Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup

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Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup is the lead portrayal of a free Black man kidnapped into slavery in the acclaimed historical drama film "12 Years a Slave."

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Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf acting performance
film character portrayal
adaptationOf real historical figure
appearsInWork 12 Years a Slave NERFINISHED
associatedWithAwardWinningWork Academy Award for Best Picture for 12 Years a Slave NERFINISHED
awardRecognitionForActor Academy Award for Best Actor nomination NERFINISHED
BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role nomination NERFINISHED
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama nomination NERFINISHED
basedOn Solomon Northup NERFINISHED
Twelve Years a Slave NERFINISHED
centralThemeDepicted family separation under slavery
kidnapping of free Black people into slavery
struggle for freedom
character Solomon Northup NERFINISHED
characterStatusAtEnd restored to freedom
characterStatusAtStart free man
characterStatusDuringPlot enslaved man
cinematicSignificance key performance in 21st-century slavery narratives
countryOfOriginOfWork United Kingdom
United States of America
surface form: United States
criticalReception acclaimed performance
depicts free Black man kidnapped into slavery
directorOfWork Steve McQueen NERFINISHED
emotionalTone hopeful resolution
intense
tragic
genre historical drama film
historicalContext slavery in the United States
language English
medium film
narrativeFunction protagonist
notableSceneType family separation scenes
whipping and punishment sequences
occupationOfCharacter violinist
partOfCastWith Alfre Woodard as Mistress Shaw NERFINISHED
Benedict Cumberbatch as William Ford NERFINISHED
Brad Pitt as Samuel Bass NERFINISHED
Lupita Nyong'o as Patsey NERFINISHED
Michael Fassbender as Edwin Epps NERFINISHED
Sarah Paulson as Mary Epps NERFINISHED
portrayalHighlights moral resilience of Solomon Northup
psychological impact of enslavement
portrayedBy Chiwetel Ejiofor NERFINISHED
roleType lead role
settingOfCharacterOrigin New York NERFINISHED
timePeriodDepicted pre–American Civil War United States
yearOfWorkRelease 2013

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Lupita Nyong'o as Patsey partOfCastWith Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup