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The character of Charlie is that of a lovable, exceptional, vulnerable kind of straight guy who in the film learns to befriend and work with Lola. Having to deal with a drag queen presents new challenges for him. He has to struggle to overcome his own prejudices.

Gays who are fortunate to have, in real life, such a friend will find great appeal and appreciation in both the film character of Charlie and the actor who portrays him. Charlie is played with great believability and charm by Joel Edgerton (of Star Wars: Episodes Two and Three fame)

Lola the drag queen is played by Chiwetel Ejiofor (pronounced "chew-it-tell edge-oh-for"). For those unfamiliar with this fascinating British actor of Nigerian parentage, Ejiofor's previous film credits include Melinda and Melinda, Inside Man, Red Dust and Love Actually.

Ejiofor was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 2001 and was awarded the Jack Tinker Award and London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Most Promising Newcomer in 2000. His role in Kinky Boots got him nominated for Best British Actor by the London Film Critics Association in 2005.

Like Tim Curry's portrayal of sweet transvestite Dr. Frank-N-Furter in 1975's Rocky Horror Picture Show, Ejiofor's performance in Kinky Boots is a seamless, triple-threat wonder to behold. He somehow manages to play Lola as ever so smooth and slinky – while at the same time stealing every scene he's in.

Unlike many recent stock drag queen portrayals in films with similar “tolerance for GLBTs wins out over redneck bigotry” plots, Ejiofor's Lola is in no way clumsily self-conscious, brittle, or too weighted down with an anti-hetero chip on his shoulder. He is first and foremost thoroughly at home with his character. In his ever-present devilish little smile one can clearly see how's he having a ball with the demanding challenge such a cross-dressing part entails.

His Lola is not so world-weary, arch and full-of-her-drag-self that she can't learn a thing or two about life from heteros and even small town, “middle England” simple folk. Ejiofor plumbs the depths of the many-faceted Lola, effectively showing her strengths and her weaknesses, her female and her male personas, in ways that go beyond typical drag queen portrayals.

As noted by Kim Voynar in the Sundance Review of Kinky Boots, “Ejiofor projects Lola's isolation, loneliness and false bravado with a finesse that declares him as one of the most talented actors working today”.

Ejiofor's comfort with the role, and with drag, transmits itself to the viewing audience in a friendly, warm way. In addition to many laughs, Lola will bring ear-to-ear grins to gay audiences everywhere. I daresay with this role, a star is born.

In preparation for the role of Lola, Ejiofor dutifully did his drag queen homework. He discussed his research with the folks at RainbowNetwork.com:

“I went down to the clubs and that for me was the first port of call, to really meet all the people and the characters involved. That was great, I loved it! I really loved that side of it, going into Soho and hanging out in transvestite clubs. It was a really fun crowd with some really great people. It did strike me as a shame, the ostracization of this group of people, in a very weird and unfair way.”

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