“Me saying I don’t like to call myself a Black actor is my prerogative”: MCU Star Idris Elba Calls His Recent “Black Actor” Controversy Stupid
Idrissa Akuna Elba, best known as Idris Elba, is one of the most influential English actors and producers in Hollywood. In his two-decades-long and celebrated career, the Pacific Rim actor’s performances in films like The Mountain Between Us, Beast, The Harder They Fall, Thor: Ragnarok, The Suicide Squad, and many other blockbuster hit movies have left his fans to think and feel his extraordinary screen presence. He often left his fans in shock by starring in multi-genre films. The iconic star has won many awards for his gifted acting skills, and he has successfully established a name for himself in the entertainment industry, but his recent remark has left the actor under public scrutiny. The media is quick in pointing out celebrities’ comments over controversial matters, which often left the stars thinking.
Hollywood actor Idris Elba hits back at Black Actor controversy
Last month, Idris Elba sparked controversy and got heavily trolled on the internet after he told Esquire U.K. during an interview that he had stopped calling himself a “black actor” because of the boundaries he believed it placed on his career. Now that his remarks have put him in the spotlight, the actor is setting the record straight once and for all.
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Shutting down the endless theories against his remark, the actor shared that he finds it extremely difficult to express his opinion as an actor because the media tends to create fabricated stories about him out of pointless context, and that’s what makes him angry. Last month, the actor took to Twitter to shut down trolls over his remarks, and netizens had a mixed reaction to it. Read some of his tweets here.
There isn't a soul on this earth that can question whether I consider myself a BLACK MAN or not. Being an 'actor' is a profession, like being an 'architect' ,they are not defined by race. However, If YOU define your work by your race, that is your Perogative. Ah lie?
— Idris Elba (@idriselba) February 11, 2023
You only became as popular as you are because of BLACK AMERICANS, but instead of using your platform to speak UP for US, you promote acceptance of the status quo. I am DISGUSTED with you. Then again, Black Americans have historically been the ONLY group with BACKBONE.
— MarcelForCongress (@Marcel4Congress) February 12, 2023
What utter rubbish, why do black people expect actors and sports people who happen to be black to stand up for them in an economic struggle? Take that backbone and fight for yourselves, or is it made of jelly babies
— Stall Quade (@StallQuade) February 26, 2023
🤣🤣 bro, you need to take a huge step back. He’s not popular because of BLACK AMERICANS! He is popular because he’s a phenomenal actor, and doesn’t use his skin color to get ahead unlike yourself.
— Adam Wilson (@AdzzyRock84) March 5, 2023
In February, the Beast actor sparked criticism in the media. Many of his industry pals came to his support, such as John Boyega, who argued that pundits weren’t paying attention to his comments about swearing Hollywood stereotypes but instead started writing pointless things against him without any solid proof or context.
Idris Elba shares his views on the fear of saying too much in the media
In a recent interview with The Guardian, Idris Elba was candid about explaining how, as he aged, the fears of spilling too much in the media have left the actor with very little freedom of speech. He said,
“I feel as I get older—I’m 50 now—and we all have fears of saying too much, oversharing, and whatnot, and in this day and age, it’s really difficult to have an opinion if you’re in the public eye because it gets overly scrutinized, taken out of context, thrown into some sort of bullshit, zeitgeisty social media argument.”
The Pacific Rim movie actor further addressed the controversy surrounding his black actor comment as he shared,
“Me saying I don’t like to call myself a black actor is my prerogative. That’s me, not you. So for you to turn around and say to me, I’m ‘denying my blackness, and on what grounds? Did you hear that? Where am I denying it? And what for? It’s just stupid. Whatever.”
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Source: The Guardian