His vibe:
‘Me! The way I live my life, I’m two drinks from being in the tabloids every day,’ he said. ‘I’m no national treasure. I’m a f***ing dutty rude boy!’
His old hustlin’ days:
‘You got to remember, I was hustling back then,’ he recalled. ‘And I mean huss-ell-ing. I was working the door at Carolines comedy club. Selling weed, 10 spots, everything, just to make money because the acting weren’t coming in fast enough.’
On the idea of playing James Bond:
‘If it f***ing happens, it’s the will of the nation. It’s not because of me. Everywhere I go people are saying, ‘You’d be a great Bond.’ And I want to ask them, ‘Are you saying that because it’s trendy or because you mean it?’ But you can tell by looking in their eyes they mean it!’
Living in Atlanta and London:
‘I have no base. I go from one job to another. As an actor, you have to sell out where you’re from because you’re playing other people. That’s why I DJ, because for one night, I’m me.’
Playing Mandela:
‘People are going to judge me for this role,’ he said. ‘I don’t look like Mandela, some say I don’t deserve it. Whatever. For me, it’s important I am who I am, as I present this piece to the world. I’m 40 and I’ve had a great career. I’m alright to be myself at this point. Look, if I never work again, I don’t care. I did my bit, you know?’
The first time people saw him in character:
‘We did our final checks, and then me and my troops walked in. ANC—boom! I had the haircut. Pa-pow! Young Mandela at his prime! I was f***ing nervous, because this was Soweto – that’s like someone playing Jay Z going into Brooklyn. But I’m telling you, man — people were crying. First take, I’m not even joking. First they were like, ‘It’s Idris Elba’. Then, ‘It’s Idris Elba playing Madiba’ (Mandela’s clan name).Then it’s like, ‘S**t—it’s Madiba!’ It was so layered.’
He won’t care about the reviews:
‘I got to tell you something, man, as arrogant as this might sound, I actually don’t care what the press think. Because as a memoir to Mr Mandela, this film is one of the greatest gifts I think we can give to the Mandela family.’
He thinks Prince Charles is gangster:
“I was saying about Prince Charles that he’s smooth, you know, he’s got the ring, the suit, the slick-back hair… he’s a gangster! But as soon as I said it, in my head I’m thinking, ‘Aaargh!’”
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