Kaluuya was given the lead role in
Déjame salir (2017) on the spot after nailing his audition. Writer/director
Jordan Peele said Kaluuya did about five takes of a key scene, in which his character needs to cry, and each was so perfect that the single tear came down at the exact same time for each take. Peele told him he had the role right then, but Kaluuya later joked that since he was wary of people in Hollywood, he didn't quite believe it yet.
