WHAT WE THINK OF AS ROYALTY IN THE UK IS VERY DIFFERENT TO ROYALTY IN NIGERIA REVEALS NIGERIAN HOLLYWOOD ACTOR DAVID OYELOWO

Hollywood actor David Oyelowo has opened up his years in Nigeria while growing up to the world as he says UK royalty is different from what is perceived as royalty in Nigeria.

In a chat with UK Independent, the stage and screen actor, whose role in Selma

 has put him in the forefront of Hollywood, describes Africa from his point of view as well as his growing up in Nigeria.

"My grandfather was the king of a region in western Nigeria, where I had the privilege to live for seven years while growing up. But what we think of as royalty in the UK is very different to royalty in Nigeria: if you were to throw a stone there, you would hit about 30 princes. So it's a bit more like being the Prince of Islington: it was useful for getting dates but probably not much else,"

 'There is a depth of feeling that I have for the continent, in the richness of the people, the suffering, but also the transcendent joy that is there – it's like nowhere else on the planet. I wouldn't say that it's in every country in Africa, but most I've been to have that same feeling.'

Oyelowo first gained recognition in the BBC1 drama Spooks and has since appeared in top flight Hollywood movies that include The Butler, Interstellar, Selma and Jack Reacher amongst several others.