In February, Idris Elba stirred up controversy on social media after disclosing that he no longer refers to himself as a “Black actor” because he believed it hindered his career. Despite arguments from supporters like John Boyega, who pointed out that Elba’s message criticized Hollywood’s reliance on stereotypes. Some accused the 50-year-old actor of disavowing his Black identity.
“I feel as I get older, I’m 50 now. We all have fears of saying too much, oversharing and whatnot,” Elba said in a recent interview. “And in this day and age, it’s really difficult to have an opinion if you’re in the public eye because it gets overly scrutinized, taken out of context, thrown into some sort of bullsh*t, zeitgeisty social media argument.”
Elba used the backlash to his comment as evidence of social media’s tendency to foster conflict, highlighting it as a “conflict incubator.”
“Me saying I don’t like to call myself a Black actor is my prerogative,” Elba added. “That’s me, not you. So for you to turn around and say to me, I’m ‘denying my Blackness’. On what grounds? Did you hear that? Where am I denying it? And what for? It’s just stupid. Whatever.”
The criticism came after Elba said humans are too focused on race and the obsession can cause hinderince to aspirations.
“As humans, we are obsessed with race and that obsession can really hinder people’s aspirations, hinder people’s growth. Racism should be a topic for discussion, sure. 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 put me in a box,” the actor said. “We’ve got to grow. We’ve got to. Our skin is no more than that: it’s just skin. Rant over.”
