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Idris Elba Responds To Not Calling Himself A Black Actor, ‘Racism Is Only As Powerful As You Let It’

“I stopped describing myself as a black actor when I realized it put me in a box,” Elba said. “We’ve got to grow. We’ve got to. Our skin is no more than that: It’s just skin.”

Chrissie Massey
3 min readMar 9, 2023

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Photo by Harald Krichel/Wikimedia Commons

Idris Elba is tired of the public’s obsession with race. Out Kick reports that Elba sparked social media outrage when he told that he no longer describes himself as a black actor because of the limitation the notion put on his career. Now, he’s addressing that backlash, hoping it squashes the online debate.

Elba told Guardian that it’s “really difficult” for a celebrity (of any race) to have an opinion. He said his words would get twisted and “taken out of context.”

“Me saying I don’t like to call myself a black actor is my prerogative,” Idris Elba explained. “That’s me, not you,” he said. “So for you to turn around and say to me, I’m ‘denying my blackness.’ On what grounds? Did you hear that? Where am I denying it? And what for? It’s just stupid.”

“I stopped describing myself as a black actor when I realized it put me in a box,” Elba said. “We’ve got to grow. We’ve got to. Our skin is no more than that: It’s just…

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Chrissie Massey
Chrissie Massey

Written by Chrissie Massey

Spent my adult life writing online for many publications — both online & print. Now, I’m finding my voice, and sharing it with the world. she/her

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