Early life

Ejiofor was born in London's Forest Gate to Nigerian parents of Igbo heritage. His father is a doctor and his mother a pharmacist.[1] He began acting in school plays at the age of thirteen at Dulwich College and joined the National Youth Theatre and played the title role in Othello at the Bloomsbury Theatre in September 1995, and again at the Arts Theatre in 1996 when he starred opposite Rachael Stirling as Desdemona.

Career

Ejiofor made his film debut in Steven Spielberg's 1997 film Amistad. He went on to become a prominent stage actor in London. In 2000, he starred in Blue/Orange at the Royal National Theatre (Cottesloe stage), and later at the Duchess Theatre. That same year, his performance as Romeo in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet was nominated for the Ian Charleson Award. Ejiofor was awarded the Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer at the 2000 Critics' Circle Theatre Awards. For his performance in Blue/Orange, he received the 2000 London Evening...