Idris Elba is standing by his statement that he no longer identifies himself as a "Black actor." On Saturday, the "Luther" star took to Twitter to further explain his reasoning behind his recent comments, which received some backlash online. "There isn't a soul on this earth that can question whether I consider myself a BLACK MAN or not," Elba began. "Being an 'actor' is a profession, like being an 'architect,' they are not defined by race.
However, If YOU define your work by your race, that is your Perogative (sic). Ah lie?" Elba's tweet comes after he received some backlash for recent comments he made in an interview with Esquire U.K.
In the interview, he said that describing himself as a "Black actor" put him in a "box" in regards to his career. "If we spent half the time not talking about the differences but the similarities between us, the entire planet would have a shift in the way we deal with each other," the "Beast" actor said in the article published Wednesday. "As humans, we are obsessed with race.
And that obsession can really hinder people’s aspirations, hinder people’s growth." He also agreed that racism should be discussed. "Racism is very real," Elba said. "But, from my perspective, it’s only as powerful as you allow it to be.
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