Chiwetel Ejiofor says he is jealous of 'Old Guard' co-star Charlize Theron

Chiwetel Ejiofor admitted to feeling jealous over "Old Guard" co-star Charlize Theron's talent for telling a narrative through action sequences.

The "12 Years A Slave" star talked about his new film "Old Guard" in a recent interview, where he compared his acting skills to those of the actress. Ejiofor said he is amazed at how Theron is so agile and has the ability to tell a story even without saying much but just through her actions.

In the Netflix movie directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, Ejiofor plays ex-CIA operative James Copley, who hires Andy's (Theron) team of soldiers to rescue a group of kidnapped schoolgirls in Sudan. His character is not entirely a villain in the story, but just a misunderstood man who only wishes for mankind to live a life free from diseases.

Theron, on the other hand, plays the immortal Andy who wields an axe, totes guns and is a skilled fighter. In the "Old Guard," Andy leads her team of other immortal soldiers on rescue missions. She possesses great physical strength which Theron skillfully shows in her action sequences.

Ejiofor commented on the actress' "physicality" in an interview with GQ Hype, where he expressed not only his admiration for the actress but also his jealousy.

"I envy Charlize, you know? I'll admit it," he said with a chuckle."She is able to do something that I have never quite managed to do and that is tell narrative through physicality," he added.

The "Doctor Strange" actor pointed out that this is not the first time that Theron showed such great fighting skills and her own version of "gun-fu." He mentioned her other action films including "Mad Max: Fury Road." Prior to that, Theron played an assassin in the 2005 film "Aeon Flux."

"That is really difficult and this isn't the first film she's shown she can do this – take 'Mad Max: Fury Road', for example. There is an exquisite poetry in seeing Charlize wield a four-foot axe – and with humour too, I might add. To put all the nuance of a character into a very complex fight sequence using only choreography is quite astonishing," Ejiofor continued.

The "Old Guard" is gearing up for a sequel given the end-credits tease. Ejiofor is likely to reprise his role along with Theron and the rest of the cast members.