Here are some photos of Chiwetel Ejiofor at last night’s Critics Choice Awards in LA. So handsome. And he’s got that British Guy Steeze, doesn’t he? I swear, British men just wear clothes differently. Maybe they just care more about tailoring, but there’s something else to it too – it’s like they find more enjoyment in getting all decked out. My one little qualm: I’m over skinny ties. This beautifully tailored suit would have looked better with a traditional tie.
As you know, Chiwetel received his first Oscar nomination yesterday morning. It’s a big one too – Best Actor for his work in 12 Years a Slave. I think he’s a major contender, I don’t care what all of the Oscar prognosticators say. I think Chiwetel’s got a better chance than Leonardo DiCaprio. And you know what else? I don’t think Leo would mind losing to Chiwetel. Leo would mind losing to Matthew McConaughey though. So, there you go, Academy voters. Vote for Chiwetel! As for Chiwetel’s reaction upon receiving his first Oscar nomination (but surely not his last), this what he said:
“At no point during filming, in the sweltering heat of New Orleans, did any of us ever foresee the journey this film would take us all on. Steve McQueen created an entire family to tell one man’s tale and I am delighted that so many of this family have also been recognized today. I am hugely grateful to the Academy for this great honour, and, of course, to Solomon Northup for sharing his story through his breathtaking book.”
I love that he thanks Solomon Northup. God, I’m getting teary-eyed just imagining what it would mean for Chiwetel to stand on the Oscar stage with a statuette in his hand. He would cry too. GAH! I’m a mess. I think I’m PMSing. And if you really want to have a cry, you should watch this video of Chiwetel’s journalist sister Zain Asher talk to her colleagues yesterday morning about her brother and what this Oscar nomination means.
I love this: “He’s worked so hard for this and growing up with him he was always in his bedroom practicing Shakespeare lines and writing Shakespeare on the wall. I would go out with my friends and I would come home and in the morning he would be reciting Measure for Measure and in the evening it would be Othello….He’s someone who’s really dedicated and an actor’s actor. He’s been acting for over 20 years, and so to finally see recognition for his work — I can’t even describe the feeling.” And you know what? He doesn’t even get all Tom Hiddleston about Shakespeare in interviews either. But Chiwetel is a proper Shakespearean actor. Bless him.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.
I saw this yesterday, and I really want him to win, so sweet.
Plus 1.
Great performance. He was mesmerising in 12YaS.
It makes him seem that much more awesome to know he comes from a family with a sister like this. Lots of love and support. Beautiful. I want him to win.
Aw. How sweet. I could drown in his eyes. Good luck, Chiwetel.
It was super sweet to watch and her talking about him practising Shakespeare as a kid made me tear up a little bit. I’m very happy for him and it always makes me happy when people live out lifelong dreams. It’s a beautiful and rare thing.
amen! i also got robbed of my thug watching her be so proud, kinda reminded me of my sis cause like when something happens to me No One is more happy and proud than my sissy! (And i know SO many people on a race against their siblings…)
“I don’t think Leo would mind losing to Chiwetel. Leo would mind losing to Matthew McConaughey though. So, there you go, Academy voters. Vote for Chiwetel!”
I think that’s more incentive for them to vote for McConaughey..
because the most important thing is how leo feels? i’m kind of baffled by that sentiment.
It was a joke, @sputnik, because the Academy clearly hates Leo.
urgh, i’ve got my literal idiot hat on this afternoon. sorry. i genuinely, seriously couldn’t understand the original point.
It’s okay! Though I thought for a second him being always a bridesmaid was a running joke I’d just made up.
I absolutely love Chiwetel.What a gorgeous human being,
That vid of his sister is so sweet. It must be such a kick to see a loved one who has worked so hard for so long FINALLY start to get the recognition they really deserve. I’m hoping that Leo and Matthew split the votes so Chiwetel takes it.
They interviewed her again later on, and apparently Chiwetel was the only survivor of a car crash when he was 12 that killed his father and several other people. His mother grew up with no running water. And now he’s a hugely successful actor with an Oscar nom and his sister is a big CNN journalist and his other two siblings are probably successful. Amazing.
Wow…thank you for sharing this information.
I got a little teary listening to his sister speak about him, and to find out that there is even more to the story here, that he overcame such tragedy…that’s really moving.
What a beautiful family, and his sister’s love is genuinely touching.
I hope he wins this!
+ 1
The scar on Chiwetel’s forehead is from that car accident.
I am so surprised he didn’t win the Golden Globe and the Critics Choice. This man is a brilliant actor who has done quality work for a long time. He is even good in bad movies like 2012. This is as close to an iconic, part as he will ever get as a black actor (that isn’t Denzel) so I hope he wins the Bafta and the Oscar at least.
