Idris Elba Slams ‘Annoying’ Debate Over Black British Actors Taking American Roles: An ‘Unintelligent Argument’
variety.comZack Sharf The upcoming Whitney Houston biopic “I Wanna Dance Somebody” stars BAFTA-winning actor Naomi Ackie as the legendary singer, which means the debate over Black British actors taking roles away from American actors is bound to resurface.
The debate surged in 2017 after Samuel L. Jackson called out Daniel Kaluuya’s casting in “Get Out,” for which the actor earned an Oscar nomination. “I tend to wonder what that movie would have been with an American brother who really feels that,” Jackson said.
In a new interview on “The Shop” (via The Root), Idris Elba railed against the claim that Black British actors are takes roles away from American actors.
Naomi Ackie’s role in “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” served as a launching pad for the discussion. Talk show host Maverick Carter asked Elba about Ackie’s casting, noting that Black American women might criticize a Black British actor playing an American icon. “You know what I noticed?
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