British actor Idris Elba has dominated both the silver screen and the small screen over the past few years, earning awards for his widely-acclaimed show "Luther" and snagging roles in blockbuster films like upcoming summer hit "Prometheus." Recently, Elba was interviewed about his success and career, but promptly shut down the interviewer when asked about Hollywood's lack of opportunities for Black actors. Clearly fed up with a question that he is apparently asked all the time, Elba responded in the candid way that most have come to expect from the Brit.
"Next question… I’m so bored of answering that," said Elba. "Are there differences between black actors’ opportunities and white actors’ opportunities? Yes, there are." He continued on to say: "It’s been said. I’d rather a young black actor read about success as opposed to how tough it was. I get these roles because I can act and that’s it. Hopefully that’s it. The less I talk about being black, the better."
While some may take offense to Elba's seemingly post-racial attitude regarding diversity in Hollywood, he is certainly entitled to his opinion. As an actor who is Black, Elba has managed to create a successful career for himself either in spite of or because of his race, so perhaps up-and-coming actors and actresses of color should take note and keep honing their craft.
