2017 Is The Year Of Idris Elba, And Here’s Why

It's unarguably the case that 2017 should be noted in history as The Year Of Idris Elba. Some might characterize it as an accident of scheduling, others might view it as a mere twist of fate – but the fact remains that by the end of the year, the London-born actor will have had no less than four feature films in theatres, in addition to starring in a 6-episode television miniseries and lining up his directorial debut. And that's all in the space of 12 months. If nothing else, you can't deny that Idris Elba is one of the hardest working actors in Hollywood at the moment. While this high volume of output from him is not unusual in itself, it's the profile of these projects that make this time especially noteworthy. 2017 sees Idris Elba truly make the well-earned leap to the status of bonafide leading man, and really, it's been a long time coming. So, with the actor now at the top of his game, let's take a look at how he got here. On The Small Screen Like many of his British acting brethren, Idris Elba cut his teeth in UK television – in his case, beginning with the auspicious role of ‘Pizza Delivery Man’ in the series Space Precinct, in 1994. Follow-up parts included guest spots on dramas such The Bill and London’s Burning, as well as comedies like 2Point4 Children and the highly popular Absolutely Fabulous. Elba then made the leap to U.S. television screens in shows such as Hack, Soul Food, Law & Order and CSI: Miami. It was The Wire, in 2002, which really brought Idris Elba to the point of international recognition, though – with his 37 episode stint as Russell ‘Stringer’ Bell bringing him an NAMIC (National Association For Multi-Ethnicity In Communications) award nomination, within this multi-award winning, critically acclaimed series. The drama gave audiences their first real chance to see the actor develop a character over an extended period of time, and his three-season arc saw Stringer Bell emerge as a central figure in the show. With the premise of The Wire being the exploration of various city institutions and their respective relationships to law enforcement, Stringer Bell was introduced as second-in-command of one of the most powerful drug-dealing organizations in Baltimore – the Barksdales - headed by his childhood friend, Avon Barksdale (Wood Harris). The first three seasons of the show saw Bell develop as an ambitious and influential leader within the Baltimore business community – taking methodical steps to merge the Barksdales criminal activities with more legitimate commercial interests. After departing The Wire, the profile of the roles played by Idris Elba on the small screen increased dramatically. In 2005, he appeared in the critically acclaimed television movie Sometimes In April. This harrowing depiction of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide centred on two brothers – Honore Muganza (played by Oris Erhuero) and Augustin Muganza (played by Elba). Honore is working for a popular radio station, while Augustin is a Captain in the Rwandan Army. Their different positions within the community, and the different choices they've made within their family, bring the growing, brutal violence of the conflict into sharp relief. Sometimes In April is noted for its refusal to shy away from the gruesomeness and shocking nature of the genocide, as well as the strength of the performances from its entire cast. Having demonstrated his impressive dramatic skills to a wider audience, the big screen beckoned for Idris Elba after Sometimes In April. However, the crucial element in his rise through the ranks soon became apparent, as he sought to cement his presence in television, in addition to working in film. This move has played a significant role in the actor’s success, specifically because it came just ahead of a shift in the television landscape – harnessed by broadcasters such as Netflix and HBO – that saw talent previously associated with cinema embracing television. This blurring of what had previously been a much harder line between media allowed for Idris Elba to deliver performances according to the role on offer, as opposed to restricting those choices to either the big or small screen as a result of some arbitrary bias – and this resulted in some excellent television. In 2009, for example, Elba joined the cast of The Office for a multi-episode arc as the very serious and reserved manager Charles Miner, who posed a threat to the authority of series lead Michael Scott (Steve Carell). In 2011, he earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for a four-episode arc on comedy series The Big C. But it's the BBC drama Luther that truly highlighted Idris Elba’s abilities as a leading man. Luther arrived as a miniseries event, with its first season comprising just six episodes. The show introduced us to DCI John Luther, who works for the Serious Crime Unit. He's an obsessive and talented investigator, who never shies away from the darkest and most disturbing of cases – to the detriment of his own peace of mind. In the very first episode, he investigates the highly intelligent