Idris Elba, who will be performing stunts in The Gunman, says women love tough men with a soft side
So how was it working with Taken director Pierre Morel and sharing screen with Sean Penn in The Gunman.
I was a fan of Taken, it’s an incredible film. The way it was shot by Pierre was incredible. It is very tough to show good action and he did it really very well. So, when I was chosen for a character for The Gunman, I was very excited. The way Sean works is very real. Only a few action people can do both the job incredibly — give you a real character and running around with friends in car. Sean is one of them. I really didn’t read the script because I just said I will do it to Sean. I think, finally it all comes down to the fact that it’s a great action film with great actors in it.
You nervous on the first day of shoot, given that you were acting alongside big starsIJ
Yes, a little bit, because you know Sean is such a formidable and powerful actor. Any actor seen with him is probably thinking about wat to do. So yes, I was a little bit nervous.
Do you agree that even the tough guys in action movies have a soft character and do you think they are likeable that wayIJ
All the actors in this film have a tough and a soft side to their characters. I think all women have been hugging and cuddling tough guys with a softer side on screen, for years.
How do you manage your time between acting and DJingIJ
I love being a DJ, it is my hobby. I can’t help it. I am coming up with enough tracks for the season soon so people will definitely see me around the turntable.
Do you worry that people will not accept you as an actorIJ
I did worry that it might water down how people see what I do as an actor. Because my music is so much more truthful about my art, about me, than my acting is. Music comes from my soul. I can connect with you more through my music.
Few months back, there was speculation of you becoming the next Bond...
I just don’t want to be the black James Bond. Sean Connery wasn’t the Scottish James Bond and Daniel Craig wasn’t the blue-eyed James Bond. So if I ever play him, I don’t want to be called the black James Bond.
You moved back to london from lA, which is opposite to what most people do. WhyIJ
I don’t want my family growing up in lA. That isn’t me, it just isn’t. I’m not into the whole fame thing. I don’t have celebrity friends. I have the same ones I had from when I was a kid. For me, it’s about my family, my kids and what is best for them.
You also do a lot of your own stunts...
Yes, I do a lot of my own stunts. There aren’t many stunt guys who look like me. So I land up doing my own stuff.