Idris Elba has replied to recent criticism for not referring to himself as a Black actor.
The Luther actor, 50, was speaking ahead of the Netflix release of his new film Luther: The Fallen Sun, which had a limited theatrical run on February 24.
Luther, a criminal drama starring Ruth Wilson and Indira Varma, aired for nine years and received multiple accolades despite having just 20 episodes.
The film serves as a prequel to the main series, with Luther escaping jail to stop Andy Serkis’ David Robey, a tech millionaire and covert serial murderer.
In an interview before of the film’s release, Elba claimed it was ‘ridiculous’ for people to blame him for not referring to himself as a ‘Black actor’.
Speaking to Esquire, he said: ‘As humans, we are obsessed with race. And that obsession can really hinder people’s aspirations, hinder people’s growth.’
He continued: ‘I stopped describing myself as a Black actor when I realised it put me in a box. We’ve got to grow. Our skin is just our skin.’
However, Elba did refer to himself as a member of the Black community and reiterated that, ‘Racism is very real. Have I ever faced racism? Yeah.’
The comments sparked controversy on social media, with many people questioning Elba’s comments, which he’s now responded to in a Guardian interview.
‘Me saying I don’t like to call myself a Black actor is my prerogative. That’s me, not you. [People say] I’m denying my Blackness. On what grounds?’
He continued to respond to the criticism: ‘Did you hear that? Where am I denying it? And what for? It’s just stupid. Whatever.’
Luther writer Neil Cross told Metro.co.uk this week that Luther being’stripped of ego’ throughout the play was crucial.
‘At the beginning, Idris and I discussed not sexualizing Luther. Idris Elba is a one-of-a-kind cinematic personality. It was critical that we stripped him of his vanity.’
‘Luther doesn’t care, and it doesn’t occur to him that he should,’ said Cross, who worked on every episode of the original series.
Luther: The Fallen Sun arrives on Netflix Friday, March 10.
Source My Celebrity Life.