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| Ejiofor |
Some stars are born, some are made. But there is hardly ever a star who doesn’t get burnished through fire before it truly begins to shine. And so it is for Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Today, he is the toast of entertainment critics; he is on the A- list of Hollywood’s movie directors; leading ladies are slinking their well adorned arms around him and the paparazzi can’t get enough of this hunk of a man.
But before all the glitz and glamour; before his most recent and riveting role in 12 Years A Slave, Chiwetel Ejiofor had travelled the long tortuous and even tragic road to stardom both on stage, on the screen and in life.
Born to UK-based Nigerians, Chiwetel’s parents Arinze, a medical doctor and Obiajulu, a pharmacist fled Nigeria to the UK in 1967 during the Biafran War that threatened to tear Nigeria apart. The sweethearts settled somewhere in South London and later got married in March 1974.
But before all the glitz and glamour; before his most recent and riveting role in 12 Years A Slave, Chiwetel Ejiofor had travelled the long tortuous and even tragic road to stardom both on stage, on the screen and in life.
Born to UK-based Nigerians, Chiwetel’s parents Arinze, a medical doctor and Obiajulu, a pharmacist fled Nigeria to the UK in 1967 during the Biafran War that threatened to tear Nigeria apart. The sweethearts settled somewhere in South London and later got married in March 1974.
Their life was comfortable since both were medical health professionals and having undergone further studies that enabled them practise in Britain, they were set for the good life. So, when in 1977, Chiwetel was born, the second of four children, life couldn’t have been any better for the Ejiofor family.
But an ill wind blew sometime in 1988. Early that year, still at the tender age of 11, Chiwetel was enrolled at Dulwich College, the famous, yet prestigious public school with substantially high fees. His parents could afford it, so there was no problem.
But an ill wind blew sometime in 1988. Early that year, still at the tender age of 11, Chiwetel was enrolled at Dulwich College, the famous, yet prestigious public school with substantially high fees. His parents could afford it, so there was no problem.
However, his school fees would soon prove difficult to pay following an ugly incident that occurred later that same year when Chiwetel’s family travelled to Nigeria for a wedding.
While in Nigeria, the car carrying Chiwetel and his father collided head-on with a lorry. His father died instantly and a badly scarred Chiwetel spent weeks at the hospital in a coma.Chiwetel still carries the scar on his forehead to this day.
While in Nigeria, the car carrying Chiwetel and his father collided head-on with a lorry. His father died instantly and a badly scarred Chiwetel spent weeks at the hospital in a coma.Chiwetel still carries the scar on his forehead to this day.
With his father dead, Chiwetel’s school fees would not come easy however, his mother took the painful decision to continue paying the fees, especially after she had a conversation with her young son about his future.
She once told a foreign journal that “after the accident, Chiwetel was in a bad way for a while. We were all very worried. But then he came round, and do you know the first thing he said? It was: ‘Does this mean I can’t go to school?’ I made sure then that I would do everything in my power to pay for his education at Dulwich, to give him the best chance.”’
She once told a foreign journal that “after the accident, Chiwetel was in a bad way for a while. We were all very worried. But then he came round, and do you know the first thing he said? It was: ‘Does this mean I can’t go to school?’ I made sure then that I would do everything in my power to pay for his education at Dulwich, to give him the best chance.”’
Her efforts paid off. In 1992, at the age of 14, Chiwetel auditioned and got a role in a school play; Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. He was cast in a major role as Angelo and since then, the rest like, they say, is history.
Chiwetel’s mother would walk into his bedroom and find passages of Shakespeare plastered all over the walls. His brother would overhear him practising lines in the shower.
Chiwetel’s mother would walk into his bedroom and find passages of Shakespeare plastered all over the walls. His brother would overhear him practising lines in the shower.
When he was 18, Chiwetel played the role of Othello at the National Youth Theatre, in the UK. That production was seen by a scout for Steven Spielberg, who soon cast him in the 1997 film Amistad.
His work on stage and in films began to grow and so did the awards and recognition worldwide. In 2002, at the age of 25, he was the lead in Stephen Frears’s film, Dirty Pretty Things. In 2007, his Othello at the Donmar Warehouse was such a hit that he won the Lawrence Olivier award for it.
His work on stage and in films began to grow and so did the awards and recognition worldwide. In 2002, at the age of 25, he was the lead in Stephen Frears’s film, Dirty Pretty Things. In 2007, his Othello at the Donmar Warehouse was such a hit that he won the Lawrence Olivier award for it.
In the Inside Man, he shared screen time with Denzel Washington while in Salt, he shared the screen with Angelina Jolie and was incredible in the final scene where he lets her escape.Chiwetel also gave a standout performance in the movie adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun.
In 2008, Chiwetel was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) thus cementing his place as one of Britain’s leading stage actors.
In 2008, Chiwetel was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) thus cementing his place as one of Britain’s leading stage actors.
And now six years later with his amazing performance in 12 Years A Slave, directed by fellow Brit, Steve McQueen, garnering him an Oscar nod it is clear that Chiwetel’s mother’s sacrifice has paid off and he has become a bona fide Hollywood A-lister.
In 12 Years A Slave, Chiwetel, plays his biggest role, so far. The movie – a cinematic account of the autobiography of Solomo n Northrup, a free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery – has already snagged a Golden Globe award for the director as the most dramatic movie of the year.
Chiwetel is a delight to watch as the kidnapped Northrup who is re-named Platt and who spends 12 years keeping his head down while hoping for freedom.
Watching him, defiant yet enslaved, smart yet dumbing down, you can feel the contending emotions, the hankering after freedom while feigning servility and those are the things at the core of his character, a man who says to another slave, Eliza played by fellow Nigerian-born actor, Adepero Oduye, “I will not fall into despair…I will keep myself hearty until freedom is opportune.”
With the Oscars in sight, Chiwetel Ejiofor can afford to keep hearty until the biggest prize for an actor is opportune.
- Akande writes from Lagos
In 12 Years A Slave, Chiwetel, plays his biggest role, so far. The movie – a cinematic account of the autobiography of Solomo n Northrup, a free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery – has already snagged a Golden Globe award for the director as the most dramatic movie of the year.
Chiwetel is a delight to watch as the kidnapped Northrup who is re-named Platt and who spends 12 years keeping his head down while hoping for freedom.
Watching him, defiant yet enslaved, smart yet dumbing down, you can feel the contending emotions, the hankering after freedom while feigning servility and those are the things at the core of his character, a man who says to another slave, Eliza played by fellow Nigerian-born actor, Adepero Oduye, “I will not fall into despair…I will keep myself hearty until freedom is opportune.”
With the Oscars in sight, Chiwetel Ejiofor can afford to keep hearty until the biggest prize for an actor is opportune.
- Akande writes from Lagos
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