David Oyelowo: Streaming era has made TV much more diverse

David Oyelowo says streaming services have helped improve diversity on screen.

The British actor, whose roles have included Javert in the BBC adaptation of Les Misérables and Martin Luther King Jr in Oscar-nominated 2014 film Selma, said streaming platforms such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime have provided “more avenues” for stories about people of colour to be developed.

He said: “Streaming services have improved diversity on screen. Before, people were only making television that adhered to their taste. And we had to watch that regardless of our culture, our taste.

“Now, whether it is Netflix or any other platform that has real-time feedback on what people are responding to, it is palpable that people want more diversity. We were lied to for so long about who was watching what.”

Netflix’s celebrated black programming has included superhero show Black Lightning, drama series Greenleaf and Beyoncé documentary Homecoming. Oyelowo said diversity in showbusiness had improved substantially since he began acting in 1999.

“I think we are in a different place now,” he said. “One of the big differences is there are more avenues for people in general but also people of colour to have their work seen. I think it is a very healthy thing.

He was speaking as the “Peckham Portraits” were reinstated in a south London street. The photographs, depicting top black British actors including Oyelowo and Idris Elba, lined Peckham Hill Street for almost 10 years, inspiring stars including John Boyega.

They were moved to the Peckhamplex cinema while building work was carried out but have now returned to the street, on the wall of the revamped Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.

Read more

What's new on Netflix in November?

Selma star David Oyelowo: I only get leading roles if Ryan Gosling

Nathalie Emmanuel says GoT 'could have done better' on diversity