# Chiwetel Ejiofor: Trauma and success can coexist! Re-learning what being strong means

An episode of [Happy Place](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1353058891), 17 Feb 2025, 43 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/acast/s/happy-place/e/67a45e833e56448eb376d95b/media.mp3

Are you able to balance being resilient with being vulnerable? Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor has spent time figuring out when to keep moving forward, and when to let painful emotions wash over him. In this chat with Fearne, Chiwetel reflects on how a childhood trauma has shaped his character – everything from his fierce ambition to his optimistic outlook. He also reveals the moments self-doubt has almost proved insurmountable (including when he first got the script for 12 Years A Slave...!) Plus, is ‘acceptance’ of your past ever truly possible, or is the simple realisation that life WILL go on regardless good enough? And, do you worry you’ve let your own life pass in a blur? Chiwetel explains how he’s learnt to live in the present. Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy is out in UK cinemas now. If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Lenny Henry David Tennant Norah Jones Child on the line is a three-part documentary podcast series celebrating the Volunteer Counsellors of Childline, and the brave children & young people who contact the helpline service. Listen here: https://www.childonthelinepodcast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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