Oh , and I ’ ll be the oldest DJ in the world !
“ Really nice velvety seats ,” he described to Dowd . “ I miss that little thing . Honestly , if I found one , I ’ d definitely buy it and ship it back to France to my little house there .”
His iconic role on The Wire put Elba on skyward trajectory . Although his character didn ’ t make it out alive past season three of the five , his turn as a drug lord positioned Elba as a marketable actor .
From there , Elba ’ s resume filled out , much like his 6 ’ 3 ” frame . Among stints on sitcoms like The Office and The Big C , he appeared in a mix of lead and supporting film roles in a variety of genres . He starred in Tyler Perry ’ s feature Daddy ’ s Little Girls , in the zombie-filled 28 Weeks Later , and in Obsessed opposite Beyoncé ( yes , that one ). He ’ s also done more than dabble in sci-fi , appearing in Marvel Comics ’ Thor film as Norse god Heimdall , taken a turn in the Alien franchise ’ s Prometheus and been in Star Trek Beyond . Performances in Stephen King ’ s The Dark Tower ( opposite Matthew Mc- Conaughey ) and in the survival tale The Mountain Between Us with Kate Winslet are also on the list .
Elba didn ’ t leave the UK behind amid his success in America . His starring role as a driven detective in the acclaimed British psychological crime series Luther has earned him multiple Emmy Award nominations and a 2012 Golden Globe Award . The fifth season of the series ended nearly two years ago but speculation of a spin-off movie are swirling .
“ I ’ d love to see three or four Luthers come out as films , definitely ,” Elba ’ s said in interviews .
His recent projects include Yardie , Elba ’ s directorial debut , Andrew Lloyd Webber ’ s Cats ( the universally panned 2019 film adaptation , where Elba plays bad cat Macavity ), and in Fast & Furious Presents : Hobbs & Shaw with Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel .
“ I think when you ’ re looking for someone who can be a formidable adversary for Dwayne Johnson , that ’ s difficult enough ,” said director David Leitch . “ But then you ’ re looking for someone who can be a formidable adversary for Dwayne Johnson plus Jason Statham . That list gets really short .” Elba was the obvious choice .
Another role Elba seems particularly well suited for , James Bond . A few years ago Elba ’ s name floated around the internet as a replacement to Daniel Craig in the role of the iconic fictional British Secret Service agent who ’ s suave , yet deadly . It turned out to be a rumor that has dogged Elba ever since . “ It ’ s interesting that the James Bond thing continues to go . I think it ’ s more about , we just want to have a black guy play James Bond rather than Idris Elba the actor play James Bond . That ’ s the part that I ’ m like ‘ Ugh , come on ,’” he told Dowd .
With all these high profile roles , some of the high points of Elba ’ s career remain closer to his roots . He told Gentleman ’ s Journal that his portrayal of South African president Nelson Mandela in the film Mandela : Long Walk to Freedom and speaking in Parliament about diversity are among his most treasured . “ I was so nervous but then I got there ( Parliament ) and spoke and it was an absolutely unbelievable feeling ,” Elba explained .
Elba ’ s music success is yet another accomplishment in a long list of many . A celebrated DJ , Elba has performed at the much-vaunted Coachella and Glastonbury music festivals , completed a summer Ibiza residency in the Club Room , and has the distinct honor to have been personally asked to DJ at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ’ s royal wedding by none other than the prince himself .
When he ’ s not acting , DJ ’ ing , speaking on diversity , or doing any number of side projects like designing clothing or showing up as People Magazine ’ s Sexiest Man Alive , Elba finds himself always drawn back to music .
“ I do like music . I love listening to it , but I love making music . I find it really therapeutic . Sitting in a studio with a musician and coming up with stuff is quite relaxing to me ,” said Elba to entrepreneur . com .
As for what the future holds for Elba , he doesn ’ t intend to let age slow him down , not even for a minute .
“ I never want to stop doing new things . But as I get older , I want to step behind the camera more and direct . I ’ m a bit torn about celebrities pushing political issues through their art but I ’ d like to use movies to convey a message in the way I know best ,” he said in Gentleman ’ s Journal .
“ Oh , and I ’ ll be the oldest DJ in the world ! I want to score my own movies . The idea that I could bring film and music together is amazing .”
It ’ s interesting that the James Bond thing continues to go . I think it ’ s more about , we just want to have a black guy play James Bond rather than Idris Elba the actor play James Bond .
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