The new James Bond? Idris Elba has a string of movies coming up, and is strongly tipped as a 007 contender
Alpha male roles suit him so well that rumours have been flying that he could be named the next Bond
Idris Elba, the multitalented British star, has turned his hand to acting, music and fashion, and gives no indication of lifting his foot off the accelerator. Alpha male roles, such as that of the eponymous detective in Luther, suit the charismatic “hardman-with-aheart” Londoner so well that rumours have been flying that he could be named the next Bond.
In addition to his numerous accolades, he has also been nominated for Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie in the Emmy Awards next month.
Elba has recently been focusing on his role as Krall in Star Trek Beyond, released in Hong Kong on July 21 – the third movie in the rebooted Star Trek series, which began in 2009 with Star Trek, and was followed by Star Trek Into Darkness in 2013. He reveals that “it was a total rollercoaster ride, very different to anything I’ve ever worked on before. It’s been challenging, physically and mentally; I’ve pushed myself hard”.
As an only child raised in some of London’s toughest boroughs, Elba had to graft hard to reach his current level of success. His father, originally from Sierra Leone, and his Ghanaian mother moved to Britain in order to give Elba a better future. But despite their best intentions, the actor still recalls facing plenty of prejudice during his school days.
“I stood out because I was black and tall and was immediately picked on by the best fighter in the school,” he says. “It wasn’t easy for me. I used to get into fights all the time with white kids and I got a reputation as someone who wouldn’t take any shit. I never looked for trouble, but you can’t back down from it either. I was fortunate that my teacher, Miss McPhee, thought that I had talent and she pushed me towards acting.” Before hitting the big time, Elba went straight from school to the National Youth Music Theatre, with the help of a £1,500 (HK$15,100) grant from Prince Charles’ charitable organisation, The Prince’s Trust. The actor’s tough background may well have informed his first major role as street savvy Stringer Bell in The Wire; he played the drug dealer in the cult HBO series for four years, gaining a global fan following. However, other dramatic projects quickly beckoned. “After playing Stringer I decided that I needed to shift gears and do other kinds of work,” he explains. “I didn’t want to get stuck playing those kinds of characters.”
Elba hasn’t looked back since Stringer but has recently reunited with his The Wire co-star Dominic West for Finding Dory, the new Finding Nemo sequel.
In a throwback to their Baltimore days, they play a pair of “gangster” sea lions. Smiling at the memory, Elba was happy to work with West again.
“He’s a great friend after all these years; it was the best opportunity to laugh and mess around.” In addition to Finding Dory, Elba has recently added several voice-acting roles to his resume with Zootopia and The Jungle Book. “I love portraying a story and a character with just your voice, your tone,” he says.