History Trivia / TwelveYearsASlave

** Creator/BenedictCumberbatch's ancestors owned a sugar plantation in Barbados until the abolition of slavery in the British Empire in 1831. His taking the role of a brutal slave owner was a way of atoning for his family's past.

* DoingItForTheArt: Creator/ChiwetelEjiofor learned to play the violin for his part.

** Creator/BenedictCumberbatch's ancestors owned a sugar plantation in Barbados until the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. His taking the role of a brutal slave owner was a way of atoning for his family's past.

* ColbertBump: The movie's success has seen a spike in sales of the original memoir.

** For Creator/LupitaNyongo, who became a darling of the film industry overnight and won an [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Academy Award]] for her performance.

* ActorSharedBackground: Purely coincidental, but Ejiofor and Northup share the same birthday (July 10th).

** For Creator/LupitaNyongo, who became a darling of the film industry overnight and won an AcademyAward for her performance.

** For Creator/LupitaNyongo, who became a darling of the film industry overnight and won an [[AcademyAward]] for her performance.

** For Creator/LupitaNyongo, who became a darling of the film industry overnight and won an Oscar for her performance as Patsey.
** Creator/ChiwetelEjiofor has appeared in many films beforehand (i.e, ''Film/FourBrothers'', ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', ''Film/AmericanGangster'', ''Film/TwoThousandTwelve''), but this was his first big leading role. While Nyong'o became the bigger star, this film was still enough to get him more high profile parts afterwards.

* MoneyDearBoy: Inverted. Creator/BradPitt explained that he cast himself in a brief role in order to secure funding for the film itself.

** Creator/MichaelFassbender as a slave-driving tyrant; his other roles, at the very worst, have him as either a morally ambiguous AntiHero, or a WellIntentionedExtremist, usually with some degree of sympathetic/redeeming qualities.

** Creator/ChiwetelEjiofor has appeared in many films beforehand (i.e, ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', ''Film/AmericanGangster'', ''Film/TwoThousandTwelve''), but this was his first big leading role. While Nyong'o became the bigger star, this film was still enough to get him more high profile parts afterwards.

** Creator/ChiwetelEjiofor has appeared in many films beforehand (i.e, ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', ''Film/AmericanGangster'', ''Film/TwoThousandTwelve''), but this was his first big leading role. Despite the fact that his star was completely outshone by Nyong'o's, it was enough to get him more high profile parts afterwards.

* DoingItForTheArt: Creator/ChiewetelEjiofor learned to play the violin for his part.

* ActorInspiredElement: After Steve [=McQueen=] suggested Epps come back from the judge's not wearing pants, Michael Fassbender came up with the idea of him holding the little girl's hand. According to them, it's Epps priming the next Patsey.

** Benedict Cumberbatch's ancestors owned a sugar plantation in Barbados until the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. His taking the role of a brutal slave owner was a way of atoning for his family's past.
* BillingDisplacement: Michael Fassbender and Brad Pitt got prominent billing for the Italian promotional posters, due to the two of them being better known in Italy than Chiwetel Ejiofor.
* TheCameo: Quvenzhané Wallis and Dwight Henry of ''Film/BeastsOfTheSouthernWild'' fame have small roles as Solomon's daughter and a fellow slave respectively.

* DoingItForTheArt: Chiewetel Ejiofor learned to play the violin for his part.
* EnforcedMethodActing: Michael Fassbender had the make-up artist paint his mustache with alcohol so he would smell of it - and thus the other actors would react naturally as they would to a man who was frequently drunk.
* FakeAmerican: The British Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Cumberbatch, the Kenyan-Mexican Lupita Nyong'o, and the Irish-German Michael Fassbender play American characters. Irish Ruth Negga too but her scenes were cut.
* FakeNationality: Brad Pitt as a Canadian.
* MoneyDearBoy: Inverted. Brad Pitt explained that he cast himself in a brief role in order to secure funding for the film itself.

** Michael Fassbender as a slave-driving tyrant; his other roles, at the very worst, have him as either a morally ambiguous AntiHero, or a WellIntentionedExtremist, usually with some degree of sympathetic/redeeming qualities.

** Michael Fassbender (who plays Epps) has made it known that he prefers dating darker-skinned women. Make of that what you will.