Idris Elba Clarifies ‘Black Actor’ Quote, Says Race Doesn’t Define Him

Idris Elba is cleaning up what he suggested when he just recently stated he no longer calls himself a Black star — this after much dispute online — by now stating, my task ain’t about race.

The star’s initial quote appeared in an interview he finished with Esquire publication this previous week, in which he stated … “I stopped describing myself as a Black actor when I realized it put me in a box.”

IE included at the time, “As humans, we are obsessed with race. And that obsession can really hinder people’s aspirations, hinder people’s growth. Racism should be a topic for discussion, sure. Racism is very real. But from my perspective, it’s only as powerful as you allow it to be. We’ve got to grow. We’ve got to. Our skin is no more than that: It’s just skin.”

His response here triggered a great deal of discourse, as numerous felt this was a questionable take … seeing how it remains in the very same vein as what Morgan Freeman as soon as said about Black History Month and bigotry — particularly, the very best method to eliminate it was to stop discussing it.

Welp, Idris heard all the chatter … and chose to set the record directly on how he feels about his Black heritage. On Saturday, he composed … “There isn’t a soul on this earth that can question whether I consider myself a BLACK MAN or not. Being an ‘actor’ is a profession, like being an ‘architect’ ,they are not defined by race.”

He included, “However, If YOU define your work by your race, that is your Perogative. Ah lie?”

In other words, Idris is stating that he discovers it detrimental to explain whatever a Black individual does — specifically as it relates to work — with a racial qualifier. Good of him to clarify, because — for a minute there — there were some who felt he was falling under the O.J. Simpson classification.