London, April 13 (IANS): “12 Years a Slave” star Chiwetel Ejiofor says he's still struggling to understand fame.

The 37-year-old, who played Solomon Northup in the 2013 period drama, told The Guardian newspaper that he's conscious that his profile has risen markedly since appearing in the acclaimed film, but he still struggles to put his new-found status in context, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

“I don't know what all of these things mean yet. In terms of stratification, fame, renown, all these things, it's like an ongoing process of trying to work out what it means,” Ejiofor said.

“Obviously, I'm aware that people react slightly differently to me. It's not like people were rude before, and suddenly they're polite. But yeah, you notice a slight shift, that people are slightly more aware of you - in the street, or whatever,” he added.

Ejiofor won the Best Actor in a Leading Role award at British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) for his role in “12 Years a Slave”.