Idris Elba has truly done it all. The Pacific Rim star has made it a point to never be restricted to one genre. He feels that is something which has made him a figure who manages to surprise his fans each and every time. And he has done that.
Yet, in spite of the versatility, it all did start somewhere. Originally of English descent, many credit Thor for bringing him to America. But that might not be true in the least. The credit is solely reserved for another series that even Barack Obama loves.
The Wire put Idris Elba on the map in America
A veteran of many movies and shows, Idris Elba needs no introduction. The Suicide Squad star has proved his mettle in the industry over the course of his over two-decade long career, with works like Luther, and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, establishing his reputation as one of the stalwarts in the industry.
While he has come a long way forward, in a conversation with The Talks‘ Patrick Heidmann, he opened up about the role that made it all possible. For Elba, it was The Wire which made all the difference for him.
Sharing his thoughts on the importance of playing Stringer Bell, he said,
“Playing Stringer Bell put me on the map as an actor in America. I had worked in England and I had done decent work, but getting a role on The Wire expanded me into the US in a way that I couldn’t have hoped for!”
There was no turning point for him thereon. He continued,
“And after that, I continued to get better, bigger roles; I got to work with some really good people. So The Wire really shifted my career massively.”
Sorry Marvel fans. You can’t take credit for this one.
Idris Elba never wants to be typecast
While for many he’s still the same old Heimdall, that is something which Idris Elba has a distaste for. He told Heidmann,
“I should be adapting and trying different things, and I think throughout my career, I’ve dodged the bullet of, ‘Oh, you were great as this role, we would love to see you play that role again.’”
After all he’s the man who has essayed the role of Stringer Bell, Heimdall, Nelson Mandela and Charles Miner. If that isn’t a man who has range, who is? And he hates being typecast. He continued,
“I have been offered roles that feel very similar to other work I’ve done, and I have definitely tried to avoid those. It can be difficult for my fanbase, they are always surprised! (Laughs) And whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, I’m not sure.”
This commitment to always coming up with something new is what makes him a true maverick in the industry. The Office star’s upcoming line-up of films is just a sign of how he never picks apples from the same basket. While he’s a part of survival film Above the Below on one hand, on the other he’s a part of the adult comedy Fixed.
Though we would love to see him again in the numerous roles that he nailed, we can’t. The 52-year-old would not have it that way.
