Idris Elba And Mo Abudu On Bringing African Talent Into Entertainment Mainstream: “It’s Important For Us To Amplify The Voices In The Continent”
deadline.comWhen two British-born powerhouses get together — Idris Elba, an actor-director-producer of Sierra Leone, Creole and Ghanaian descent, and Nigerian-rooted Mo Abudu, largely considered the go-between for African content to the rest of the world — they have a powerful chemistry.
Remarkably, though, they’ve never made anything together. This is about to change. In March, the two quietly announced they would join forces to empower and uplift talent from Africa through their respective companies: Elba’s Green Door Pictures and Abudu’s EbonyLife TV.
It’s a subject of shared passion for both. Throughout Elba’s prolific career, he’s continued to be involved in stories that are related to the African diaspora, from his early work on TV drama Sometimes in April, or The No.
1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, to his upcoming untitled Ghana project, which he will direct and star in. He’s long championed under-heard voices, and in 2016, he delivered a powerful address to the UK Parliament about the need for greater diversity and representation across the sector.
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