Chiwetel Ejiofor | A Life in Pictures
Take a journey through Chiwetel Ejiofor's career with the legendary actor himself! Listen to the end to hear Chiwetel's insights on the industry, his thoughts on diversity and inclusion and his advice for actors early in their careers.
Acting beyond his years
There was a sense of really carrying something of an older generation.
When filming Dirty Pretty Things with Audrey Tatou, Chiwetel Ejiofor felt that he was immortalising memorable aspects of his own father, who had recently passed away.
Taking the plunge
My first instinct was self doubt: am I the person who can tell this story? Do I want to be the person who can't tell this story to its fullness and its richness?
Accepting the role of Solomon Northup was an enormous decision, and one that Ejiofor didn't take lightly. He made the time to study Northup's memoir in depth before agreeing to appear in 12 Years a Slave, for which he won the BAFTA for leading actor in 2014.
Opening doors for the next generation
One of the things that I'm concerned about is the way that I can open up opportunities as a writer, as a director, as a producer to engage opportunities here for another generation.
Ejiofor is keen to see the growth of the film industry in the UK, encouraging up-and-coming creatives to find their niche at home rather than feeling they must go abroad for working opportunites.
