Chiwetel Ejiofor
Biography
Chiwetel Umeadi Ejiofor is a British actor, writer, and director born on July 10, 1977, in Forest Gate, London, England. Recognized for his work in film and television, he has received numerous accolades throughout his career, including a British Academy Film Award and a Laurence Olivier Award. He has also earned nominations for an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and five Golden Globe Awards. In recognition of his services to the arts, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2008 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2015. He is the older brother of news anchor Zain Asher.
Career overview
Ejiofor began his formal training at the National Youth Theatre in 1995 before attending the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. His professional acting career gained significant momentum in the 2000s, establishing him as a familiar screen presence through roles in films such as Dirty Pretty Things in 2002, Love Actually in 2003, and Kinky Boots in 2005. These early projects helped define his reputation for bringing gravitas and multidimensionality to his performances across a wide variety of roles.
He achieved widespread acclaim for his portrayal of Solomon Northup in the 2013 film 12 Years a Slave. This performance earned him a BAFTA Award for Best Actor, as well as nominations for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Beyond his film work, Ejiofor has maintained a diverse career as an actor, writer, and director. His extensive filmography includes 89 known credits, reflecting his long-standing contributions to the entertainment industry. His work continues to be noted for its range and depth, solidifying his status as an award-winning figure in British cinema and international media.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- The Exorcist: Martyrs (2027)
- Children of Blood and Bone (2027) as King Saran
- Backrooms (2026) as Clark
- Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (2026) as Maker (voice)
- The Old Guard 2 (2025) as Copley
- The Life of Chuck (2025) as Marty Anderson
- Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (2025) as Scott Walliker
- Eleanor the Great (2025) as Roger
- Royal Carols: Together At Christmas 2025 (2025) as Self
- Venom: The Last Dance (2024) as Strickland
- The Brown Dog (2024) Executive Producer
- Rob Peace (2024) as Robert E. 'Skeet' Douglas
- Rob Peace (2024) Director
- Rob Peace (2024) Writer
- María Madalena (2023)
- The Pod Generation (2023) as Alvy
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) as Baron Mordo
- The Man Who Fell to Earth (2022) as Faraday
- Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) as Self - Baron Mordo
- Infinite (2021) as Bathurst 2020
- Locked Down (2021) as Paxton
- Regard Noir (2021) as Self
- The Old Guard (2020) as Copley
- Day Zero (2020) as Narrator
- The Kelly Clarkson Show (2019) as Self
- The Lion King (2019) as Scar (voice)
- Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019) as Conall
- The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019) as Trywell Kamkwamba
- The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019) Director
- The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019) Screenplay
- The Elephant Queen (2019) as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Earth from Space (2019) as Self - Narrator
- The Lion King: Can You Feel The Love Tonight with Robin Roberts (2019)
- Sherlock Gnomes (2018) as Watson (Voice)
- Mary Magdalene (2018) as Peter
- Come Sunday (2018) as Carlton Pearson
- Red Nose Day Actually (2017) as Peter
- Doctor Strange (2016) as Mordo
- Triple 9 (2016) as Michael Atwood
- The Long Way Home: Making 'The Martian' (2016) as Self
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015) as Self - Guest
- The Martian (2015) as Vincent Kapoor
- Secret in Their Eyes (2015) as Ray
- ARES: live (2015) as Vincent Kapoor
- Z for Zachariah (2015) as John Loomis
- National Theatre Live: Everyman (2015) as Everyman
- 12 Years a Slave (2013) as Solomon Northup
- Dancing on the Edge (2013) as Louis Lester
- Half of a Yellow Sun (2013) as Odenigbo
- Phil Spector (2013) as Mock Prosecutor
- Making a Scene | 11 Performances (2013)
- Savannah (2013) as Christmas Moultrie
- Columbite Tantalite (2013) Director
- Columbite Tantalite (2013) Writer
- The Shadow Line (2011) as Jonah Gabriel
- Salt (2010) as Darryl Peabody
- The End of the World: The Actor's Perspective (2010) as Self
- 2012: Roland Emmerich - Master of the Modern Epic (2010) as Self
- 2012 (2009) as Adrian Helmsley
- Endgame (2009) as President Thabo Mbeki
- Redbelt (2008) as Mike Terry
- Slapper (2008) Director
- Slapper (2008) Writer
- This Is My Africa (2008) as Self
- The John Akii Bua Story: An African Tragedy (2008) as Narrator
- The Graham Norton Show (2007) as Self
- American Gangster (2007) as Huey Lucas
- Talk to Me (2007) as Dewey Hughes
- Partition: The Day India Burned (2007) as Narrator
- Rachael Ray (2006)
- Children of Men (2006) as Luke
- Inside Man (2006) as Bill Mitchell
- Tsunami: The Aftermath (2006) as Ian Carter
- Serenity (2005) as The Operative
- Four Brothers (2005) as Victor Sweet
- Kinky Boots (2005) as Lola/Simon
- Slow Burn (2005) as Ty Trippin
- She Hate Me (2004) as Frank Wills
- Melinda and Melinda (2004) as Ellis Moonsong
- Red Dust (2004) as Alex Mpondo
- Love Actually (2003) as Peter
- Canterbury Tales (2003) as Paul
- Trust (2003) as Ashley Carter
- Twelfth Night, or What You Will (2003) as Orsino
- Three Blind Mice (2003) as Mark Hayward
- Dirty Pretty Things (2002) as Okwe
- Murder in Mind (2001) as DS McCorkindale
- Mind Games (2001) as Tyler Arnold
- It Was an Accident (2000) as Nicky Burkett
- G:MT Greenwich Mean Time (1999) as Rix
- Amistad (1997) as Ensign Covey
- Deadly Voyage (1996) as Ebow
- Screen Two (1985) as Ebow
- Tonight at Noon as Lee / Evans
- Fela as Fela Kuti