Idris Elba On How Fatherhood Helped Him Fight An Apex Predator In 'BEAST'

essence.com:

Idris Elba is no stranger to action and thrills. But for his latest movie, BEAST, the actor got to tap into his own experiences as a father to make the tension come to life.

BEAST follows the plight of the recently widowed Dr. Nate Samuels on a healing excursion to a South African game reserve with his two daughters, Norah and Meredith.

On a mission to spend quality time together and repair ongoing family issues, things take a turn for the family when a lion begins to stalk them across the Savanna. “This was a difficult film to make.

What definitely appealed to me about the story was the father-daughter relationship,” Elba told ESSENCE exclusively. A father of two himself, including 20-year-old aspiring actress Isan Elba, the dynamic of a protective father hit close to home.