Idris Elba (50) does not want to be pigeonholed! The actor gained popularity through a varied filmography of series and cinema strips such as “The Wire” or “The Suicide Squad”. Many fans saw the Brit as the successor to Daniel Craig’s (54) James Bond – but he refused. Despite many projects, one thing bothered him: Idri ‘s skin color kept coming up!
“When you climb the corporate ladder, you’re asked how it feels to be the first black person to do this or that,” the 50-year-old told Esquire UK. One thing is certain for him: “I don’t want to be the first black man. I’m the first Idris .” That’s why he stopped calling himself a black actor: “Our skin is no more than that: it’s just skin.”
Idris also emphasized that he didn’t become a movie star because there weren’t enough black people in the industry: “I became an actor because I thought it was a great job and I could do it well.” This would have taken a few years, but the “Pacific Rim” actor was happy about his late success.