As much as it’s nice to step into that massive world of Hollywood and be a big, famous actor, I prefer the career of actors that have really chosen smartly and done really amazing performances. Maybe they’re not as known, but their careers are a bit more interesting.
I love bikes. I used to own one, but I fell off it when I was younger and that was the end of my bike riding days until now.
Sean Connery wasn’t the Scottish James Bond and Daniel Craig wasn’t the blue-eyed James Bond. So if I played him, I don’t want to be called the black James Bond.
In some countries, no one knows who Idris Elba is.
The audience loves it when you pay attention to details.
As an actor, you’re trained to do the right thing, be politically correct, say your lines, say the right thing about the people you’re working with.
I think there’s a tendency for actors like myself, and I don’t mean to generalize myself, but I’ve played ‘men’s men,’ if you will, characters that are simmering rage and calculated. There’s a trend not to play anything that is opposed to that.
I’d rather a young black actor read about success as opposed to how tough it was. I get these roles because I can act and that’s it. Hopefully that’s it.
It was deeply important for me to understand where Mandela came from. Because we know where he was going, and that’s a famous story, but who was he? Where did he come from? What was his upbringing?
I’m a little sheepish about it. Whenever I meet fans and they’re like, ‘Oh, you’re so sexy,’ I just don’t get that. There’s no way one man can be universally sexy.
I try to fit in workouts whenever I can.
Every single film I’ve done, it’s about the character.
I don’t get recognised that much yet in London, but when I do I get a real sense of achievement.
I still sing on bits and pieces. Singing’s something that I love to do, but it’s not something that I pursue as a career.
I was into Spider Man when I was a kid and that was the only comic I’ve ever read.
I’m tactile, very tactile. A woman who has really nice, looked-after skin is such a turn-on for me. It’s always sexy.
I’ve never had to explain ‘Prometheus’ to people, ever. Most people get it.
It’s actually quite criminal how ‘The Wire’ was systematically ignored.
The English are good at bad guys – the James Bond-style villain, cunning, slow-burning. The Americans are much more obvious about it.
People watch three or four episodes at a time of their shows.