CHIWETEL EJIOFOR
Name: Chiwetel Ejiofor
Born: 10 July 1974 London
Chiwetel Ejiofor (born 10 July 1974) is an award-winning and two-time Golden Globe Award-nominated British
film and stage actor.
Ejiofor was born in London's Forest Gate to Nigerian parents of Igbo heritage.
His father was a doctor and his mother a pharmacist. He began acting in
school plays at the age of thirteen at Dulwich College and joined the National
Youth Theatre and played the title role in Othello at the Bloomsbury Theatre in
September 1995, and again at the Arts Theatre in 1996 when he starred opposite
Rachael Stirling as Desdemona.
Ejiofor made his film debut in the television movie, Deadly Voyage in 1996. He
went on to become a prominent stage actor in London. In 2000, he starred in Blue/Orange
at the Royal National Theatre (Cottesloe stage), and later at the Duchess
Theatre. That same year, his performance as Romeo in William Shakespeare's Romeo
and Juliet was nominated for the Ian Charleson Award. Ejiofor was awarded the
Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer at the 2000 Critics' Circle
Theatre Awards. For his performance in Blue/Orange, he received the 2000 London
Evening Standard Theatre Award for Outstanding Newcomer and a 2001 nomination
for the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award Best Supporting Actor.
Ejiofor had his first leading film role in the 2002's Dirty Pretty Things, for
which he won a British Independent Film Award for best actor. He also starred in
Jonathan Meyerson's 2003 screen adaptation of Chaucer's The Knight's Tale. He
starred alongside Hilary Swank in 2004's Red Dust, portraying the fictional
politician Alex Mpondo of post-apartheid South Africa. He also received acclaim
for his performance as a complex villain The Operative in the 2005 movie
Serenity. Ejiofor played a revolutionary in the highly acclaimed 2006 film
Children of Men. His performance in Kinky Boots received Golden Globe and
British Independent Film Award nominations. He was also nominated for the 2006
BAFTA Rising Star Award, which recognises emerging British film talent. Ejiofor's
performance in Tsunami: The Aftermath received a 2007 Golden Globe nomination
for best actor in a miniseries or film made for TV.
In 2007, he starred opposite Don Cheadle in Talk to Me, a film based on the
true story about Ralph "Petey" Greene (played by Cheadle), an African American
radio personality in the 60's and 70's. He performed on stage in The Seagull at
the Royal Court Theatre from 18 January to 17 March 2007.
He has roles in four films between 2007 and 2008: Toussaint, American Gangster,
Tonight at Noon and Redbelt. Ejiofor is considered one of the leading candidates
to play T'Challa in the proposed Black Panther (comics) movie based on the
Marvel comic books character.
In 2007, he reprised his role as Othello at the Donmar Warehouse, alongside
Kelly Reilly as Desdemona, and Ewan McGregor as Iago. The production received
favorable reviews, with particularly strong praise for Ejiofor. "Chiwetel
Ejiofor produces one of the most memorable performances of Othello in recent
years".
Name: Chiwetel Ejiofor
Born: 10 July 1974 London
Chiwetel Ejiofor (born 10 July 1974) is an award-winning and two-time Golden Globe Award-nominated British
film and stage actor.
Ejiofor was born in London's Forest Gate to Nigerian parents of Igbo heritage.
His father was a doctor and his mother a pharmacist. He began acting in
school plays at the age of thirteen at Dulwich College and joined the National
Youth Theatre and played the title role in Othello at the Bloomsbury Theatre in
September 1995, and again at the Arts Theatre in 1996 when he starred opposite
Rachael Stirling as Desdemona.
Ejiofor made his film debut in the television movie, Deadly Voyage in 1996. He
went on to become a prominent stage actor in London. In 2000, he starred in Blue/Orange
at the Royal National Theatre (Cottesloe stage), and later at the Duchess
Theatre. That same year, his performance as Romeo in William Shakespeare's Romeo
and Juliet was nominated for the Ian Charleson Award. Ejiofor was awarded the
Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer at the 2000 Critics' Circle
Theatre Awards. For his performance in Blue/Orange, he received the 2000 London
Evening Standard Theatre Award for Outstanding Newcomer and a 2001 nomination
for the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award Best Supporting Actor.
Ejiofor had his first leading film role in the 2002's Dirty Pretty Things, for
which he won a British Independent Film Award for best actor. He also starred in
Jonathan Meyerson's 2003 screen adaptation of Chaucer's The Knight's Tale. He
starred alongside Hilary Swank in 2004's Red Dust, portraying the fictional
politician Alex Mpondo of post-apartheid South Africa. He also received acclaim
for his performance as a complex villain The Operative in the 2005 movie
Serenity. Ejiofor played a revolutionary in the highly acclaimed 2006 film
Children of Men. His performance in Kinky Boots received Golden Globe and
British Independent Film Award nominations. He was also nominated for the 2006
BAFTA Rising Star Award, which recognises emerging British film talent. Ejiofor's
performance in Tsunami: The Aftermath received a 2007 Golden Globe nomination
for best actor in a miniseries or film made for TV.
In 2007, he starred opposite Don Cheadle in Talk to Me, a film based on the
true story about Ralph "Petey" Greene (played by Cheadle), an African American
radio personality in the 60's and 70's. He performed on stage in The Seagull at
the Royal Court Theatre from 18 January to 17 March 2007.
He has roles in four films between 2007 and 2008: Toussaint, American Gangster,
Tonight at Noon and Redbelt. Ejiofor is considered one of the leading candidates
to play T'Challa in the proposed Black Panther (comics) movie based on the
Marvel comic books character.
In 2007, he reprised his role as Othello at the Donmar Warehouse, alongside
Kelly Reilly as Desdemona, and Ewan McGregor as Iago. The production received
favorable reviews, with particularly strong praise for Ejiofor. "Chiwetel
Ejiofor produces one of the most memorable performances of Othello in recent
years".