Idris Elba Rejects ‘Black Actor’ Label
Idris Elba, star of “Luther,” has stated that he no longer refers to himself as a “Black actor” because the label put him in a “box” and an “obsession” with race can impede aspirations and development.
In an interview with Esquire UK published on Wednesday, the Golden Globe-winning actor stated that while he is a prominent member of the Black community, such segregation in Hollywood can hinder the advancement of entertainers.
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Elba told the publication, “If we spent half the time discussing our similarities rather than our differences, the entire planet would experience a shift in the way we interact with one another.”
“Humans are preoccupied with race. And this obsession can seriously hinder people’s aspirations and growth.”
Elba is most well-known for his portrayals of drug lord Stringer Bell in “The Wire” and DCI John Luther in “Luther” His filmography includes Beast, Three Thousand Years of Sorrow, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, and The Suicide Squad.
“Racism is very real,” according to Elba, but “it is only as powerful as you let it be.”
“I stopped referring to myself as a Black actor when I realized it pigeonholed me. We need to grow. We’ve got to. Our skin consists of nothing more than skin. “End your rant,” he said.
Elba stated elsewhere in the interview that he never pursued a career in the entertainment industry to break barriers as a Black man.
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He explained, “I did it because I thought it was a great profession and I could do a good job in it.” “As you climb the corporate ladder, you’re inevitably asked what it’s like to be the first Black to do something. The situation is the same as if I were white. This is my first experience. I have no desire to be the first Black. I am the initial Idris.”
On February 24, Elba will be seen in the Netflix film “Luther: The Fallen Sun,” the big-screen follow-up to his beloved crime series “Luther.”
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