Chiwetel Ejiofor is a rare breed of actor who has seemed perpetually primed for and on the cusp of breaking out. His first breakthrough, a superbly nuanced turn in the quiet slow-burn dramatic thriller Dirty Pretty Things (2003), earned him richly deserved plaudits and seemed poised to help make him a household (if relatively complicated) name. Instead, Amelie happened, turning Dirty Pretty Things co-star Audrey Tautou into an overnight star – so much so the distributor promoted the film with her name (and larger-than-life face) front and center of all marketing materials. One would be forgiven for not knowing the Nigerian-British Ejiofor, the incontestable lead, was even in the film at all. What followed was a peripatetic career, where he leant considerable gravitas and craftsmanship to, at best, solid but flawed films in which he was indisputably the standout performer (e.g. Serenity, the pre-Broadway Kinky Boots, or David Mamet’s Redbelt). More often he was getting lost as a cog in sprawling ensembles both impressive (see Children of Men or Inside Man) and appalling (see 2012 – or better yet, don’t). Even the British media openly pondered how the prospects of someone so talented had fizzled away so undramatically.
Enter fellow Brit Steve McQueen (the acclaimed auteur, not the legendary king of cool), who tapped Ejiofor for the juicy lead rôle in 12 Years A Slave. Ejiofor delivered, earning raves and an Oscar nomination for a fiery, controlled, complex and heartbreaking performance boasting so much nuance it requires multiple viewings to appreciate the multiple layers. This time, despite costar Lupita Nyong’o justly winning an Oscar (and fellow costar Michael Fassbender unjustly being robbed of one), no one was going to steal Chiwetel Ejiofor’s thunder; his breakthrough had arrived. Or at least it should’ve. What’s followed instead has been a coterie of middling titles well beneath his established abilities, with riveting performances wasted on films dismissed by critics and audiences (the risible Triple 9 being but one example). Ejiofor has subsequently found himself joining the horde-like foray into the Marvel Cinematic Universe and rote straight-to-Netflix streamers, seemingly waiting for a third as-yet-undetermined breakout film. And with talent as outsized as his, there’s every chance he just might find it. And maybe third time will be the charm for this undervalued performer.
Acting Institution:Â National Youth Theatre and London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Some Notable Performances:
