Idris Elba discusses “masterclass” of working with George Miller and Tilda Swinton
Idris Elba is one of the most celebrated actors of his generation, and it’s not hard to understand why, as his CV speaks for itself. The Wire, Luther, American Gangster and Beasts of No Nation are just four iconic titles he has starred in. Aside from these outstanding dramatic turns, he is famous for his supporting role as Heimdall in the Thor films and the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Elba is so lauded that many have backed him to play the new iteration of James Bond following Daniel Craig’s bowing out in 2021’s No Time To Die. With him promising to bring something new to the role back in June, fans went into a meltdown when it was revealed that he’d had “talks” about the possibility of assuming the role of 007. However, Bond’s future is still up in the air, so we’ll have to wait on that front.
Elsewhere, Elba has been very busy. As well as announcing that the Luther film is complete, he starred in George Miller’s mind-bending fantasy, Three Thousand Years of Longing, this summer. In it, he plays the Djinn accidentally let out of his bottle by Tilda Swinton’s inquisitive scholar Alithea Binnie. His performance has been widely praised by critics and fans, showing that there’s no role he will not portray with verve.
Clearly enjoying the crest of a wave, earlier this month, Elba sat down with The Talks to discuss his career and revealed what it was like to work with Miller and Swinton. He explained that working with the director was “a masterclass” and that the film was like stepping into a work of art.
Elba said: “I feel like Three Thousand Years of Longing was a masterclass for me. George Miller sat down with us and articulated every single layer page by page: the special effects and how the electromagnetic field will feel to the audience. There were artist’s drawings and some really beautiful reference images, which he put in the script and said, ‘This is what I am aiming for.’ That script, which I still have, is a work of art. Stepping into George’s world is very beautiful. (Laughs) He has a very vivid imagination!”
The actor then turned his attention to his co-star Tilda Swinton and their great chemistry, expressing that this came from their being acquainted with each other before filming.
He explained: “It was incredibly important to get that chemistry with Tilda! Working with George Miller in the hotel room where we shot the film, and playing with someone like Tilda Swinton, it is definitely a different type of acting. Fortunately, Tilda and I know each other a little bit and we had maybe three weeks of really intense rehearsals, pulling apart the script, talking about every detail of it. In that process, we shared stories and got to know each other, so by the time we got to set, there was a chemistry that we could rely on to bring the drama between the two characters alive.”
