I relate to the hero in this movie. He’s angry
IS IDRIS Elba the man who would be Bond? It’s almost impossible to look at him now and not picture him dressed in a tuxedo with a martini in his hand.
While it has been widely rumoured that he could acquire a licence to kill when Daniel Craig returns his Aston Martin to the garage, reports that Idris is the next 007 have gathered furious pace in recent weeks.
Indeed, he himself fanned the flames when he tweeted, “My name’s Elba, Idris Elba”, and played the Bond theme tune during a DJ set.
But right now, he has a very different role, and one he has wanted for years – that of director.
The 45-year-old admitted: “I know it sounds like a cliche but there comes a time as an actor when you’re just like, ‘I wouldn’t mind sitting in the hot seat.’”
So the star of The Wire, Luther and the Thor films set about making it happen and his directorial debut Yardie, based on the 1992 book by Victor Headley, is hitting UK cinemas this week.
Idris said: “This was a piece of material that I could definitely say I’ve lived with some version of it in my head for nearly 30 years.
“It was one of the first books I read. So you go, ‘Right, OK, if you’re going to make a film, do you make a film about a deep-sea diver that discovers a golden dolphin… No, because I know nothing
Luther star says he was inspired by his own childhood when shooting the violent revenge tale Yardie BY LAURA HARDING reporters@dailyrecord.co.uk
about that. But I do know about this culture.”
Yardie is set in Kingston, Jamaica, in the 70s and Hackney in the 80s. It follows a young Jamaican man named D who has never really recovered from the murder of his older brother. After growing up under the wing of a Kingston don, he is sent to London when he reconnects with his childhood sweetheart.
There, he hooks up with a soundclash crew and embarks on a quest to avenge his brother’s death.
For Idris, who himself grew up in Hackney, the world of the story felt incredibly familiar.
He said: “Victor Headley’s book was one of the few books I read as a teenager. I’m not a big reader, so this was a big deal to me at the time and the story stuck to my ribs for many years.
“I could relate to the lead character of D. His anger – teenagers are always
angry drive charisma. – and his novel captured “Victor’s my imagination and the that many of made people this that book a cult classic. “I grew up in a similar environment to D – being a DJ, the music, the time period. “The 80s, when the majority of this film takes place, was my coming of age. That’s why I thought this would of be “I the the personally violence best film shied in to the go away book for. from but in some this film I wanted to tell the human story, the human toll on people who live violent lives or are forced to live in violent climates.”
Idris said he also learned some valuable new skills from his time in the director’s chair. He explained: “Patience, having incredible amounts of patience. “You cannot over-prep for a movie because you never know what might happen and there’s always instances that change immediately. “So having patience to take the time to prep, to ask the questions, to ask the ‘what ifs’, to explore it even further. Sometimes, you come up with a really good idea and it’s amazing and then two hours later it’s different, but it’s deeper and it’s better for a million reasons. “That’s something I learned. “I didn’t act in this film, which is my other big love affair of my life, but I got really amazing actors to play the parts and I had the opportunity to work with some of the most talented filmmakers existing.
“As an actor, I always love my crew – but as a director, I was my crew and they were there for me 100 per cent. It was a very bonding time.”
It also gave the passionate DJ, who recently set up his own record label 7Wallace, the chance to curate a whole soundtrack.
Idris said: “Crafting the music was probably one the most exciting and frustrating parts of making this film.
“I love music and I often agonised about the choices I was making and why. In the end, it has become one of the strongest parts of the film. “Directing Yardie has definitely changed the trajectory of my career. I want to direct more now, and perhaps merge acting, music and directing in the future.” Whether he ends up playing Bond or not, it seems like Idris will have plenty to keep him busy.
Yardie is released in UK cinemas tomorrow.