Idris Elba says ‘I stopped describing myself as a Black actor’ because it ‘put me in a box'

We don’t know where Idris Elba is at with his negotiations to possibly play the next James Bond (*fingers crossed*), but we do know that, should he land the coveted role, he would not like to be described as the first Black actor to tackle it.

Speaking in the new issue of Esquire UK, the Luther: The Fallen Sun star revealed that he’s done defining himself as an actor in that way.

“I stopped describing myself as a Black actor when I realized it put me in a box,” he told the outlet. “We’ve got to grow. We’ve got to. Our skin is no more than that: it’s just skin.”

He went on to explain that going to America at 18 to pursue acting showed him that opportunities abounded for those who were willing to do the work, rather than those who fit into boxes.

“Of course, I’m a member of the Black community,” he continued “You say a prominent one. But when I go to America, I’m a prominent member of the British community.”

“If we spent half the time not talking about the differences but the similarities between us, the entire planet would have a shift in the way we deal with each other,” he explained. “As humans, we are obsessed with race. And that obsession can really hinder people’s aspirations, hinder people’s growth.”

“Racism should be a topic for discussion, sure. Racism is very real. But from my perspective, it’s only as powerful as you allow it to be.”

"As you get up the ladder, you get asked what it's like to be the first Black to do this or that. Well, it's the same as it would be if I were white," he continued. "It's the first time for me. I don't want to be the first Black. I'm the first Idris."

Elba added that regardless of his stance on labels, he still acknowledges that being the "first" to do or achieve something could be inspiring to the next generation and is part of his "legacy."

"I accept that it is part of my journey to be aware that, in many cases, I might be the first to look like me to do a certain thing," he said. "And that’s good, to leave as part of my legacy. So that other people, Black kids, but also white kids growing up in the circumstances I grew up in, are able to see there was a kid who came from Canning Town who ended up doing what I do. It can be done."

The Esquire profile is incredibly in-depth, with the focus being almost entirely on Elba’s answers, devoid of the questions that prompted them. The result is we, the reader, get a really interesting and unfiltered look into how he sees himself, the craft of acting, and his reflections on how far he’s come.

The Wire star spends a huge chunk speaking about the hurdles he faced as an actor in the UK and how he found more freedom in America, where he eventually made his mark as Stringer Bell.

“America gave me a technical understanding of my craft. It was an enhancement. I learnt a lot. American actors have always been great,” he stated. “American actors had this connection with real life. The accent and the cadence of the words in America allows for a really interesting flow of thoughts.”

“In England, I did a TV thing for kids, and then a soap opera. But unless I was doing Shakespeare, or one of these highbrow things that are outside of my actual culture, I wasn’t going to elevate in this country as an actor,” he continued. “In America, it felt like the sky was the limit. You didn’t have to do Shakespeare to be a good actor. I found it really freeing.”

Speaking about his upbringing in Hackney, the east London borough, in a council estate, and his background with immigrant parents (his father is from Sierra Leone, his mother is from Ghana), he explained his childhood was one of loneliness, and how he never felt like he fit in. At several points in the interview, he calls himself a loner, and explains that his introspection continues to this day, even though he’s 50 years-old and arguably one of the biggest actors in the world.

“Introspection has always been a part of me, since I was conscious. That introspection is still very alive now. And I feel very connected to that young guy, who was very ambitious in his thoughts. Curious, always curious,” he says off the top of the interview. 

He goes on to say that sometimes he goes back to his old council estate and looks up at the behemoth building, just to marvel at his journey. 

“I was never a cool kid. I was always trying to emulate the cool kids, but I couldn’t do it,” he explains. “There were kids who were good at football, cool clothes, cracking jokes, all the attention on them. Playtime comes, I would not be in that group. I would try to fit in but oftentimes that would end in failure. Still happens to me today.”

That’s a surprising admission from a polymath like Elba who can call himself an actor, director, producer, DJ, musician, rapper, entrepreneur, fashion designer, philanthropist, podcaster, and easily one of Hollywood’s biggest heartthrobs.

The profile also includes an intimate look at Elba's home life with his wife, Canadian model Sabrina Dhowre, and as a father to his three children.

“Boys and girls are different but you aren’t as a parent. Dad advice is dad advice. I’m not going to give my daughter different advice from my son because she’s a girl,” he states.

You can read the full profile in Esquire UK here.