and homicidal psychopath, Alice Morgan (played by Ruth Wilson), and becomes locked in a battle of the wits. As the series progresses, he's unable to bring a case against her due a lack of evidence, but instead cultivates her as a resource – exploiting her obsession with him, in order to gain her insight into the minds of the predators he pursues. Each subsequent outing has consisted of less episodes – with seasons two and three having four episodes each, and season four having just two. The critical acclaim the show generates has continued at a high level, though – with Elba’s performance as the slowly unravelling detective being the main highlight (and also won him a Golden Globe), closely followed by the excellent writing. As a result, Luther has become one of the most high profile BBC properties, alongside Sherlock, which also stars actors now forging successful careers in Hollywood film. Elba’s commitment to the medium of television remains – in spite of his big screen success. In addition to a fifth season of Luther for the BBC, he appeared in an episode of Playhouse Presents, as well as television miniseries Five By Five and Guerilla. On The Big Screen Elba’s first feature film role came in 1999 with the French movie Belle Maman, starring Catherine Deneuve. Soon enough, he was popping up in 2001’s Buffalo Soldiers and 2005’s The Gospel. 2007, however, saw the first real Elba-Blitz, with Daddy’s Little Girls, The Reaping, 28 Weeks Later, American Gangster and This Christmas all arriving in theatres featuring Idris Elba performances. The range of movies involved here – from Ridley Scott’s Oscar nominated American Gangster, to Tyler Perry’s moving low-budget family drama, Daddy’s Little Girls – proved to be a sign of things to come, as Elba continued to mix up his slate going forward. The years that followed saw Elba work with a host of notable filmmakers, including Guy Ritchie in RocknRolla, Steve Shill in Obsessed, and Jada Pinkett Smith in The Human Contract. Writer-director Thomas Eromose Ikimi cast Idris Elba as the lead for his psychological thriller Legacy: Black Ops, which saw the actor as a former military officer gradually unravelling in a single room. This film in particular drew great acclaim for his performance, which successfully anchored the entire narrative. Then came Marvel – and it doesn’t get much higher in profile than that. Idris Elba was cast as Heimdall – the omniscient guardian sentry of Asgard – in the first solo movie of the God of Thunder, 2011’s Thor. Heimdall is an integral part of Thor’s story within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and as such, the character has featured in Thor: The Dark World, Avengers: Age Of Ultron and the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok. For Elba, Heimdall also opened the door to larger roles in big budget action movies, including 2012’s Prometheus and 2013’s Pacific Rim. But, in amongst his appearances in Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance, Debbie Tucker Green’s film Second Coming and Sam Miller’s film No Good Deed, Elba also tackled a depiction of Nelson Mandela in Mandela: The Long Walk To Freedom - Justin Chadwick’s adaptation of Mandela’s autobiography. The film received critical acclaim not just for its balanced portrayal of the central, legendary individuals, but also for Elba’s nuanced, towering performance as the prisoner who became president. After sharing the screen with Sean Penn in Pierre Morel’s The Gunman, Idris Elba closed out 2015 with Cary Fukunaga’s Beasts Of No Nation. The movie centres on Agu (Abraham Attah) – a child soldier in West Africa – and Idris Elba plays his Commandant. The film was celebrated as an outstanding achievement upon its release but, while the subject matter and performances are indeed important, it's the controversy caused by the nature of its release that relates more closely to the rise of Idris Elba. The distribution rights to Beasts Of No Nation were secured by Netflix and, as a result, a simultaneous digital and theatrical release was planned. Larger theatre chains, including AMC and Cinemark, boycotted the film in protest against the perceived violation of the traditional 90-day release window that is usually afforded to cinemas. Bringing into focus the debate around the impact of developments in home cinema on movie theatre attendance, Beasts Of No Nation was transformed into something of a test case – and the size of its theatrical release undoubtedly suffered as a result. But, in terms of the trajectory of the career of Idris Elba, the situation that unfolded around the release of Beasts Of No Nation fit perfectly with his position at the forefront of the blurring of that previously hard line. It's no coincidence that the film is the work of Cary Fukunaga – whose television series True Detective was also part of this ongoing phase of media evolution. Together, with Beasts Of No Nation, Elba and Fukunaga not only challenged the status quo that dictates access to film releases, but they did so with a story that forces the audience to confront a terrible and shameful truth about the phenomenon of child soldiers. 