Nigerian born, British Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor has won the coveted best actor award at the recently concluded 2014 BAFTA Awards.
Chiwetel beat the likes of Christian Bale, Bruce Dern, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks in his role as Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery, in “12 Years a Slave”.
In his acceptance speech, he said, “I’m so deeply honoured and privileged,” thanking director Steve McQueen. “Thank you for you work, your artisty and your passion in this project … to make it of such value, of such worth. This is yours by the way – I’m going to keep it, that’s the kind of guy I am, but it’s yours.”
36 year old Chiwetel is also playing a major role in an adaptation of Chimamanda Adichie’s film “Half of a Yellow Sun” starring Thandie Newton due to be released this year.
Christian Bale, American Hustle
Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips
