Too many wasted years

@inthepalemoonlight


I agree with pretty much everything you just said---except that I don't think he's wasted any years, he's just used the time up until now to prove over and over again how damn good he is,and to become an even better actor in the process. Which is why he can now walk up in a film and just start blowing everybody else off the screen actingwise because he's just got it like that,straight-up---true major acting talent,period. And,yeah,you're right---if he was white, he would have gotten WAY more starring roles thrown at him left and right after DIRTY PRETTY THINGS and KINKY BOOTS, both of which he was excellent in.

If you notice, practically every young white halfway-decent looking British guy or gal always gets played up like they're the next big thing coming up, but they don't ever do that with the black British actors,no matter how talented they are, which is some bull****,IMHO. Like, for example, they're been pumping up Michael Fassbinder as the next hot newcomer---even though, to his credit, he seems to want to take more challenging parts as opposed to just wanting to be that "next big thing"--like Ejiofor's been doing all along. I also don't think Fassbinder is all that hot---he looks pretty average/nothing special looks-wise to me---the only film I actually thought he was hot in was FISH TANK. Here's some interesting articles about why black British actors are coming more and more to America for work:

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/aug/29/black-british-actors-direc tors-hollywood


http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2013/jul/18 /tv-black-british-female-actors

He's finally blown up with 12 YEARS A SLAVE, and he's getting some more interesting roles thrown his way,but he's already done the Hollywood thing,anyway. It's been great to see him finally get some major notice though. I'd love to see both the 2 Brit TV series he's done (can't remember the name of either one, right now) and I think he would have made a great Doctor Who on top of that (if they'd had the guts to cast him,though.) And,hell yeah, he'd be perfect for Bond (if Idris Elba dosen't get it first, but I think either one of them would make a bad-ass bond.)

I hope I did not give the impression that I thought he himself has wasted time. My point was more that Hollywood had wasted many of his prime years by not using him nearly enough.

why does everyone think that hollywood has to be the the "be all and end all" for an actor to be famous, I think Chiwetel is doing great work just as he is and he's still well known, he's an actor not a bloody movie star!. And actors last longer, he's a true artist. That's what I like about India they don't need hollywood to validate them, they have their own industry and star system. ppl act as if an actor isn't big in hollywood he's been wasted what a load of *beep* Chiwetel is getting loads of work and substantial roles at that..he doesn't bloody well need hollywood to validate him or his work. it's their loss anyway. enough said.

This has less to do about being famous and more about getting quality work in quality films. And if one is made famous or more well-known as a result of that quality work then so be it. But first comes the work. And he doesn't get the type of roles that other great UK talents get almost immediately out of the gate. He doesn't get the film work that allows him to show most of his capabilities. Someone like Fassbenbder, his 12 Years co-star, never has to worry about getting "sraps" such as what Ejiofor gets tossed his way ("Salt" and "Inside Man"). And we're not just talking about his Hollywood work either. He ain't exactly getting top notch opportunities in non-Hollywood films and TV series either. He's as good as any actor around his age range in the UK (that includes Benedict C and Fassbender) but looking at his resume the great film roles in Oscar-caliber films and/or the major roles in top-of-the-line tentpole motion pictures aren't there. Before "12 Years" his greatest film was probably "Dirty Pretty Things" which came out an eternity ago.

One can be an elite actor and a true artist and still be a star. Not a Tom Cruise star who can open movies all across the globe, but a highly regarded star within the industry and well respected by audiences (ala Daniel Day Lewis). But one must have the opportunities. There's a reason why most of the major media and the casual moviegoers had/have little idea of who Ejiofor is compared his colleagues in "12 Years". And that leads to the garbage such as the early reports of "12 Years" supposedly starring Brad Pitt, Fassbender, Paul Dano, etc. when the ACTUAL star is Ejiofor. And it also leads to empty, non-active message boards such as this one for Ejiofor (meanwhile the Benedict Cumberbatch IMDB message board seems to add a new post every minute of the day). It is why his name isn't big enough to help get funding off the ground for "Fela", a movie, based on a very successway broadway show, that he was going to do with Steve freakin' genius McQueen. You may brush off the idea of having some star power all you want but it is hard to get movies made without such advantages. That is why the names of Pitt, Fassbender, Cumberbatch and etc. were thrown around to generate buzz and funding for "12 Years" rather than Ejiofor's. If none of those dudes don't get involved "12 Years" doesn't get made. Period. It's about who the public knows.

And what is with this revisionism about him getting a lot of substantial roles and loads of work? Who are you trying to fool? Please list all of the quality materials and all the elite directors who have been working with Ejiofor over the past five or more years (outside of "12 Years" that is)? I must have missed out on all of that somehow.

Last of all your remarks about Bollywood makes no sense. The vast majority of actors from that industry aren't looking for Hollywood work in the first place. They have a self-sustaining system already in place. However if you are an actor working/living in America, Canada, the UK and Australia Hollywood is on your radar because it can offer more work for English-speaking thespians than any other industry in the world. And many of that work could be quality. You don't think Ejiofor would have accepted a lead role in a Christopher Nolan film if it was offered to him? Or one by Scorcese, Eastwood, O Russell, Fincher, etc? Hello? It has been reported that Ejiofor doesn't spend as much time in Los Angeles anymore and he explained that by saying he misses London and wanted to divide less of his time between there and the States. That could be the whole reason. But personally I think he might have gotten frustrated waiting around for good material to come his way.

I agree with you.

It makes me sad and angry that Chewitel doesn't get all the recognation and praise he deserves for this movie.

During 12YAS press conference he just had one question whereas he's the main actor. By the way, Lupita only had one question too and it was a stupid question.

I'm not one who see racism everywhere but I don't like the way Chewitel and Lupita have been treated at TIFF by some journalists.

I hope both of them will get their Oscar.

By the way, being 5000 at IMdB starmeter is totally absurd whereas is the main actor in one the best movie, if not the best movie of the year.

I met Chiwetel at the premier. I told him that he's been an amazing actor for years and that I'm glad he's working with McQueen.

Lupita has a crucial role in the movie and deserves a lot of press. Btw, her accent was so on point! Lovely actress.

"I do what I got to do with what I got." Utah in One Night at McCool's

Chewitel seems to be a gentleman, I'm happy you could have meet him. He needs a lot of support.

Early fame is not the be all and end all.

Tom Cruise was famous by his early 20s, but he fizzled out by the time he was around 40. For the past decade, his film career has been in the toilet. Mel Gibson is another like that. And many other actors who enjoy early success and fame don't get much more than three or four years at the top anyway.

Have you seen any Kate Hudson movies lately? What about Timothy Hutton movies? She was nominated and he won an Oscar at age 20. The sky should have been the limit, right? It's just not possible to predict overall success from how early in life you start getting attention and celebrity.

You cannot judge a career by how early a person starts getting attention and parts. Many actors enjoy a lot of buzz and hype very early on but it fades away, and many others have a slower, more leisurely rise to the top but when it happens, it happens. Judi Dench is being campaigned for her seventh Oscar nom this year (!) for Philomena - this a woman who didn't even get her first nom till she was over 60! She's a six time Oscar nominee who didn't even have any real film career to speak of till she was a senior citizen!

Meanwhile Ejiofor is only 36 and seems a surefire nominee and potential winner next year. He's doing just fine.