Chiwetel Ejiofor is being honored for his outstanding contribution to British Film.
The U.K born star is set to receive the Richard Harris Award at the 2015 British Independent Film Awards on December 6, Variety reports.
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Richard Harris, the actor the award is named after, died in 2002. His son, Jared, said Ejiofor’s approach to acting makes him most deserving of the award.
“Although the recipients of this award have all been embraced by the establishment, they all came from outside it, fought their way in on the strength of their talent, claimed their place and changed the status quo.” he said. “That describes Chiwetel’s career perfectly. His talent is immense, it has brought him deserved worldwide recognition, and he is in his prime.”
Ejiofor is best known for his role as Solomon Northup in the Oscar-winning film, “12 Years a Slave” actor for which he earned best actor from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts as well as nominations from the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and Screen Actors Guild.