10 Things You Didn’t Know About Chiwetel Ejiofor

The handsome British actor, Chiwetel Ejiofor was born on 10 July 1977 in Forest Gate, London to Nigerian parents of Igbo origin. He had his first leading film role in the 2002 British drama film, Dirty Pretty Things, for which he won a British Independent Film Award for best actor. He was later appointed Commander of the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth in the 2015 Birthday Honours. The 38-years-old British actor has definitely paved a successful career path for himself both in Nigeria and in the international entertainment scene.

Here are 10 things you probably didn’t know about the handsome British born actor, Chiwetel Ejiofor:

1. Chiwetel Ejiofor was born on 10 July 1977 in Forest Gate, London to Nigerian parents of Igbo origin.

2. His father, Arinze Ejiofor was a doctor and his mother, Obiajulu Ejiofor was a pharmacist. His younger sister, Zain Asher is a CNN correspondent.

3. In 1988, during a family trip to Nigeria for a wedding, he and his father were driving to Lagos after the celebrations when their car was involved in a head-on crash with a lorry. His father was killed, but he survived.

4. At the age of 14, he began acting in school plays at Dulwich College and later joined the National Youth Theatre.

5. He got into the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art but had to leave after his first year, after being cast in Steven Spielberg’s film, Amistad.

6. He made his film debut in the 1996 television film titled “Deadly Voyage”.

7. He was awarded the Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer at the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards in 2000.

8. He had his first leading film role in the 2002 British drama film, Dirty Pretty Things, for which he won a British Independent Film Award for best actor.

9. He was appointed Commander of the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth in the 2015 Birthday Honours. He also starred in the 2013 Nigerian historical fiction drama film, Half a Yellow Sun alongside Thandie Newton.

10. He was in a relationship with Canadian actress and model, Sari Mercer. He is friends with actor Benedict Cumberbatch and has been friends with actor Idris Elba for 20 years now.