Actor Idris Elba has addressed the backlash he received after saying he doesn’t call himself a black actor, explaining that it’s his personal choice. In a recent interview with Esquire magazine, the London-born star discussed how race can hinder people’s aspirations and growth, leading him to stop describing himself as a Black actor as it put him in a box. T
hese comments ignited a fierce response on social media, but Elba maintains that his decision is his own and that others have no grounds to accuse him of denying his Blackness.
Elba is currently starring in Luther: The Fallen Sun, the film adaptation of his hit TV crime drama Luther. The film received a limited theatrical release on February 24 and will be available to stream on Netflix from March 10. The actor, who first appeared as Luther in 2010, says that the film has been a long time coming and that he is proud of the team who worked on it.
