the funniest (and most underrated) films of 2018, and we suggest you fix that as soon as possible.

Currently on a press tour for his acclaimed new series, Les Miserables, the British-Nigerian actor revealed that while he loves dramas, he would love to do a lot more comedies down the line, saying his work in Gringo only scratched his itch a little bit. 

Oyelowo as in ‘Gringo’ (Photo: Amazon Studios)

Gringo follows Harold Soyinka (Oyelowo), a mild-mannered businessman facing crushing debt. His company sends him to Mexico on business and along the way, he gets tangled up with volatile business partners, Mexican drug lords, mercenaries, and the DEA.

Following the film’s release, David Oyelowo revealed that it was actually his idea to make the lead character a Nigerian, as Harold Soyinka was originally written as a white man, and we all know that choice is what ended up making the film so damn hilarious. 

About the kinds of films he’d like to do, Oyelowo told Collider:

“I love comedy. I did a film, called Gringo, which scratched that itch for me a little bit.

I also love action, and I love thrillers. I’d love to do more of that. I love it when I’m doing things that are contemporary.”

Well, given his fantastic performance in Gringo, we’d definitely love to see him in more comedic roles. Given the wide range of genres he’s been in, from horror to period dramas, we have no doubt about his ability and hope he gets more chances to show off his comedic chops. 

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