'About to Blow'

As the child of a Syrian father and a Ghanaian mother, the Afro-British cinema and television actor Idris Elba built his reputation as a performer in sitcoms and cable dramas.
His most notable role to date has been on the critically acclaimed cable television show “The Wire,” where he played business-minded drug deal Stringer Bell. Stringer Bell met an untimely demise in the last episode of the third season on the show and since then Idris has been branching out and lying low from the public.
From 2006 to the present Idris has been building up his resume and is now ready to make a big splash in the mainstream; working side by side with Denzel Washington in the highly anticipated drama “American Gangster”

Tell me about yourself?
My name is Idris Elba. I'm both an artist and actor. I trade between the two. I'm just trying to articulately express myself though different art forms be it music, acting or photography.

Rappers in the past have come under attack by actors who feel that rappers should not be given big film roles. You’re in a unique position being an actor who wants to also dabble in music, what are your thoughts on the debate?
By my own definition; if you're an artist you're an artist. Whether you're a rapper, actor, musician or painter. If you're good at various different art forms then why not and I'm not just saying this as I also dabble in music. People may not realize, but a lot of artists actually have acted before they started rapping or singing; Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Jill Scott were all actors before musicians. For me it's really a case of if you can do it then who's to say you can’t. Certain people believe you should do what you’re best at and stay in your lane, but I honestly feel if you can do a few things well then why shouldn't you be allowed too.

But as an actor do you ever feel annoyed that the bigger roles sometimes go to the artist just because maybe they're name will attract more viewers or box office sales?
Well I put it all in perspective. Yes artists sometimes do get the big roles, but what kind of roles are they. Let’s be honest; no rappers are being asked to play heads of state, no rappers are being asked to play roles that really change people’s perceptions. I agree rappers are getting big film roles and good roles, but it's often the character they are playing is a slight variation from who they are in real life or a character that many rappers have played before and again just with slight variations.

You're real breakthrough came in the US. Did you feel the UK market was not supporting you? Is that why you moved?
For me personally my ambition is and was; huge, larger than life. I always had giant dreams. I always wanted more than I could actually do. In the UK, I found as soon as I came out I was auditioning against people who I was watching on TV, people who I admired throughout the years and that just made me realize that England couldn't house my ambition, you could only reach a certain point in the UK and then you would be stuck on that level. Also there isn't really a star support system here in the UK for actors of African or Caribbean decent. You could be a white actor in Easterners and your considered a star and they'll support that, there publicity and promotions will support that and the next thing you know you'll get more work and offers and that's not the case with Black actors. In America they have a history of Black stars, stars in general not just actors and they have a history of celebrating people who have done well and are doing well.

Do you think especially here in the UK, Black actors are still getting the stereotypical roles rather than opportunities to do something different?
I definitely feel out here there's still the element that "Oh, he's black then he can’t have a story line that isn't relevant to his culture or the stereotype." If he's black then they're like "black people are violent or black people are angry". So yeah I feel England still suffers from stereotypical roles, I don't feel they know how to express a storyline that has a black man in it without including some cultural issues, if a black man's in a TV show then they have to include some issues that links to his race. America seems to have gotten over that which is why you can see characters playing roles that have nothing to do with their race. Me personally, I have always avoided stereotypes. As an actor you have to be able to show you can play different roles, different styles, and different personalities. Idris the person is very much a black man, I might even be considered a stereotypical black man, but when it comes to my work I won’t accept that, I won’t have you pigeonhole me.

But in America, your most well known character was a drug dealer right?
Yeah, but It wasn't a stereotypical drug dealer. It was a drug dealer that completely flipped it on his head and since then I haven't been playing drug dealers, I've been playing a variation of different roles. The route I'm taking is a longer route as normally actors will play what they are known for, so you have actors like Tom Cruise that is always hired for action movies or certain actors that will always do comedy but I think Black actors really need to avoid doing that as we can be typecast.

With your music are you worried you won’t be able to breakthrough as it's a lot harder for actors to be accepted as a musician than it is for an artist to be accepted as an actor?
I won’t consider myself trying to break into anything. Ultimately music is just another form of expression for me. Everybody is different and everybody has their own style that can be respected. I'm not trying to be a rapper, I'm not trying to come in and compete against other rappers or other DJ's or producers. It's like I have a blank canvas in front of me and I want to put some art work on it and that's how I see my music. I'm really not even looking for judgment or appraisal on it. It just is what it is. I actually break my music into characters, when I'm doing a DJ set, sometimes I'll do a house set and I love house music and then I might be in New York and I'll do a Hip-Hop or Reggae set or ill go to Canvas City and all they would want me to play is the top twenty. So for my personal music, it's going to be a pallet of all of the above. It won’t always be me as an artist; I'm a producer more than anything. I'm not trying to be puffy or anyone but I'm just a person trying to put music together; that's it.

You have up-coming films that feature artists like T.I. and Chris Brown. Would you approach them to help you get your music out there?
No, not really. I love Tip and Chris, but I don't like asking for favours. They are all at the top of their game; I feel I need to prove myself first. I wouldn't want to work with Chris Brown, if I thought he was a shit actor and he can actually act and the same with Tip. I don't feel I should take the short cut. I don't want to use people to get to the top or ride the fact I know a lot of artists to make it.

