Carmen Ejogo doesn’t need to shout to be unforgettable — she’s a silent killer on screen, the kind of actress who walks in with presence, does the work, and leaves a lasting impression that echoes long after the credits roll. With a career that’s gracefully stretched across genres and decades from Selma and It Comes at Night to “True Detective,” “Your Honor,” and “I'm a Virgo,” Ejogo has built a body of work that is as refined as it is fearless. She’s not just consistent; She’s iconic.
In Fountain of Youth, now streaming on Apple TV+, Ejogo takes on the role of Deb McCall and delivers a performance that’s equal parts sharp and soulful, anchoring the film with her trademark elegance and intensity.
In a conversation with REVOLT, Ejogo discusses stillness, working with Guy Ritchie, and why she was happy to play in the action space.
What's something that you feel nourishes your own personal “fountain of youth”?
Well, they do both, add to my youth and add to my demise, which are my children. They make me feel very young, and I'm reminded of what it is to be youthful every day, and they are also making me very old daily (laughs). It’s a bit of an oxymoron going on, but yeah, that'd be my answer.
Your filmography reads like a masterclass in intentional storytelling and powerful, niche narratives. What’s the internal compass or unspoken rule that helps you decide, “Yes, this is a Carmen Ejogo film,” even before a script fully reveals itself?
OK, well, definitely who's written it. If it's well written, then that makes a big difference. Sometimes I've worked on things that don't really have a script, but if the director is really amazing, then I know that I'm going to be in good hands, and I might learn something that's really new for me. I like growing and changing it up. I'm particularly drawn to [projects] that I haven't done before. Fountain of Youth is an action-adventure movie. I haven't really played in that space before, and I definitely haven't done the comic relief thing before.
In Fountain of Youth, you’re immersed in a high-stakes, action-packed world — a shift from your more intimate, soul-stirring work. What part of this genre gave you an unexpected kind of freedom as a performer that you hadn’t experienced before?
[Guy Ritchie] forces you into either embracing your freest version of yourself or else you're in trouble because he really is so... sort of unorthodox. You’ll show up, and the scene will be completely different from what you thought you were going to be filming. There are new scenes added all the time. It’s all very sort of loosey goosey in that way. You’ve got to kind of be ready to just go with the flow in that sense. That was an interesting challenge for all of us. We all had to sort of navigate that process.
From this film to your other films, there’s a lot of strength your characters carry through stillness. Have you ever felt like a role demanded too much of your inner world, and you had to pull back to protect something personal?
Gosh, I mean, this is one of the few that I haven't had to do that for, because I feel like I go there often, and it's been exhausting. One of the nice things about the film is that there was just lightness about what I was able to bring to the ensemble. It’s nice to just show up and have fun sometimes.
You’ve worked across many timelines — jazz eras, civil rights, near-future thrillers — yet your characters always feel of the moment. Do you think time period influences the emotional truth you bring to a role, or do you carry a kind of timelessness into every story?
A bit of both. I have an interpretation, or I have an idea of what I think the ‘20s [were like] based on what I've read, based on what I've experienced, the places I've been. That might not be the same as your idea of the ‘20s, but I'm going to bring some of that to the room when I'm going to start playing a character from that period. Then you also always have to have a sort of truth that's at the center of the character. That was a great question because I never thought of that.