Les Mis viewers praise David Oyelowo for making them feel sympathy for Javert

BBC1's adaptation of Victor Hugo's epic novel Les Misérables concluded on Sunday night, and although the six-part series boasted a seriously starry cast, viewers were impressed by one actor's performance in particular: David Oyelowo as antagonist Javert, a police inspector obsessed with apprehending the escaped convict and novel's hero, Jean Valjean (played by Dominic West).

The series finale saw Valjean pass up the chance to kill Javert, leaving the inspector to call into question everything he'd so vehemently believed. Despairing, he jumped into the Seine.

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Viewers took to social media to praise Oyelowo for his "superb" performance, with one viewer adding that the Selma actor "stole every scene" as Javert.

"What utterly magnificent casting is David Oyelowo as Javert. Inspired," Cheryl Clifford posted on Twitter.

"David Oyelowo’s intense portrayal of Javert has been one of the best in the history of #LesMisérables," another viewer posted.

"David Oyelowo [is an] amazing actor for making me feel sympathy for Javert, incredible scene," Heather Roberts wrote.

"Of all the actors I've seen play Javert, including Malkovich, I have to say that David Oyelowo really made me detest Javert the most and yet I'm feeling so sorry for him right now. Fantastic acting by him throughout this entire BBC miniseries," Carina Price said.

If you missed out on BBC1's Les Misérables you can catch up on all six episodes on BBC iPlayer here.

This article was originally published on 4 February 2019