Idris Elba is a formidable presence on and off the screen. From the all-encompassing success of HBO’s The Wire to the BBC’s grimfest detective series Luther the actor is able to build his characters slowly and surely and is increasingly being sought by feature directors.
I sat down with Elba last week to talk about his place in the world of Pacific Rim and the particular set of circumstances which drive the character of Stacker Pentecost, although I didn’t get to ask about the origin of the name. Which is probably just as well.
Capable of jumping from TV to film, most recently in the Ridley Scott Alien prequel Prometheus and Marvel’s Thor films, Elba also told me that he has his sights set on directing. His debut work behind the camera can be seen on an episode of Warp Films’ Playhouse Presents which ran on ITV this year and we should expect to see a lot more from him in the future.
