Idris Elba had to endure some odd security issues while he was preparing for Ridley Scott’s much-anticipated sci-flick Prometheus.
“They sent a security guard, policeman type person on a plane with the script to my house in London. They gave me the script and sat outside while I read it, and then they took it back,” he told Collider.
The entire process had been surreal for the actor known for his role on BBC’s Luther. “I got a phone call from my agent saying, ‘You’ll never guess who’s on the phone.’ I was like, ‘Who?” and they were like, ‘It’s Ridley Scott.’ And then, he got on the phone and said, ‘Idris, hello mate. How are you? I’m sending you a script.’”
Elba knows that he is about to get famous really quick because of the attention Prometheus is getting. But the actor is determined to stay true to what drives him as an actor. He said, “Luther means so much to me. It means more than doing these big spectacle movies. It’s a real exercise for me, as an actor. Same with some of the smaller films I’ve done, like Legacy and Sometimes in April. They don’t get seen much, by many people, but as an exercise, as an actor, they’re my favorite type of thing to do. But, you do need a balance. I’m not a famous actor. I’m not a popular actor. I don’t necessarily want to be famous. I want to be known for great work. I want to be known to surprise audiences. That, to me, is what is really fulfilling.”
While the actor might not be seeking fame, he does have some high-profile projects coming up, including a follow-up to Thor and playing Nelson Mandela. Elba noted, “My schedule is so packed this year, to the point where I really don’t have an address anymore. I’m going to be living on film sets for the next year. I literally moved out of a place and was not going to get a new one. My schedule is really packed, but I’m going to do Thor after I play [Nelson] Mandela.”
Elba is currently preparing for the role of the world leader. “I’m still in the middle of all that research and that’s stuff that I’m doing that I can’t even speak about to the press, right now. I’ve very, very proud to have the role. I want to be prepared for it. I’ve been acting for 20 years, and this is the role of a lifetime.”
Prometheus opens in theaters nationwide Friday.
