British actor Idris Elba talks about where he grew up, the New York City acting scene and his fitness regiment in the new issue of UPTOWN magazine.
What’s your fitness regimen?
I get up in the morning and do the jailhouse thing: 60 push-ups, wide arms, close arms, some sit-ups. I kickbox a little bit, play a little soccer.
What was the area like where you grew up?
I lived in Hackney, a working-class concrete jungle with lots of housing estates, which you guys call projects. I did my high school years in Canning Town, a hybrid between an industrial area, with a big sugar production factory, and a residential area. It was a predominantly white working-class neighborhood and a racist area. They didn’t like blacks or Asians or Indians. You were always going to get some sort of abuse.
How were the early years when you moved to New York to act in the 1990s?
I stayed at the YMCA, baby. The YMCA. At first, I thought, a year and I’m gonna be “in.” Three years later, I was still broke. I was reasonably successful [acting] in England, and going out [to New York] was an eye-opener.
How do American and English fans react to your celebrity?
It’s weird. An English star has to be a lot more humble. But if an American comes over, he has to be all “Yeah, motherfucker, I’m the best!” And English people love that. In America, I downplay this whole celebrity thing; there are just more important things in life. I will probably never be überfamous in America because I don’t care about the culture of celebrity.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
The craziest thing about this guy is when you hear him talk in movies he’s all gangster and then you hear him in a interview and he’s asking for team and crumpets.
last person I heard that asked for “team” got gang-banged…
join my ‘stop hating on everything other people are doing’ campaign…and you’ll get an honorary membership to my ‘i’m educated enough to understand that an actor ACTS’ guild as well as my new focus group, ‘i’m all for anything that’s positive which involves a person of color.’
…dig it!
way to be another dickhead who overuses the word “hate.” got a campaign for that?
no, haven’t thought of that one yet…especially cause I used the word once in that whole post – guess that makes you my campaign advisor; you’re the clearvoyant type, huh?!…you obviously missed the point…that automatically puts you in the ‘i’m common sense illiterate and can’t read btwn the lines’ forum…good attempt at being funny tho/
I wasn’t referring to the amount of times you said it, i was referring to the fact that your vocab probably consist of words like “hate” “hater” and “swag.” So you should stick to those words instead of making up words like clearvoyant. I guess i am the Clairvoyant type after all.
Stringer Bell! One of the best characters in The Wire….
This man is hella sexy…damn, damn, damn!
Geese Louise, this is one man that has got IT. There is something so damn yummy about this man right here!
This man can get theeeeeee businesssssss
He played my fav character on my fav show, Stringer Bell was so cool. Idris Elba wish you the best in you’re future, even though you are a gunner’s fan lol.