2016 saw Idris Elba star in six theatrically released movies. Three of those – Zootroplis, The Jungle Book and Finding Dory – were voice-over roles in films that would be among the highest grossing of the year. James Watkins’ Bastille Day, and Jim O’Hanlon’s 100 Streets had less successful box office runs, but Elba balanced those with his role as the villainous Krall in the franchise film, Star Trek Beyond. 2017 And so, we arrive at 2017 – which sees Idris Elba not only deliver four high profile studio-made theatrical releases, but also sees him play the lead role in two of them. While Nikolaj Arcel’s The Dark Tower is now, two months on, considered to have under-performed both financially and critically, it remains the case that Idris Elba brought to life one of the most iconic characters ever created by one of the most beloved authors of modern times. Stephen King’s prolific career as a writer of fiction has led to the creation of a narrative universe that is, broadly speaking, tied together by his Dark Tower series of novels – the hero of which is the last Gunslinger, Roland Deschain. This solitary figure works to save the universe from the nefarious intentions of the Man In Black – played in the film by Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey. Idris Elba continues his 2017 theme of literary adaptation by playing the lead role in Hany Abu-Assad’s The Mountain Between Us - opposite Academy Award winner Kate Winslet. The film will see Elba portray a British neurosurgeon, against Winslet’s photo-journalist, and follows their struggle after the light aircraft in which they're travelling on crashes in the middle of a snow-covered mountain range. Stranded in a location none of their loved ones were made aware of, the two strangers must work together to survive. Following the release of The Mountain Between Us, Idris Elba will be seen reprising the character of Heimdall in the highly anticipated Thor: Ragnarok. While it's unclear how prominently Heimdall will feature in this third Thor instalment, it's the case that the bi-frost sentry has appeared in much of the marketing build-up for the film, including many pieces of promotional artwork. This will, in fact, be Idris Elba’s fourth appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it'll be his first such appearance under the direction of a filmmaker noted for comedy – Taika Waititi – so it remains to be seen whether Thor: Ragnarok will afford Idris Elba the chance to engage his well-proven comedic skills, amid the inevitable action. The end of the year will see yet another literary-based turn for Elba, in the Aaron Sorkin film Molly’s Game. Based on the book by Molly Bloom, the story follows the exploits of the titular Olympic skier, who also ran the world’s most exclusive high-stakes poker game – making her a target of the FBI. Idris Elba plays her lawyer, Charlie Jaffey. The draw here is the prospect of Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba sparring over pages of dialogue written by the award-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, in a female-led drama. Behind The Camera Idris Elba’s move behind the camera began with Legacy: Black Ops, on which he served as executive producer, as well as star. Like his acting career, his roles as producer and writer have involved television – such as Playhouse Presents, Walk Like A Panther, Milk & Honey, and Luther - as much as film. It's with movies that he's making the biggest off-camera waves, though – and those waves are about to get a lot bigger. Having produced No Good Deed, Beasts Of No Nation, and 100 Streets, Idris Elba has also directed his first feature length film, titled Yardie. It's based on the novel of the same name – written by Victor Headley – which in itself found its way to fame outside of the traditional publishing channels. Rather than having been published and distributed by a large brand, Yardie was first distributed in 1990 by a small, start-up label, through clothing retailers and hair salons – building up a readership through word-of-mouth and personal recommendation. The story, which has now been adapted for the screen by writers Brock Norman Brock and Martin Stellman, follows a young cocaine courier travelling from Jamaica to London, who decides to break from his employers upon arrival in the U.K, and escape into the communities of Hackney. This will undoubtedly be one of the most highly anticipated releases of 2018, since – in addition to being the directorial debut of Idris Elba – it represents the very thing that's made this hard-working filmmaker so successful: a commitment to story above all else. By maintaining the principle that story is king, Idris Elba has ridden the wave of media evolution to merge starring roles on the big and small screens effectively – culminating in a year full of high profile leading and supporting roles in cinema, a star-turn in a television miniseries in the same year, and the opportunity to direct a story about the social history of his home town. Make no mistake – this is Idris Elba’s time, and he has earned every moment.