Oscar winnerJordan Peelewill soon be releasing his third feature film,Nope, which follows the residents of a remote town in the midst of a UFO invasion. In one of the lead roles is acclaimed actorDaniel Kaluuyawho stars alongside Steven Yeun and Keke Palmer. It’s not the first time Kaluuya has headlined a Peele film, as he previously starred in Peele’s first feature, 2017’sGet Out. Kaluuya did not appear in Peele’s only other feature, 2019’sUs, and that was only because he was “too young” to play Winston Duke’s role,according to the actor.
Doing one film with Kaluuya and one without has gotten Peele to even better appreciate the actor’s talents. Speaking withThe Hollywood Reporter, Peele now says he considered Kaluuya to be his “all-time favorite actor.” The filmmaker goes on to praise Kaluuya’s abilities as a performer to explain why he holds the actor in such high regard.
“Daniel is my all-time favorite actor, and having worked on a couple of things apart and then coming back together, it just was a reminder of this special working bond that we have together. He’s somebody who has an innate sense of his character — always asking the right questions to unlock things further. I utilized the fact that Daniel is just so immensely watchable, and he has this powerful stillness to him. Daniel’s the type of performer that doesn’t need words to communicate. He’s somebody that in these quiet moments brings the audience in more.”
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Daniel Kaluuya Was Just as Stoked to Work With Jordan Peele Again
Though Kaluuya had appeared in various films and TV shows in prior years, he had become a bona fide Hollywood star with his starring role inGet Out. That performance earned him acting nominations at the Oscars, BAFTA Awards, Critics' Choice Awards, Golden Globes, and SAG Awards. Kaluuya has since won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role inJudas and the Black Messiahand made a splash in the MCU with his role inBlack Panther. Kaluuya also spoke about coming back around to work with Jordan Peele again on another movie withNope.
“I don’t take the pressure. I like accomplishing the goals that we’ve set. It was more [about] working with Jordan. Coming back and doing this with him. We had a lot of conversations building up to the shoot, and when I got to the set, I was like, ‘Oh shit, this is a f*ing action film. Holy sht.’ The most daring thing to do is go for it, [so] let’s do Bruce Willis then. Let’s go for this sht. I really care about original films and original content, and to even be making a film like this with Keke Palmer as a lead, me as a lead, Jordan as a director on this level of budget and it be original — it’s so important that this film connects.”