I’m really shocked that he has lost to Matt twice now. I really don’t understand it.
Hopefully the Bafta but the Oscar is anyone’s guess. I think people say one thing and when it comes to casting that vote in the privacy of wherever they can do something entirely different. If it can’t be Chiwetel I want it to be Matthew.
This isn’t the first nor will it be the last iconic role he has played. THIS role has finally put him on the map in America, but he has been very, very good in many equally good films. He has been incredibly lucky in his career opportunities compared to other black actors in Britain. And he has delivered in every part he has played.
BTW, this isn’t his only film out at the moment. See HALF A YELLOW SUN with Thandie Newton which is currently on limited release and will probably receive a wider release due to his raised profile. He is equally good in that.
He was good in Kinky Boots as well
@LAK i am english so i know his career quite well. I even saw him at the national theatre when i was still in school. 🙂 I am certainly well aware that he has many other great performances both in the theatre and on film and tv.
I merely meant this is an epic performance, where he carries the movie, a career defining one, that kind of part doesn’t come along that often especially for a black actor in hollywood. Especially when its married with a movie that is considered great ( in the mainstream) in all aspects of film making such as this. As for luck, once is luck, but i don’t believe you sustain a successful career through luck. It takes hard work to sustain a career in a competitive field such as acting.
Loved him in Dirty Pretty Things as the kind, soft spoken immigrant.
But then I discovered he makes a great villain too, he was great as the Agent in Serenity and as the criminal overlord in Four Brothers.
And then he hit me with Kinky Boots and thats when I knew, there isnt much this man cant do onscreen.
Unfortunately, this is why I could see MM winning. Chiwetel is so talented, he will get another opportunity. I dont see MM having the same chances again. Then again, MM has quietly been doing some solid low key work the past few years. Bit part in tropic thunder, good showing in Magic Mike. Its like he stopped trying to be a movie star with the bad romcoms and crappy action flicks and decided he wants to be an actor. So, good on him.
ToodySezHey
You got it all backwards. MM is the one who will get other chances. He is white, male and part of the hollywood club. Ejiofor is talented but so are many other black actors, there are limited amount of parts for them. If you want to see diversity you should wish for more power players amongst black actors.
Also dont get why people think its so amazing MM stopped accepting huge pay checks for crap romcoms and decided to do some acting. Ejifor and many actors have been doing that for a decade. Not making half the money MM did. He went after the money to be rich so now he wants to be respected. Big Deal.
I fell in love with him when I saw him in Serenity. There was something so sexy about him in that movie.
@Harry, let me respectfully disagree. Yes, Chiwetel is a black man,…but he is also a talented actor who has done amazing work in good films and is never in need of a gig. He has done mainstream as well as independent work , or do you forget he was in Salt and in Spike Lee’s Inside Man as well as doing tv specials such as Dancing on the Edge. The man is in DEMAND. And with his talent, I have no doubt he can land another Oscar worthy role sooner rather than later.
Meanwhile, MM for all his being a white man wasted half his career on populist crap. Its only in the last few years he has focused on smaller budget qualitty work and quite frankly, he has some stiff competition with the Cumberbatches, Hiddlestons and Fassbenders of the world. I mean think about it, how big a stretch was it to cast him in DBC when he is a native texan? Meanwhile, Chiwetel is a known entity, a known quality talent. I daresy that mainstream big budget films aside, it will be easier for Chiwetel to land movies on both sides of the pond.,..at least he proved with Four Brothers, Salt and Inside Man than he can do a reasonable American accent, meanwhile American born MM has never been able to lose his texas twang for any role. So yeah, given the two and given their body of work, even if MM wins, I can see an Oscar nod for CE sooner than I can see one for MM.
Is everyone in his family hot?????!!!! Unbelievable!!!!!!
He has to win this. I’ll be so disappointed if he doesn’t. But it will actually break my heart if Lupita doesn’t win.
Lupita is younger, has only done one movie. The nomination in itself is a win for her. Not many people have the good luck to get cast in such a good movie and such a good part for their first movie. Chiwetel has worked hard for a very long time. You could argue that some of his work previously was good enough to be nominated. I personally would be far more heartbroken if this brilliant man looses out to more high profile actors with more hollywood cache like Matthew and Leo.
