Who is Carmen Ejogo?
British actress and singer Carmen Ejogo was born in Kensington, London, England on 22 October 1973, meaning that her zodiac sign’s Libra. She’s had roles in close to 50 movies and TV series, and is perhaps best known for her playing of the lead character Coretta Scott King in the 2014 biographical historical movie “Selma”, directed by Ava DuVernay, and which also starred David Oyelowo and Oprah Winfrey. It follows the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, and the movie won 59 of its 150 award nominations, including an Oscar win for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song.
Education and early life
Carmen and her younger brother Charles Ejogo, Jr. were raised in London by their Nigerian father Charles Ejogo, Sr. and British mother Elizabeth (nee Douglas); Carmen rarely speaks about her family in public, because she respects their privacy.
She was only 13 when she launched her acting career, playing a supporting character in the popular 1986 romantic musical movie “Absolute Beginners”, but Carmen didn’t appear in any movies or TV series in the following seven years, wanting to focus on her education.
She studied at Oratory Roman Catholic Primary School prior to progressing to Glendower Preparatory School; Carmen matriculated from the independent all-girl high school Godolphin and Latymer School in 1992, and then didn’t attend college.
Roles in TV series
From 1993 through 1995, Carmen was the host of the morning show “Saturday Disney”, and then made her debut TV series appearance in 1996, when cast to play Belinda in the science fiction thriller “Cold Lazarus”. It starred Albert Finney, Ciaran Hinds and Frances de la Tour, and follows the terrorist organization RON who want to extract memories from the disembodied head of author Daniel Feeld; the series was nominated for three awards.
Carmen had only one other TV series role in the ‘90s: she played Rose-Angela Patterson in two episodes of the 1998 drama mini-series “Colour Blind”.
In 2006 and 2007, she starred as Turner in the crime drama “Kidnapped”, created by Jason Smilovic, and which also starred Jeremy Sisto and Delroy Lindo; it follows the kidnapping of a wealthy family’s 15 years old son, and the series won one of its three award nominations. In 2008, Carmen guest starred as April Lannen in the episode “Burn Card” of the crime mystery “Law & Order”.
'The Girlfriend Experience' Season 2 Adds Anna Friel, Louisa Krause, Carmen Ejogo https://t.co/DUjDRjVEva pic.twitter.com/CXVMLsNbM5
— TheWrap (@TheWrap) January 26, 2017
The year 2011 saw her play Fay Carson in all the 13 episodes of the action adventure “Chaos”, created by Tom Spezialy, and which starred Freddy Rodriguez, Eric Close and James Murray. It follows the lives of several CIA agents, and the series won an Imagen Foundation Award for Best Actor – Television (Freddy Rodriguez).
Carmen’s also known for her playing of Bria Jones in the 2017 drama “The Girlfriend Experience”, which Lodge Kerrigan and Amy Seimetz created, and which starred Riley Keough, Paul Sparks and Julia Goldani Telles. It follows the life of a high-end call girl from New York City, and the series won three of its 16 award nominations.
Carmen’s three most recent TV series roles have been in all the four episodes of the 2020 biographical historical mini-series “Self-Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker”, nine episodes of the 2021 crime thriller “Your Honor” and a 2022 episode of the comedy “I’m a Virgo”; she’s currently shooting for the upcoming mini-series “Secret Invasion”.
Roles in movies
The year 1997 saw Carmen play Veronica ‘Ronnie’ Tate in the action crime comedy “Metro”, and in 1998, she portrayed Brenda in the action science fiction adventure “The Avengers”, which starred Ralph Fiennes, Uma Thurman and Sean Connery, and follows two British agents as they’re trying to stop Sir August de Wynter from destroying Earth; the movie won four of its 21 award nominations.
Some of Carmen’s following roles were in the 1999 drama “Tube Tales”, the 2001 crime comedy “What’s the Worst That Could Happen”, and the 2004 drama “Noel”.
What marked the 2000s for her was perhaps her playing of Jackie in the 2007 crime action “The Brave One”, directed by Neil Jordan, and which starred Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard and Naveen Andrews. It follows a radio personality whose fiancé’s been killed in a brutal assault, which had also left her in a coma; the movie won one of its eight award nominations.
Carmen could then have been seen appearing in the 2009 adventure comedy “Away We Go”, the 2012 action crime mystery “Alex Cross”, and the 2014 action science fiction horror “The Purge: Anarchy”.
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The year 2016 saw her play Seraphina Picquery in the popular family fantasy adventure “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”, which David Yates created, and which starred Alison Sudol, Katherine Waterston and Eddie Redmayne. Set 70 years before the events in the first “Harry Potter” movie, it follows the adventures of wizard and author Newt Scamander; the film won 15 of its 70 award nominations, including an Oscar win for Best Achievement in Costume Design. Carmen reprised her role in its 2018 sequel “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald”.
She’s since appeared in only two movies: the 2019 mystery horror “Rattlesnake”, and the 2022 crime comedy “Forty Winks”, while she’s currently shooting for the upcoming movie “Harvest Moon”.
Other credits
Carmen’s sung songs in four movies, including in the 1999 romantic comedy “Forces of Nature”, the 2012 musical drama “Sparkle”, and the 2016 action crime comedy “Ride Along 2”.
She received special thanks for the 2009 short documentary video “The Making of ‘Away We Go’”, and the 2018 drama movie “All About Nina”.
Carmen produced the 2019 horror movie “Rattlesnake”.
Some of the talk-shows in which she’s appeared include “Celebrity Page”, “Last Call with Carson Daly” and “Dirty Diana”.
Awards and nominations
Carmen’s won five of her 20 award nominations.
She’s won two Black Reel Awards: the first in 2006, for Best Supporting Actress – Television in “Lackawanna Blues”, and the second in 2015, for Outstanding Supporting Actress, Motion Picture in “Selma”. She also won two Black Film Critics Circle Awards in 2014, as well as a 2015 Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, all three for her performance in “Selma”.
Love life and husband
Carmen’s been married twice. She wed British rapper and actor Tricky on 9 August 1998, in a rather small ceremony attended by less than 50 people, but the two divorced in the same year.
On 18 October 2001, Carmen and American actor and producer Jeffrey Wright exchanged vows in front of their closest family members and friends. Jeffrey’s had roles in over 80 movies and TV series, and is probably best known for his playing of Roebuck Wright in the 2020 romantic comedy movie “The French Dispatch”, which won 25 of its 151 award nominations.
Carmen and Jeffrey divorced in 2014.
She hasn’t mentioned other men whom she’s perhaps been with, and Carmen seems to be unattached as of December 2022, has been married twice, and doesn’t have children.
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Interesting facts and hobbies
Carmen’s a member of the oldest and largest high IQ society – Mensa International.
She insisted that her character in the movie “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” was left-handed, explaining that being left-handed was associated with dark magic throughout history; Carmen also wanted various rings to be put on her left hand, and all of her suggestions (and demands) were accepted.
Her Instagram account numbers over 70,000 followers, with nearly 450 pictures and videos uploaded onto it; there are also nearly 20,000 people following her on Twitter, while she’s tweeted nearly 1,300 times.
Carmen’s favorite actresses are Jessica Alba and Amanda Seyfried, while her favorite movies are “An Invisible Sign”, “Honey” and “The Sleeping Dictionary”.
Height, eyes and wealth
Carmen’s age is 49. She has brown eyes and long brown hair, weighs around 125lbs (57kgs) and is 5ft 6ins (1.68m) tall.
Carmen’s net worth’s been estimated at over $4 million, as of December 2022.
