TV moving in right direction on diversity, says Luther star

Luther star Idris Elba has said the UK is “moving in the right direction” when it comes to diversity in TV roles.

But the 43-year-old actor, whose big break came after he played drug lord Russell “Stringer” Bell in US series The Wire, said there is still more that can be done.

Elba – who, along with David Oyelowo, David Harewood, Lenny Henry and Meera Syal, has urged UK networks to better their representation of ethnic minorities in the past – is one of the British stars who has managed to find work both in the UK and in the US, with roles in films such as Thor, Prometheus, Avengers: Age Of Ultron and Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom. He said: “There is a lot of work to do but I think it’s definitely moving in the right direction. People are aware of the issues that are faced. It’s one of these problems that won’t get fixed overnight but I think it’s progressively getting better.”

The actor added: “The BBC and Luther are very supportive of diversity, especially behind and in front of the camera. It’s important to keep trying.”

Elba, who also runs his own production company and is a DJ, will next reprise his role as Detective Chief Inspector John Luther in the fourth series of BBC’s crime thriller.

The two-part special, written by the show’s New Zealand creator and author Neil Cross, will air on BBC One in December. The new season comes more than two years after the third series, which aired in July 2013.

The Hackney-born star revealed he is still keen to make a movie version of Luther. “In our heads, this was the film – it’s two hours and it’s a pilot for the film,” he said.

Asked why this series is only two episodes, Elba said: “It would be tough to sustain that kind of angst without something giving. There is no reason why we could not do another six-parter – but it would be the end of me.”

Idris Elba: speaking out