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David Oyelowo's breakout performance was playing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 2014's "Selma." He got a Golden Globe nomination for that role and since then, he's become one of Hollywood's most sought-after celebrities. He stars in the new goofy, action comedy "Gringo," alongside Charlize Theron and Joel Edgerton. It's out in theatres this week.

In "Gringo," Oyelowo plays a middle manager at a pharmaceutical company that wants to get into the medical marijuana business. He's sent to Mexico to work on developing the drugs where he gets sucked into the underground drug trade and then more and more chaos ensues.

Oyelowo was born in Britain and is of Nigerian heritage - Nigerian royalty in fact. He and his family spent some time in Lagos when he was a kid. He says that having lived in two very different worlds at such a young age shaped his ability to code switch, which in turn improved his ability as an actor. He began his career as a classically trained stage theater actor who cut his teeth at the Royal Shakespeare Company in London. Some of his most notable films include "Queen of Katwe," "A United Kingdom," and Disney's latest "A Wrinkle in Time."

He talks to Jesse about his decision to move from the UK to the United States, why he knows more about American history than Nigerian history, and why some roles that require him to stay in character even after the camera stops rolling means he can't go home and be around his kids. He also shares some of his thoughts about one of the most outrageous characters he ever played on the short-lived HBO show "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency."