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| Idris Elba: 'My film about Nelson Mandela is hands down the best' | Idris Elba: 'My film about Nelson Mandela is hands down the best' |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Hi Idris. Are you very drunk? (1) | Hi Idris. Are you very drunk? (1) |
| I'm having a great time. We had a dress rehearsal for this, believe it or not. Let me tell you, they don't water their drinks down like they do in the film industry. | |
| You've got three films coming out this year (2). Which one should I be most excited about? | You've got three films coming out this year (2). Which one should I be most excited about? |
| They're all exciting in different ways. I'm most excited about Mandela. Pacific Rim I saw the other day, which is ... if you like that sort of film, that sort of massive real-life cartoon with really good actors and really good effects, you're gonna love it. | They're all exciting in different ways. I'm most excited about Mandela. Pacific Rim I saw the other day, which is ... if you like that sort of film, that sort of massive real-life cartoon with really good actors and really good effects, you're gonna love it. |
| The PR who organised this said that you might win an Oscar for the Mandela film. | The PR who organised this said that you might win an Oscar for the Mandela film. |
| I've not heard that. But it's a great film. It's a real picture postcard of his life, and I'm proud of it. | I've not heard that. But it's a great film. It's a real picture postcard of his life, and I'm proud of it. |
| Nelson Mandela has already seen parts of it, hasn't he? | Nelson Mandela has already seen parts of it, hasn't he? |
| Yeah, yeah, yeah. I wasn't with him, but I got told that he was really happy. He even asked: "Is that me?" | Yeah, yeah, yeah. I wasn't with him, but I got told that he was really happy. He even asked: "Is that me?" |
| In a Mandela-off with Morgan Freeman's Mandela and Terrence Howard's Mandela (3), where would your Mandela come? | In a Mandela-off with Morgan Freeman's Mandela and Terrence Howard's Mandela (3), where would your Mandela come? |
| Hands down the best. Hands down the best. Not in terms of performance. But my film's about his entire life. Anyone wanting to understand who Mandela was should go and watch my film. Morgan Freeman is outstanding. Terrence Howard is an outstanding actor. But my film is about his life. | Hands down the best. Hands down the best. Not in terms of performance. But my film's about his entire life. Anyone wanting to understand who Mandela was should go and watch my film. Morgan Freeman is outstanding. Terrence Howard is an outstanding actor. But my film is about his life. |
| I saw on Twitter that you've been palling around with Prince Charles today ... | I saw on Twitter that you've been palling around with Prince Charles today ... |
| Yeah! Me and Prince. Sorry, me and His Royal Highness. We were giving out awards to young achievers from The Prince's Trust. It was such a special afternoon. It was the first time I'd met His Royal Highness. He gave me a badge. | Yeah! Me and Prince. Sorry, me and His Royal Highness. We were giving out awards to young achievers from The Prince's Trust. It was such a special afternoon. It was the first time I'd met His Royal Highness. He gave me a badge. |
| What does someone even talk about with Prince Charles? | What does someone even talk about with Prince Charles? |
| He's a very smart man, very warm. He just likes to know who you are and what you're doing. Apparently he knew who I was. He wants me to send him a DVD of Mandela when it comes out. | He's a very smart man, very warm. He just likes to know who you are and what you're doing. Apparently he knew who I was. He wants me to send him a DVD of Mandela when it comes out. |
| You're definitely going to be the next James Bond, I heard. | You're definitely going to be the next James Bond, I heard. |
| Who? | Who? |
| James Bond. | James Bond. |
| I'm not recollecting who that is. | I'm not recollecting who that is. |
| Naomie Harris named you as the person she wants to be James Bond after Daniel Craig (4). She's Moneypenny now. It sounds all sewn up. | Naomie Harris named you as the person she wants to be James Bond after Daniel Craig (4). She's Moneypenny now. It sounds all sewn up. |
| Naomie Harris I know. James Bond I'm still struggling with. [World's longest pause] No, it's a massive rumour. That's all it is, honestly. I'd be screaming it from the fucking rooftops of my council flat in east London if I got James Bond, but it's just a rumour. | Naomie Harris I know. James Bond I'm still struggling with. [World's longest pause] No, it's a massive rumour. That's all it is, honestly. I'd be screaming it from the fucking rooftops of my council flat in east London if I got James Bond, but it's just a rumour. |
| Never mind. At least Luther's back soon. | Never mind. At least Luther's back soon. |
| In September. He's an old-school detective. He's recognisable without you knowing it. Neil Cross has got a real love affair with old school characters, flawed characters. These are the same characters that we've watched for years. So Luther has that sort of texture to him. I love Colombo and all them old guys, and that's what I try to inject. | In September. He's an old-school detective. He's recognisable without you knowing it. Neil Cross has got a real love affair with old school characters, flawed characters. These are the same characters that we've watched for years. So Luther has that sort of texture to him. I love Colombo and all them old guys, and that's what I try to inject. |
