David Oyelowo Joins Steven Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln’

David Oyelowo is so close to stardom, you can taste it. The Royal Shakespeare Company veteran became well known in the U.K. after starring in the spy series "Spooks" (or "M-I:5" in the U.S.) and earned further attention with his turn in 2006's "The Last King of Scotland." While has has worked steadily in film, he was poised for what would have been his breakout performance as Martin Luther King Jr. in Lee Daniels' scrapped "Selma." But Hollywood has heard the call, and has been busy filling up the actor's calendar. Daniels cast him in his upcoming crime drama "The Paperboy," early next year he'll take flight in the George Lucas-produced "Red Tails" and right now he's trading lines with the biggest movie star on the planet, Tom Cruise in the currently filming "One Shot." Of course, we can't forget to mention his appearances in two of the biggest films this summer — "Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes" and "The Help" — but even bigger things are on the way.

Oyelowo can now cross Steven Spielberg off his list of "Directors I Want To Work With" as he's been cast in the star-studded "Lincoln." The film is a long-gestating dream project for Spielberg who has been developing it for years, but it starts shooting this fall and will definitely be one of the biggest pieces of awards-season bait next year. Based on the best-selling book “Team of Rivals” by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin and featuring a script by Tony Kushner (”Angels In America”), the film will focus on the tumultuous last four months of Lincoln's life. Oyelowo's role seems small however, as he will be playing a cavalryman of some sort.

At any rate, the gig will get him on a set that includes Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tommy Lee Jones, John Hawkes, Hal Holbrook, James Spader, Tim Blake Nelson, Bruce McGill, Joseph Cross, David Strathairn, Walton Goggins, Lee Pace and Jackie Earle Haley which was probably all the incentive he needed. Filming starts in Virginia soon. [Deadline]