Idris Elba says backlash over not calling himself a ‘black actor’ is ‘stupid’

Hollywood star Idris Elba created a furore on social media in February after he said that he stopped calling himself a “black actor” because it created limitations for his career.

The Luther actor was immediately accused of renouncing his blackness, although actors such as John Boyega came to his defense and argued that critics weren’t paying attention to his message about damning Hollywood stereotyping!

“I feel as I get older — I’m 50 now — we all have fears of saying too much, oversharing and whatnot,” Elba has now said. “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 scrutinised, taken out of context, thrown into some sort of social media argument.” Elba pointed to the controversy around his “black actor” comment as proof that social media is a ‘conflict incubator’.

“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’, on what grounds? Did you hear that? Where am I denying it? And what for? It’s just stupid. Whatever,” he said. — IANS