| Do you ever Google yourself? Have you seen all the fan gifs of you and James McAvoy professing your love for each other (5)? | Do you ever Google yourself? Have you seen all the fan gifs of you and James McAvoy professing your love for each other (5)? |
| James MCAVOY? See, this is why I don't Google myself. I find that very disturbing. I think James McAvoy is fucking awesome, though. | James MCAVOY? See, this is why I don't Google myself. I find that very disturbing. I think James McAvoy is fucking awesome, though. |
| Apparently you almost got into a fight with Liam Gallagher last week at the NME awards. | Apparently you almost got into a fight with Liam Gallagher last week at the NME awards. |
| Not really. We just had a little exchange of words. | Not really. We just had a little exchange of words. |
| About a bobble hat, I heard. | About a bobble hat, I heard. |
| MY hat, not a bobble hat. It got blown out of proportion, but we kept our hats on, so to speak. It was a good hat, man. I guess he just took against it. He must have thought it looked silly, because he tried to grab it. | MY hat, not a bobble hat. It got blown out of proportion, but we kept our hats on, so to speak. It was a good hat, man. I guess he just took against it. He must have thought it looked silly, because he tried to grab it. |
| How's your music career going? | How's your music career going? |
| I love it. I've been DJing mostly, and most DJs end up producing. That's just me. I've just been offered a residency in Ibiza this whole summer with Ibiza Rocks with Zane Lowe, Mark Ronson, Example. We're going to have a smashing time. But at the same time I'm going to make some music. | I love it. I've been DJing mostly, and most DJs end up producing. That's just me. I've just been offered a residency in Ibiza this whole summer with Ibiza Rocks with Zane Lowe, Mark Ronson, Example. We're going to have a smashing time. But at the same time I'm going to make some music. |
| Are you still singing? | Are you still singing? |
| I still sing on bits and pieces. Singing's something that I love to do, but it's not something that I pursue as a career. I did a rendition of Billie Jean which is on my Soundcloud. I put it on Twitter, and it got about 3000 hits that day. People were like "Really?"(6) It's a very dark rendition of Billie Jean, but that's the sort of musician I am. | I still sing on bits and pieces. Singing's something that I love to do, but it's not something that I pursue as a career. I did a rendition of Billie Jean which is on my Soundcloud. I put it on Twitter, and it got about 3000 hits that day. People were like "Really?"(6) It's a very dark rendition of Billie Jean, but that's the sort of musician I am. |
| Last question: are you bored of explaining Prometheus to people yet? | Last question: are you bored of explaining Prometheus to people yet? |
| I've never had to explain Prometheus to people, ever. Most people get it. | I've never had to explain Prometheus to people, ever. Most people get it. |
| Really? Even the bit with the old guy hiding on the spaceship? | Really? Even the bit with the old guy hiding on the spaceship? |
| The old guy is trying to preserve life. He's got so much money that he froze himself in order to preserve his life. | The old guy is trying to preserve life. He's got so much money that he froze himself in order to preserve his life. |
| Is that why he was pretending to be dead? | Is that why he was pretending to be dead? |
| Well, while he was in cybersleep, he put up an anagram of himself (7) to explain to the people on the ship what they were doing. He didn't tell them that he was still alive on the ship, because he was asleep. Argh, don't print this. It'll only confuse everyone. | Well, while he was in cybersleep, he put up an anagram of himself (7) to explain to the people on the ship what they were doing. He didn't tell them that he was still alive on the ship, because he was asleep. Argh, don't print this. It'll only confuse everyone. |
| Footnotes | |
| (1) This interview took place at a pop-up gin palace in London. For the record, he didn't seem very drunk at all. Back to article | (1) This interview took place at a pop-up gin palace in London. For the record, he didn't seem very drunk at all. Back to article |
| (2) Pacific Rim, Thor: The Dark World and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. Back to article | (2) Pacific Rim, Thor: The Dark World and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. Back to article |
| (3) From Invictus and Winnie respectively. Back to article | (3) From Invictus and Winnie respectively. Back to article |
| (4) She also revealed that he'd been in talks with Barbara Broccoli about the role. Back to article | (4) She also revealed that he'd been in talks with Barbara Broccoli about the role. Back to article |
| (5) A disturbing example. Back to article | (5) A disturbing example. Back to article |
| (6) Soundcloud commenter DIA LEE heard two seconds of it and wrote "Michael Jackson Is Smiling Down @ You From Heaven." Back to article | (6) Soundcloud commenter DIA LEE heard two seconds of it and wrote "Michael Jackson Is Smiling Down @ You From Heaven." Back to article |
| (7) Pretty sure he means "hologram". Back to article | (7) Pretty sure he means "hologram". Back to article |
| Idris Elba hosted the launch of the Tanqueray Gin Palace | Idris Elba hosted the launch of the Tanqueray Gin Palace |