12 Years A Slave Star Chiwetel Ejiofor Eyes a Broadway Debut

Chiwetel Ejiofor to hit the Main Stem? Seems likely. The Oscar hopeful, who is currently earning raves for his standout performance in Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave, has revealed that he has dreams of hitting The Great White Way.

“I love the theater community and theater life, and would love to figure out the distinctive differences between Broadway and the West End,” Ejiofor told Variety, while discussing the importance of continuing to mix stage work into his hectic film schedule. “It’s part of who I am. I wouldn’t be the same actor if I couldn’t do theater.”

Though the Golden Globe nominee is just now becoming a household name, he has been a working actor for 20 years. Trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Ejiofor gave an acclaimed 2013 performance at the Young Vic as Congolese independence leader Patrick Lumumba in A Season in the Congo. Other London stage credits include Macbeth, Blue/Orange, Romeo and Juliet, The Seagull and his Olivier winning turn as Othello. Ejiofor's screen credits include Dirty Pretty Things, Kinky Boots, Love Actually, Inside Man, Amistad, Phil Spector and Dancing on the Edge.