Your next film is 'American Gangsta.' How was it like working with Denzel Washington? All your scenes were with Denzel right?
Honestly, I really can’t talk about what it was like working with Denzel the person, it was the character he was playing. Denzel is a method actor so Denzel the person wasn't there; it was the character 'Frank Lucas' that he was playing. And was that amazing? Of course because he was very dedicated to that character and I walked into a room with an actor that is giving 110%, but there are no real personal stories that I can give you. I respect him as an actor. Too be honest I don't like talking about Denzel Washington because in America for some reason people keep saying the next 'Denzel Washington' when my name is mentioned and I get annoyed with that.

Why does that annoy you?
Well I think that's kind of limiting me. He's great, but is that it? Is that the best that there is? Is he the best that ever did it? I don't think so. There are some fantastic amazing actors that I rather be compared to that haven't even broken yet.

Do you also find it annoying that black actors are only compared to other black actors? You hardly hear comments like; the next 'Brad Pitt' or the next 'Tom Cruise' or even next action hero and so on.
Exactly... I don't want to be just the next so and so. That's like saying we can only have one star. So if that's Denzel then we can only have him until he retires then you can have the next 'Denzel.' That's just putting us in the box. We can all be stars and have individual styles.

You're a household name in America, but not so much in the UK where you're from. Why do you think that is?
I'm always home but when I'm home in the UK; I don't really like talking to the press. It's just in my nature to keep myself to myself; it's who I am as a person. When you see me in American magazines, it’s usually me doing a phone interview here from London.

But if you're talking to American press than why not the British press?
In America, the support system for stars is crazy so even if you don't want to be a star, they're going to get you out there. In America they really like to celebrate the fact that you're good and that's great don't get me wrong, I know it's a blessing and if it means that I get more work then that's brilliant, but for me personally I honestly don't want to be famous. I rather you know what I do and you respect and enjoy my work, but you don't know nothing about me personally, you just connect to the characters I play. I love being in London as not many people recognize me or know I'm on TV and doing films in the states.

That's going to change though, you're in a lot of big budget movies that are about to come out?
I'm definitely embracing the idea that I will have to promote myself to keep the momentum going. I'm not hating on it and I understand at the end of the day; I have to do it, its work. That's another reason I enjoy doing music, photography and other projects as then people find it hard to pigeonhole me.

Let's talk about the films you have coming out?
I have two more films coming out this year; 'American Gangsta' and this Christmas film which is with Chris Brown and then next year I have a film called 'Prom Night' which is a good old fashioned American thriller, a slasher film and I play the hero cop that comes and saves the day on a prom night and then I have a part in the Guy Ritchie film which is called 'RocknRolla' and Ludacris is also in that film. On the music side I have this character that I have developed and my plans for this character is that I have some music attached to this character that I'm about to put out there. When you're an actor or your known for one thing then people are not willing to use you or hire you for anything else and people in the acting side also start to act funny especially music journalists, they're like "what's this guy doing, he's no artist" So I'm putting this character together and putting this music out via this character so I can say whatever I want basically. The first song that I think I'll attach to this character is a song called 'Pervert.' I like the fact that the project's going to be faceless. It's great that all these famous artists and famous actors get there shine but I think sometimes it takes the focus away from listening to the music.

I wanted to also ask you about your 'sex symbol status.' You were one of people magazines most beautiful people…
[Laughs uncomfortably] I guess I look at it in two ways. On one side I'm really pleased. Black people don't usually get the black sex symbol status regularly, that's the sign of the times when you got white girls saying you're sexy, black men before were never really considered sex symbols, it was either they're very athletic, they're great basketball players or they're very mean looking or whatever it is but personally for me it's like who cares, some people think you're sexy and some people don't. If it helps me sell some tickets at the box office then great. While I was growing up; no one ever called me sexy so it's strange for me getting that now, but honestly who cares. It's a compliment, but not everyone finds me sexy.

You seem uncomfortable with that title.
If you see me every day, you see I'm a scruffy guy. Obviously in films and photo shoots; I'm scrubbed and clean up nice, but it's not who I am every day. I have a friend of mine, the most beautiful, beautiful girl and anywhere she goes people are like "oh shit" and it just gets on her nerves. She can’t even have a real conversation with someone as they can’t see past her beauty and therefore she just feel she's being dumb downed by people. I rather people talk about my acting than me being sexy.

Ok moving swiftly back too acting then? Any directors, actors you really want to work with still?
Antoine Fuqua who did 'Training Day' and 'Shooter'. I'd like to work with him; I think he's smart and a force to be reckoned with. I'd like to work with Ridley Scott again. He directed 'American Gangsta'. I had fun working with him, he's fantastic.

American Gangsta already has the Oscar buzz, you must be excited?
Well it's not for me, I don't have a huge part, I have a great part but it's not big. It is great to be involved with a project and team that is creating so much excitement though. Actually me and T.I. are going to be working together again next year on a film, it's a heist film and we play rivals that have a lot of history, I can’t tell you much more about it but we start filming for it next year.

Are there any roles you would like to try out?
You know what I would like to start doing comedies. I enjoy goofing around and think I'd have fun playing some light hearted roles.

What is your biggest achievement to date?
My biggest achievement is my daughter, she I five years old and I love her to bits, she definitely keeps my grounded and focused, she's changed the way I live. I see myself directing eventually and fusing pictures and music together.

What's to come in the future?

I've started writing treatments for videos in America and I might be directing Angie Stone's next video, her second single. I actually wrote a song on her new album with a partner of mine and she loved the record and it's hopefully going to be her second single. So she might be giving me a shot at directing the video also. The song is a duet with her and James Ingram and it's on her new album.