There are two reasons why I am hoping that Lupita will win: one) it could have a positive effect on the rest of her career and two) because of the role itself and what it means. In the film, I actually thought that her depiction of Patsey was actually more poignant than Chiwetel’s of Solomon and that she actually turned in the stronger performance of the two. This is not Chiewetel’s first performance, and more work will come his way regardless of whether or not he wins the Oscar. The Oscars routinely overlook strong performances, the work of actors of color and reward lacklustre or overwrought acting. However, idea that the Academy could overlook the haunting performance that Lupita delivered and dismiss it kills me , because that gesture will convey that they just don’t care about the history of slavery and racism in the United States and, by extension, the work of talented black actors. It really will feel like a slap in the face. Shocking, but not surprising.
But if they overlook chiwetel isnt that the same? His character is also the story of slaverly and.racism. That doesnt make sense It sounds like the character lupita plays appealed more to you. I dont think her performance was more accomplished. To be in almost every scene of a film is very very hard.. If you give a shit or mediocre performance the movie suffers….. You had a lesser actor TYAS would not have been the movie it was but you could have got away with a lesser actor in Lupitas part. The story of patsy would have broken your heart any which way. I am like if they can award TYAS best movie, its very strange to not honor the person who is in the majority of the movie. Almost as strange as not giving Mqueen best director.
@Yodi,
By your own argument one could say that anyone playing Solomon would have had the same effect on the film. Solomon’s story is horrific and would move most and in that sense, it wouldn’t matter who played the lead role. I don’t recall stating that Chiwetel turned in a bad performance or that I didn’t enjoy him in the film. I felt that Lupita’s performance was more compelling. To me. That’s fine if you disagree with me on that, but it doesn’t change my opinion. That scene were Lupita was crying and looked at Chiwetel with what could be read as an accusatory expression on her face while the others were attending to her wounds was almost more visceral than the whipping scene itself, and it got me the way that no other scene in the film did.
I would rather Lupita as a supporting character win, or Steve McQueen as a director, or the film win for either screenplay or best picture because those three elements for me, made really important points about racial violence and complicity and how this narrative from two centuries ago is still relevant today. Yes, Lupita’s, McQueen’s and the screenwriter’s work in relation to the film was based on Solomon Northrup’s story but I felt that all of their And I don’t think that just anyone could have turned in a good performance in any role in that film. I felt that Michael Fassbender played the role as a typical villain. He veered on the cliche, as did the woman who played Benedict Cumberbatches’ wife. I thought that Cumberbatch was extremely convincing and subtle in his role, as was that actor from Sideways and that young man from Little Miss Sunshine. Lupita’s performance haunted me and got into my bones while Chiwetel’s made me think more about the character in an esoteric way. So while yes, I would like to see Chiwetel win it will break my heart more if she doesn’t.
I want to comment and make Chiwetel posts popular so that Kaiser goes Cumby and gives us a post every day, but all I can honestly do is…
SIGH. Be still… etc, and other such greetings card nonsense. Should I get a tumblr?
i think you should.
Sixer, You really want a tumblr? You need some thick skin. What would be your blog’s focus? There are some fantastic writing blogs…
LAK, Are you on tumblr? I have a Royal tumblr blog but am rarely on it. *sigh*
Tumblr is brutal….
Ha ha, I love the Royal Tumblr crowd. I’m just a lurker but, they are hilarious, especially when it comes to lusting after Harry 🙂
I don’t really want a tumblr – although outside of its use by silly fandoms, there are some amazing ones. I was just mocking myself for being Chiwetel-sightastic. I’m not to the point of gifs quite yet, though!
I’m torn. I really, really, really want Chiwetel to win but I wouldn’t be too upset if Mc Conaughey took home the trophy. Leo is a damn fine actor too and some people think he’s due but I don’t want him to win for that role.
i think leo was great in WOWS, but i can’t see him winning for it. my heart wants chiwetel to win but i can see it being mcconaughey’s year. he’s spectacular in DBC, and the academy loves to see one of their own come good. he’s gone from a lovable goof to a serious actor in the past couple of years.
I don’t either, I don’t want the guy he portrays to feel like a winner.
Chiwetel deserves to win this, but I think Mathew will get it. Mathew is a redemption/comeback story which always wins over the academy. Mathew was predicted oscar glory at the beginning of his career, but chose to go a different way and has now returned to the original fold so to speak.
Which isn’t to diss his performance because he was very good, but he also has sentimentality working for him.
Chiwetel delivers good performances consistently and regularly such that if he doesn’t win this year, he will win another year.
Agree with you. I think the redemption story is a big one here. It plays on their heart strings. Matthew also fits more into what Hollywood deems sellable. In the same way they would favour JLaw over Lupita because there is more money to be made out of JLaw and Matthew then Lupita and Chiwetel. That is not to say Matthew wasn’t great in DBC. He was.
