Idris Elba Stopped Calling Himself a ‘Black Actor’ After ‘It Put Me in a Box’: I Don’t Want to Be the First Black. I’m the First Idris’

Idris Elba is sick of being boxed in. The actor, who will reprise his renowned detective Luther in Netflix’s upcoming film “Luther: The Fallen Son,” recently told Esquire UK that he has stopped referring to himself as “a Black actor” since it has become a constrictive label on his career.

“Of course, I’m a member of the Black community,” Elba said. “You say a prominent one. But when I go to America, I’m a prominent member of the British community. ‘Oh, U.K.’s in the house!’ 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.”

“As humans, we are obsessed with race,” Elba continued. “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. I stopped describing myself as a Black actor when I realized it put me in a box. We’ve got to grow. We’ve got to. Our skin is no more than that: it’s just skin. Rant over.”

Elba also discussed how he decided to become an actor because he “didn’t see Black people doing it, and I wanted to change that.”

“I did it because I thought that’s a great profession and I could do a good job at it,” he added. “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. It’s the first time for me. I don’t want to be the first Black. I’m the first Idris.”

On March 10, Netflix will release Elba’s huge Luther comeback. The film is a continuation of the BBC series that launched Elba’s career. Between 2010 through 2019, the original “Luther” series aired for five seasons. Elba received four Emmy nods for the series, as well as two Golden Globe victories, a Screen Actors Guild award, and a Critics’ Choice award.

Main Image: Idris Elba/Instagram

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