Golden Globe nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor is perhaps best known for his work in such diverse films as American Gangster, Dirty Pretty Things, Serenity, Love Actually, Redbelt, and Kinky Boots. The British actor has made a career of playing deeply complex individuals, from cross-dresser Lola in Kinky Boots to Dirty Pretty Things' cab driver and former doctor Okwe. In PBS' gripping apartheid thriller Endgame, which airs Stateside this Sunday as part of the new season of Masterpiece Contemporary, Ejiofor, recently appointed an OBE by Queen Elizabeth, plays South African political figure Thabo Mbeki, a key player in secret negotiations between the African National Congress and the South African government that were brokered by Consolidated Goldfields. Remarkably these talks resulted in an end to apartheid in South Africa and Endgame, written by Paula Milne and directed by Pete Travis, dramatize the secret talks, which occurred at Mells Park, an estate in England.
In addition to Ejiofor, the cast includes William Hurt (Damages) as Professor Will Esterhuyse, Jonny Lee Miller (Eli Stone, Trainspotting) as British businessman and negotiator Michael Young, Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes) as Dr. Barnard, head of the South African National Intelligence Service, Derek Jacobi (Gosford Park) as Michael Young’s boss Rudolf Agnew, and Clarke Peters (The Wire) as Nelson Mandela.
I recently caught up with Ejiofor to discuss Endgame, Mbeki, and whether diplomacy can affect sweeping political and social change. You can watch the video of our interview, conducted at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour, below.
Endgame airs Sunday night at 9 pm as part of Masterpiece Contemporary on PBS. Check your local listings for details.
Comments
If only it had someone talented in it . . .
:o)
I have really missed Masterpiece Contemporary.
I absolutely love Chiwetel Ejiofor.
And I'll follow Lester Freamon anywhere.