Chiwetel Ejiofor has opened up on the effect losing his father at a young age has had on his outlook on life.
The Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness actor, 44, lost his father at just 11 years old after visiting Nigeria for a wedding.
He and his father Arinze had been in a car which was hit by a truck during the trip, leaving him as the only survivor of the crash.
The actor was badly injured but survived, and the accident is the reason for the scars still visible on his forehead.
Chiwetel opened up about how that tragedy shaped him, explaining in ’s May issue: ‘Grief is something you live with forever in different ways, when you lose a parent young, it has a profound effect on the way you view life.
‘At an early age you realise the value of some things and the preciousness of life itself, which is something most people acquire later on.’
He admitted: ‘Certain fears or neuroses you definitely carry. Some are justified but you do lose a lot of ideas about knowledge.
‘I don’t know if it was due to my father passing away, but I have gaps in my knowledge that I have to acquire for myself as I go through the journey of life.’
Chiwetel says he has been able to ‘break’ some of the ‘neuroses’ that his dad’s death sparked in him, but believes it can be a double-edged sword for creativity.
He explained: ‘I think neurosis is a more creative space [than confidence] but it can be paralysing.
‘Those little fears you pick up along the way grow into such major branches of your personality, and they define the ways you approach things.
‘But such fears are just an illusion you’re creating. I have been lucky enough to break some of the fears I had – and when you do, you recognise your genuine path and personality in a richer, deeper way.’
The May issue of is available via digital download and on newsstands on 3 May.
