THE DEADBOLT: You don't seem very conscious or worried about genre after going from such films as Serenity to Tsunami to Redbelt. Is variety something you consciously seek out or is it something that's just happened?

EJIOFOR: I think it just happens. I don't try and bracket my work. It's not like I actively seek to do things differently. I just don't actively seek to do things the same way. If something comes through my door, I don't try to censor it. I don't really feel like that. I just look at it and think if it kicks, let's find a way to make it work.

THE DEADBOLT: What's the first thing that attracts you to a project - the story, your part, or the collaborators?

EJIOFOR: That's a good question. I think it can vary. I think it's like if I know it's a director I love, that's major and I'm really keen to read it. If I don't know the director, then it's like let's see what the story's like. But if the story's not kicking for me, then it doesn't really matter what the character's like. But if the character is really kicking, which is rare - it's rare that the character is really amazing and the story is not so good. Actually, the same with other actors - if there's an actor I like and he's doing the thing then I get excited. Mainly, it's the director. With David, of course - there are very few people that I would say, "I would sign on blind." I'd had the conversation about the film with David and he said, "Well, you'll be receiving it in the next few days."

THE DEADBOLT: You'd already decided to do it?

EJIOFOR: Well, yeah. I'm not saying reading the script was a formality or anything, but I could not imagine the sort of circumstances that were going to lead me to say, "You know what, Dave? I just don't think so." [laughs] I couldn't imagine what film he would have written that would make me be like, "I just can't do this." So, I was sort of aware that I would be involved.

THE DEADBOLT: So, you said there are "very few people." Who else is a director where the script is almost a formality?

EJIOFOR: This is really setting myself up now. [laughs]

THE DEADBOLT: Yeah, one of them is going to send you an awful script. [laughs] Let's rephrase. Who do you admire? Who do you like working with?

EJIOFOR: Most of the directors that I've been fortunate enough to work with, if I was to work with any of them again, it would be a delight. I've never had a particularly bad experience on-set. There's been days that have been a bit dicey, but never on the whole miserable.

THE DEADBOLT: Who do you go to see?

EJIOFOR: What I love at the moment is that the language of filmmaking and the landscape is becoming so rich that it sort of expands exponentially. I was excited to see Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood, like everybody else, but I was excited to see it because of him, because of Daniel Day-Lewis, who again, if he's doing something, I'll go and see it. And then there are cinematographers - Robert Elswit is D.P. and I'm thinking, "Let's go check that out." Deakins for the Coen Brothers film - "Deakins is doing it? Let's go." Suddenly, the D.P. is a big deal. Soon it will be like, "That's the casting agent? Let's go see that." [laughs] The whole thing is exponentially increasing because there's so many people who stand by their talent that they might as well topline the thing because you're thinking I'll see anything he shot.

THE DEADBOLT: Say there's a young theatre major out there who admires you and is looking for advice. What do you say to him or her?

EJIOFOR: You know, when you meet somebody - I've felt this before - that you KNOW you're going to be meeting them again periodically through life because they just have a certain bloody-mindedness, an energy that you know is going to be something you're going to encounter. It's a certain sense of "nothing is going to stop me." And I don't mean arrogance, but a real inner confidence. And it's something that's very distinctive and very recognizable and it's "un-shootdownable." It's a real passion and a real love and a real energy and, in ANY capacity, they'll do it. It's a vast and extraordinary playing field. And there isn't just one avenue. Acting is just one avenue of a number of avenues of exploring the artistic world.

Redbelt opens in theaters nationwide on May 9th.