Idris Elba Discusses His Roles In Thor And Ghost Rider 2!

Idris Elba Discusses His Roles In Thor And Ghost Rider 2!

The actor briefly talks about taking on a role in Ghost Rider 2, reveals why he accepted a part in Thor and once again addresses the controversy of being cast as Heimdall...

News
By JoshWilding - Oct 24, 2010 11:10 AM EST
Filed Under: Thor
Source: Entertainment Weekly



On His Decision To Play An "alcoholic warrior monk" In Ghost Rider 2:

"I get criticized for taking roles in films like Ghost Rider 2, but if you look at my résumé, dude, I’ve mixed it up as much as I can. [Laughs] I love to play different roles. That’s just the kind of actor I am."

On Taking A Role In Thor So He Could Work With Kenneth Branagh:

"This is a man that’s an amazing actor. Just hearing him giving his take on how to mold me as an actor. This is a man that called me up personally and said, "I know this isn’t a big role, but I would really love to see you play it." It’s Kenneth Branagah. I was like, "Definitely."

After being cast as Heimdall (also known as the 'White God') in Thor, there was some negative feedback from fans who saw Elba's role in the movie as a token casting to which he responded at the time: "Thor’s mythical, right? Thor has a hammer that flies to him when he clicks his fingers. That’s OK, but the color of my skin is wrong?" Here's what he had to say when asked whether that topic ever came up when discussing the role with director Kenneth Branagh:

"Never a topic of conversation. I addressed that because there was a mini, mini uproar about the casting of Heimdall. I just had to comment on it because I found it so ridiculous."



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jjmeylar
jjmeylar - 10/24/2010, 12:15 PM
I don't find the color thing to be ridiculous when it comes to a VIKING warrior. But even so. He's a good actor and this is a minor role. If any of you haven't seen him in "Obsessed": I suggest that you rent it.
Orphix
Orphix - 10/24/2010, 12:23 PM
Yep - agreed the whole thing is ridiculous.

Even more so when you consider that he is NOT playing a viking warrior!

Soz JJMeylar but none of the them are actually vikings. This is the Marvel Studios Universe, remember.
joker22
joker22 - 10/24/2010, 12:25 PM
He's A Very Good Actor And A Good Addition To Any Movie.
selinakyle
selinakyle - 10/24/2010, 12:43 PM
Cue the ignorant responses in 5,4,3,2,........
DaBlackSpawn
DaBlackSpawn - 10/24/2010, 12:48 PM
Personally, I'd prefer an actor who wants to do different things as opposed to the tried and true. Look at Denzel vs. Samuel L. Jackson. Only time Denzel did something different then play himself in different situations (John Q, Devil in a Blue Dress, He Got Game) was when he got recognized...(Malcolm X and Training Day). But as Samuel L. Jackson went from crackhead to Jedi master to Nick Fury. Actors are paid to be chameleons...and are known for greatness due to it.
ThreeBigTacos
ThreeBigTacos - 10/24/2010, 12:54 PM
weneedrevelation: god damn dude I just had my lunch! lol

Race/skin shouldn't be an issue (I'm looking at you KidZombie). Not to sound belittling, but Heimdall isn't the main character in the movie. Now, if Thor, Captain America, Spiderman where all played by african american actors then that's a different story. That's not racism, that's changing history in comics. This is in no way to sound racist either.
JoshWilding
JoshWilding - 10/24/2010, 12:59 PM
As long as the person is a good actor, I have little problem with races being changed. It would be different if it was a major character like Spider-Man or Captain America (because that's changing 40+ years of history) but minor ones like Heimdall have more room for artistic interpretation IMO. :)
selinakyle
selinakyle - 10/24/2010, 1:03 PM
Actually Desert Gorilla, thanks to the colonization of african countries, we do have white africans.
marvel72
marvel72 - 10/24/2010, 1:07 PM
this the worse bit about the thor film if you ask me.

white charactors should be played by white actors.

black charactors should be played by black actors.

remember most of us moan about how close comic book movies are to the source material.

if thor was rated by most 10/10.

it would go down to a 9/10,with this tiny mistake.
jazzman
jazzman - 10/24/2010, 1:10 PM
@deadpool72

how is it the worst bit about Thor when u have not seen the movie yet plus u know there are other races going to be in the movie in Asgard.

@TheDesertGorilla

but yet in Stargate SG1 they had a little Alien playing a Norse God lol
marvel72
marvel72 - 10/24/2010, 1:13 PM
@ jazzman

i'm just saying from what i've seen so far from trailers or pictures,this is the worst bit for me.

the stargate alien norse god is a 1000x worse.
jazzman
jazzman - 10/24/2010, 1:16 PM
@TheDesertGorilla

is the movie called "Heimdall" last time i remember its called Thor and his still white.

@deadpool72

but in the trailer it also had another black person

selinakyle
selinakyle - 10/24/2010, 1:16 PM
i wonder if there was this much uproar when jessica alba was cast as Sue Storm?
marvel72
marvel72 - 10/24/2010, 1:18 PM
@ jazzman

look you can have black people in the film,i haven't got a problem with that just not playing white charactors.

