The Strategist
The long view, patient, analytical, playing several moves ahead.
Idris Elba reads as The Strategist because nothing in his trajectory is accidental. He starts New Year's resolutions in July, treats each project as potentially his last, and engineered the pivot from actor to director to philanthropist with clear-headed intent.
“Yeah, very much. I mean, I'd almost, you know, hello, Yasmin, good to meet you as well. But I'd almost, you know, replace the word art with voice. How do we, you know, you take away my art, you take away my voice, you take away my expression in many different art forms.”
“I do, but I'm conscious of time. But yes, I sort of agree. The writing process is where it is very key to this conversation. It's very key. I grew up in a time where a black man was described as the sporty type, the rugged type. And they didn't, yeah. And they would say black, sporty type, you know, and you're like, what?”
“And that's what I would say. And by the way, again, I'm an optimistic, but I'm also realistic. Nothing's going to change overnight. That journey on the arc is a long treacherous journey. It's a long one. But we'll get there. But you have to be on it to be there. And that's what I would say to industry folks.”
“Quite isn't deep enough. That's where we need to get right. So in my head, you know, taking these stories into commissioners, taking these stories into artistic directors, as Kwame said with the analogy of make sure that you come prepared, make sure it's good. Make sure it's good. Make sure it's relevant. That's really important.”
Angie Martinez IRL: “Idris Elba’s Mindset: Discipline, Romance & Balance”
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