Actor Idris Elba caused a storm on social media in February after declaring that he was no longer calling himself a “black actor” because it put restrictions on his career.
According to Variety, an American media company, although actors such as John Boyega defended him, claiming that critics were not paying attention to his message about destructive Hollywood stereotypes, Elba was immediately accused of renouncing his Blackness.
“I feel as I get older – I’m 50 now – we’re all afraid of saying too much, sharing too much and whatever… And in this day and age it’s very hard to have an opinion if you’re in the public eye for being overly scrutinized, taken out of context, thrown into some sort of bullshit, zeitgeisty social media argument,” Elba now told The Guardian in a new interview, Variety reported.
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Elba cited the uproar over his comment about being a “black actor” as proof that social media is an “incubator for conflict,” adding, “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 deny my blackness. On what grounds? Did you hear that? Where do I deny it? And for what? It’s just stupid. Variety.
In his earlier interview, Elba commented that “as people we are obsessed with race and obsession can really hinder people’s aspirations, hinder people’s growth. Racism, of course, should be a topic of discussion. Racism is very real. But from my perspective it’s only as powerful as you allow it to be.”
“I stopped describing myself as a black actor when I realized it was putting me in a box… We have to grow. We have to. Our skin is just that: it’s just skin. Going on a rampage,” said the actor according to Variety.
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