But LAK As a Brit of African descent, I don’t think Chiwetel will get another break or shot at an Oscar. MM is loved here and will get other opportunities. But I think your spot on as to why MM gets it this year and not CE.
MM’s dedication to that role and performance, though… I will be surprised if MM doesn’t win it- I don’t think it has anything to do with the redemption angle- it was just too good and shocking a performance.
I like to think Chiwetel WILL be back a different year nominated for another role, he’s too talented and this nomination has made him a household name in the US.
I love Leo and feel like he deserves an Oscar but, will be pissed off if he wins it for this role.
She’s adorable & I love how proud she is of her brother! Considering they have had such tragedy losing their dad so young (Chiwetel almost died in the same car crash at age 11), it is great that they have so much love for each other. I’ve been a fan of his for a long time and it’s wonderful to see him getting such well deserved/overdue recognition. I know awards are silly, but I REALLY, REALLY want him to win…having seen the other films, it’s clear he SHOULD win based on his EXTRAORDINARY performance and talent alone. If he doesn’t win, we’ll all know what time it is.
Best of luck Chiwetel! I love this man. I love his grace, his quiet dignity, and his obvious sensitivity he brings , and has brought to every role he assumes. If he does not win, then I hope Leo does. Whatever you may think of Leo’s penchant for Victoria Secret models, he is a damm fine actor.
I hope he’ll win. I’m over Leo, I really can’t stand him anymore.. and Matthew McConaughey won the golden globes I think (?), so yeah, let Chiwetel win!
I’m pretty sure he was either nominated/won a Tony award for playing Romeo…..but he’s always been very good…
OMG. I want him to win. 12 years is the kind of movie that will stand the test of time. His performance ( and Lupita’s) will continue to punch you in the stomach with its amazingness for YEARS to come. I don’t understand how there’s even a question of who Best Actor is. Its blowing my mind that Matt keeps winning.
Agreed.
I love Chiwetel and I hope he wins, and Lupita too – I know, it may just be wishful thinking but I really think they both deserve it. He has been doing remarkable work for years. When I first saw Kinky Boots I felt compelled to watch everything he’d done.
If he does lose to Leo I’d understand, because Leo has also proved himself over the years.
Lainey said it best:
“The two favourites, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matthew McConaughey, can kiss all the babies and shake all the hands they want to, but I hope in the end it’s Chiwetel.”
I Hope…
But i fear.. one of those two will win because they are actually campaigning hard ( like that lameass Leto who is campaigning harder than Anne Hathaway) . The only one who seems to actively campaign of the actors in TYAS is Lupita. Hence she has the best chances. Its nothing if not political.
About to cry, love how the sister was so passionate about him.
*fingers crossed*
this family just continues to give me the feels.
i also like that he’s not so Hiddletastic about his Shakespeare and theaterwork. yet anyone who watches Chiwetel in movies can recognize a Shakespearean Fellow in his delivery. e.g. the “until freedom is opportune” line.
i think, despite the proliferation of Method acting in contemporary films, its the theater people that continues to raise materials to another level.
do i want Chiwetel to win an Oscar and get a widerspread recognition that he so amply deserve? Heck yea!
but there’s a part of me that wants to keep him like a precious secret, like a Caravagio under the bed.
#SorryForTheInsaneRamble
The telling awards show will be SAG. If Chiwetel can win it, his Oscar chances are strong. If the SAG awards goes to Matthew or Leo, there will be tears in my home.
He has such a beautiful face!! I could stare at it the whole day!!
I love him and I really hope he wins. I love that he keeps bringing it back to Solomon Northup’s story–he seems genuinely humble.
I doubt he’ll win the Oscar. He’s fantastic in 12YAS, but he’s not the standout. The direction, the cinematography, Fassbender, Lupita etc. were all exceptional. The Academy tends to reward actors who did something extraordinary with a just ok film, not so much actors who were just one of many brilliant parts of a brilliant movie.
McConaughey’s going to win, and I don’t mind that. I can’t think of another actor who’s put in such consistently great work in the last 3 years. Bernie, Killer Joe, Mud, Magic Mike, and right now Dallas Buyers Club, Wolf of Wall Street, True Detective and Interstellar still to come…this is very much his year.
It’s strange no one from 12 Years is really campaigning except Lupita. It’s so much better than American Hustle, which I find overrated and nothing new.
I’ve adored him since Kinky Boots!! I’d love to see him win. BTW I hated American Hustle…there I said it!!
Ooh, I can’t even look at his beautiful face for too long. It’s like looking right into the sun at midday, too much!