@ selina kyle

jessica alba was the wrong choice but at least they got the skin colour right.
jazzman
jazzman - 10/24/2010, 1:22 PM
@deadpool72

its not like white actors never played every other race in a fantasy films lol

jessica alba skin colour is not the same as Sue Storm she dont look like the character also

Idris Elba not even playing the lead character but a supporting character. if he was the lead then i agree its not right.
selinakyle
selinakyle - 10/24/2010, 1:27 PM
no the skin color wasn't right. She is Latina, not all american blonde blue eyed like sue storm. her casting was creepy.i suggest u go watch Honey....where she played the child of 2 black parents. And Sue Storm is a MAJOR character.
The14thAvenger
The14thAvenger - 10/24/2010, 1:51 PM
CALLING ALL AMERICANS!!!
WATCH THIS SHOW IF YOU CAN.
BY FAR IDRIS ELBAS BEST WORK


i dont know how to put the video up so heres the youtube link
skullboy
skullboy - 10/24/2010, 1:55 PM
They made Nick Fury black. As a result, he's black in the new Avengers cartoon too.
marvel72
marvel72 - 10/24/2010, 1:57 PM
@ selina kyle

jessica alba could pass for a white person,i don't think he could.

@ skullboy

the proper nick fury is white,its just that they're using the ultimate version.

@ paulie

exactly,white charactors should be white.
selinakyle
selinakyle - 10/24/2010, 2:02 PM
Story. He is playing Heimdall. The End!

@14thavenger...is that a series? i might catch it online.
soberchimera
soberchimera - 10/24/2010, 2:09 PM
Heimdall is a minor character in the Thor series and in the movie. So what if he's black? He'll probably only get like six minutes of screentime anyway. Get over it.
skidz
skidz - 10/24/2010, 2:10 PM
Hey, the actor playing Hogun is oriental, not many people have complained about that casting, let alone me. Why should a black guy playing Heimdall be any stranger.
BloodRed
BloodRed - 10/24/2010, 2:19 PM
Okay, since he brought up this bullsh!t again, I will rebut. I look forward to when a Black Panther movie is cast and Seann William Scott is in the lead role. Or if they do a Blade reboot and Jon Hamm is the vampire hunter himself.

And if the "he's only a supporting character" card is the one you want to play, let's get Kevin Spacey to play Robbie Robertson in the Spidey reboot.

Do those sound ridiculous Idris????? Exactly. So you have no business playing a white character either.

Btw, that "supporting character" argument is bullsh!t too, as Michael Clarke Duncan played The Kingpin, a major character in both the comics and the Daredevil movie. And a sh1tty job, at that.

IDRIS, YOU WILL BE AN OBVIOUS EYESORE IN AN OTHERWISE DECENT FILM.


Ashdm
Ashdm - 10/24/2010, 2:25 PM
BloodRed, you're a noob.
Ranger14
Ranger14 - 10/24/2010, 2:26 PM
Paulie@ Actually, the black comic book character of Nick Fury originated from SLJ's portrayal of Nick Fury, not the other way around. ;-)
PartyHard
PartyHard - 10/24/2010, 2:27 PM
@Wesley Colvin Thats because in the comics, Hogun comes from a race of people in Asgard who are based off of Mongols. He has always looked Asian.

marvel72
marvel72 - 10/24/2010, 2:28 PM
@ bloodred

i agree.

its a joke miner charactor or not he should be white.

simple.
RockNRollCC
RockNRollCC - 10/24/2010, 2:33 PM
@Deadpool What about Kingpin?! MCD was cast as him, and he wasnt the worst part of DD. Infact, he was one of the best parts of it. Does everything about everything have to be so accurate to the comics, we're getting into the race of people?! That's so racist, man!

I mean yes, it's important for main characters (Cap, Wolvie, etc), but for Heimdall, who will probably only be in the movie for a very short time, and you're saying just because he's black this movie goes down in your book?!

Wow. CBM.com just hit another all time low. I didnt think it was possible.
jazzman
jazzman - 10/24/2010, 2:33 PM
@Paulie

"Heimdall isn't black. End of story. But don't take my word for it, read the f-cking comics. "

why should i read it the comic if i know this already not once i said he was black. i know his white in the comics the same way i know Alicia Masters is white in the comics but she was played by a black woman in FF, Agent Zero is white in the comics but played by a Asian man in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Terry Fitzgerald who is black in the comics but played by a white guy in Spawn film.

"That's different. Sam Jackson's Nick Fury originate from the comic book character, who's black also."

if you know your sh!t u would know Ultimate Nick Fury was based on SLJ
jazzman
jazzman - 10/24/2010, 2:38 PM
@MarvelWeiner

he got a beard in the trailer
marvel72
marvel72 - 10/24/2010, 2:40 PM
@ rocknrollcc

please i don't even rate daredevil as good movie,it would of been better with a white kingpin.

end of.

how am i or anyone else being racist,i said white charactors should be white actors-black charactors should be black actors.

how is that racist ?
thatiscrazy
thatiscrazy - 10/24/2010, 2:43 PM
I for one am in favor of a character that is highly recognizable, like Batman or Captain America or Black Panther, even lesser characters like Ironfist being cast to reflect their race. But nobody gives a shit or even knows who heimdall is. Yes Elba was added so that there would be a black actor in the film to help broaden the audience, but who cares. This movies going to awesome. Only people with major race insecurity's bitch about insignificant stuff like this.

"My Norse god this, whaaaaaa" Really? Grow some nuts folks and get over it.

Also... any one who thinks Jessica Alba could pass for a white should have their eyes checked.
GUNSMITH
GUNSMITH - 10/24/2010, 2:45 PM
ULTIMATES VERSION NICK FURY...

ALL RACIAL WHYS ASIDE...ULTIMATES NICK FURY WAS PUT OUT THERE AND IT TOOK...PEOPLE CAUGHT ON TO IT, THE ROAR OF THE CROWD WHEN NICK FURY SHOWED UP AS AN EASTER EGG AFTER IRON MAN 1 SHOWS PEOPLE LOVED IT...

HE'S NICK, IDRIS IS HIEMELD...JUST LET GO OF THE COLORS AND JUST SEE AN ACTOR PLAYING A ROLE.
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