Idris Elba

Life is not about stopping before the storm, but about learning to live in the rain; with that philosophy, Idris Elba builds a Renaissance existence in the middle of the millennium. Elba is the man of the moment, we have not recovered from the end of Luther's fourth season, when he premieres four films in less than three months: The Dark Tower, The Mountain Between Us, Molly's Game and Thor; Ragnakor. Icon of fashion and star of Hollywood, the Briton also is in the television starring: Luther and Guerrilla.

A fashion icon and Hollywood star, Elba, 44, represents the total artist who triumphs as a designer, producer, kick-boxing practitioner, actor and DJ under the name of Driis. Capable of succeeding in any company he touches, his next film, The Mountain Between us, can also catapult him as a romantic star. In the film, directed by Hany Abu-Assad, Elba and Kate Winslet survive an aviation accident and will have to help each other to overcome the obstacles that the mountain has created between them. Another of its expected titles is Molly's Game, the first film of Aaron Sorkin behind the cameras, a narration where Elba becomes the defense lawyer of Jessica Chastain.

Born in Hackney, one of those suburbs of London that do not appear in tourist guides, Idris is the first generation of African emigrants. His father, Winston, from Sierra Leone, his mother, Eve, from Ghana. For him, for obvious reasons, the conversation about refugees, the awakening of a sleeping society, is important. Fighting for dignity, last year gave a speech in the British House of Commons demanding more diversity in the media and in the cinema. "I'm not here to talk about black people, I'm here to talk about diversity. Diversity in the modern world is more than just the color of the skin; It is gender, it is age, it is disability, it is sexual orientation, it is social inheritance and, the most important of all, as far as I am concerned, diversity of thought "he said excited his followers in the networks.

Passionate about music since he was 14 years old, he worked for hours with his uncle who had a DJ business and was dedicated to turn the records where they were hired. At 18 he was already part of the National Theater of Young Music, and a year later got work on a tv show. Married twice and father of two, Elba owes his success in Hollywood to television, to the series The Wire and Luther that constitute the backbone of her brand. A brand he lives obsessed with diversifying, while the world stripped the daisy whether or not the next James Bond

Q: How does it feel to be part of the Thor franchise?
A: It's a huge legacy. In London I first discovered myself on one of the bus signs and I remember I laughed, it's really amazing to see you printed on a bus

Q: Should you have become accustomed to seeing his face in the promotional posters?
A: I always surprise myself. Fame is a state that I do not get used to. I think I have not changed, and that's why I find it difficult to find the advertising of my films.

P: This is the year of Idris Elba, premiered The Dark Tower, The Mountain Between Us, Molly's Game and Thor: Ragnarok
A: I have experienced a process of change in the last two years, and I have been very lucky with the offers that have come to my hands. I have received a lot of unexpected opportunities and I am very proud to have chosen them. What I did not expect was that they premiered so often.

Q: It means that you are going to take a break on Luther's recording,
A: We just finished the fourth season. It's a very important series in my career because it helped me establish myself as a producer. Luther allowed me to show parts of me that, with another series, without me having control, I would not have been able to. I am still an actor to hire and to get papers with substance I depend on others to see you in them. I like to create content with which I identify myself.

Q: You feel pressure when one of your movies is expected well in advance
Of course. There are characters who have a life of their own in the imagination of the public. I try to do my work with integrity to make the result interesting, for the tape to be entertaining. I consider myself a very honest actor

Q: You are an actor with an impressive physical form, do you feel the power of your muscles when playing a character?
A: I like to train because it allows me to endure the demands of shooting. Papers like Gunslinger in The Dark Tower or Ben on The Mountain among Us, which was filmed in difficult weather conditions, needs to be mentally and physically fit. It is not only physical what action scenes require, you also have to be intellectually prepared.

Q: You never rest from working, this winter you have three movies in the cinema and two series on television.
A: I like to be part of stories that have a meaning. Being a series producer like Guerrilla allows me to shape the content. I am a black man, of British nationality and I like to join my voice to characters that are going to provoke more of a conversation.

Q: You seem determined to star in projects with political content, believe that James Bond is in his future
A: I like being part of stories with meaning. As a producer, as an actor, I try to help shape the content. Again, I want to star characters who have not offered me but I can not do it but they offered me

Q: Your work as a designer, actor, producer and DJ, now joins your directorial debut of the film Yardie
A: Yes. It is based on the novel by the same name of Victor Headley. Let's say that narration is an episode of that work. My film is a violent and human story about the journey of a boy leaving Jamaica to meet in London.

Q: Why did you decide to debut as a filmmaker?
A: I wanted to experiment, to open my heart and to dare to make content. It's something I've been thinking about for a long time. I have felt influenced by the great filmmakers; Spielberg, Scorsese, Spike Lee, Paul Thomas Anderson. Directors who believe in actors. I want to make a movie that means something to whoever goes to see it.

Q: Your character in The Dark Tower is a knight of the future, does he look like you?
A: You can think of Clint Eastwood when it comes to analyzing the character. If you compare me with him, I would feel honored. Honestly, I consider Gunslinger a very complex character. If I resemble him in any way, it is because we are not afraid of death.

Q: You are considered a Renaissance man because you are able to triumph in everything you undertake.
A: I like the variety, I am never doing nothing. My music and my acting career go hand in hand. As an artist I like to create. Death is a protagonist in our lives and I owe her my career against time. When my father passed away a few years ago, I was totally confused. He left without fulfilling many desires, that's why I want to enjoy my life to the fullest. As long as I live I will do as I please.

Q: How is your talent with languages?
R: I’m not bad. I speak English, some French and some Spanish. I can manage (laughs)

Q: That means you can read in Spanish?
R: No, it means I can order a meal in any Spanish country, or I ask for a menu in English

Q: Have you ever read any Spanish author?
R: Yes, I like Roberto Bolaños 2666. A great writer, and I’ve read Borges

Q: Do you train many hours a day?
A: The most important part of my preparation is meditation, because that is when your body disconnects from the spirit. I work better when I sleep less, so my brain is stimulated and I do not feel so tired.

Q: You, too, are a designer of the Superdry clothing line.
A: Yes, I like to create. I am very proud of my passing through the world of design and fashion. I think everyone expresses how they feel when they dress. Creatively I do not limit myself to anything.

Q: Music has been relegated to the background
A: No, I'm still making music, I just released the album Hiatus, but I do not have time to take a year and go on tour. It seems strange to me to triumph in the cinema and at the same time to sacrifice my musical career. Next year I hope to spend more time with my music. I'm planning

Q: What is needed today to be a good DJ?
A: Connect with the public. Convey an energy that changes people's attitude with vibrations. I like house music because it has a very positive rhythm. You have to understand music and energy to be a good DJ.

María Estévez

María Estévez – Correspondent Writer