Idris Elba: Diversity has become a corny word
Idris Elba thinks diversity has become a "corny" word.
The ‘Jungle Book’ star believes people are getting tired of hearing the term thrown about in relation to the movie and television industry in the UK and across the pond in the US.
He said: "It’s become a bit of a corny word. People are just like, ‘Oh, stop talking about it.’"
And Idris was unimpressed when Labour politician Oona King called him to do a "boring" speech at the Houses of Parliament last year.
He shared: "Oona certainly pulled me by the scruff of the neck and was like, ‘Get up there and say it!’ She pushed me to go even further and, y’know, Oona is one of the most powerful people I know, and very persuasive. Very persuasive."
And King added: "He said, ‘No, I don’t want to just give a speech about black people.’ He didn’t want to be further labelled because when you’re labelled your whole life you get sick of it. But I reminded him he has an extraordinary power to make people listen. To start doing night shifts in a car factory in Dagenham and end up a global Hollywood A-lister is almost impossible. It’s to defy every label."
Meanwhile, Idris also admitted he was left feeling "panicked" when he found himself without a job after his character – Stringer Bell in the TV show ‘The Wire’ – was killed off after only three seasons.
He told The Guardian newspaper: "Yeah, I was definitely panicked at losing my job. I wasn’t a household name, I was part of a very successful show and then I was off that successful show. But, y’know, from the day I decided I wanted to be an actor, which was probably [when I was] 13-and-a-half years old in a drama class, I’ve never, ever worried about if I’m going to get there – I’ve just got there."
