David Oyelowo’s special moment with Barack Obama was ruined by George Clooney

David Oyelowo not only won awards for his performance in “Selma,” he also got to visit the White House for a special screening of the film with none other than President Barack Obama. And on “Conan,” Thursday night, he shared a hilarious story about one of his memories from the occasion.

Oyelowo said the president showed him a special copy of the Gettysburg address and read the entire speech to him. “It was just so mind-blowingly moving to me to be there to experience it,” said the actor. “And it was one of those stories that, you know, even as I say it to you I can't believe it happened.”

Oyelowo recently shared the story with his friend George Clooney, and learned that the moment may not have been as special as he thought. Clooney told his fellow actor that Obama did the exact same thing with him.

Video Transcript

DAVID OYELOWO: I am literally in one of the biggest moments of my life right now.

CONAN O'BRIEN: Yeah.

DAVID OYELOWO: Take it in. Take it in. Take it in. And he started reading the "Gettysburg Address," and he read the entire thing.

KYLIE MAR: David Oyelowo not only won awards for his performance in the film "Selma," he also got to visit the White House for a special screening with none other than President Barack Obama. And on "Conan" Thursday night, he shared a hilarious story about one of the biggest moments of his life.

DAVID OYELOWO: Myself and maybe three other people were invited by Barack Obama into this room where the "Gettysburg Address" was in a glass cabinet. And I kid you not, the most incredible thing happened. He started reading it.

KYLIE MAR: Obama is a great admirer of Abraham Lincoln and even owns a special copy of the Gettysburg Address. So for him to share that moment with Oyelowo was truly special.

DAVID OYELOWO: And it was just so mind blowingly moving to me to be there, to experience it. And it was one of those stories that, you know, that-- even as I say it to you, I can't believe it quite-- like it happened.

KYLIE MAR: But when the Selma star shared this special memory with his friend George Clooney, he learned it wasn't so special.

DAVID OYELOWO: And I told him this story and he goes, oh yeah, Barack. Yeah, he did that to me.

[CONAN LAUGHS]

CONAN O'BRIEN: The exact same thing.

DAVID OYELOWO: The exact same thing. Yeah. He read the whole thing? Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

KYLIE MAR: And even though Clooney and Obama go back a long way, it still took a little wind out of Oyelowo's sails.

DAVID OYELOWO: My world just sort of cratered. No!

CONAN O'BRIEN: It turns out that this is something President Obama did all the time.

DAVID OYELOWO: It's like a bit.

[CONAN LAUGHS]

Like it's like his little thing he does.