Actor Idris Elba (and all of his chocolate glory) graces the pages of GQ’s UK edition for March 2013.
He was The Wire’s most famous kingpin, but in 2013 Idris Elba is set to become Hollywood royalty, carrying a mega-budget blockbuster and portraying Nelson Mandela in an Oscar-bait biopic.
Elba has quite a few things under that belt of his! He’s a popular actor, a male model (peep THIS), a DJ…. and a singer!
[FLASHBACK: Is Idris Elba Coming For Usher Raymond With New Singing Career? (VIDEO)]
In the mag, Idris speaks with the mag about being a sex symbol, his love of tatts, and addresses rumors of him being the first Black James Bond.
More photos PLUS excerpts from Idris Elba’s GQ UK interview below…
Your Twitter feed is ridiculous. Just one woman after the next outlining what they’d like to do to you; a litany of lust. That must put a spring in your step, being seen as such a sex symbol.
The irony is I wake up every morning, look at myself in the mirror and think, “Woah, I look like a piece of s***.” You watch yourself age and it’s hard to feel like a sex symbol. Apparently, those days are for when you are a young man, and, yes, I get that thing, the litany of lust, I like that! But I’m not sure what it is they see, not to mention that, personally, I feel very awkward.
There’s no way all those women would ever sleep with me and go, “I really liked him.” Some of them would go, “He was really boring or he was a bit aggressive or, urgh, actor.” You know? But it’s a compliment and it’s a massive tool to use in sculpting a career, especially with what I do for a living, because I work in the face business. So it’s a compliment and I use it accordingly.
You appear to like a tattoo. What do they say about you?
They’re all personal. My daughter’s name is on this arm and my grandad’s name is on this arm; there are philosophies of songs that I love. Body art for me, man, is a f***ing form of expression of the highest order. This is our canvas, our container; these are our bricks. All this is designed to hold up this one little device called the brain and I just want to decorate it and be proud of it. I’ve got a s*** memory, I can only remember lines. But I look at this and I won’t forget it. My industry is full of gas and I don’t want to get derailed.
One of the interesting things about me is that I can talk to anyone and fit in almost anywhere. It’s something I’ve been doing for more than 10,000 hours, as Malcolm Gladwell would say. I can read people, work out if they’ll like me or not. It gets better with age because less is expected and I can smell bulls*** from much, much further away. I don’t even have to get close to smell it! Now, I can see them coming. In my early days, I could walk into a casting director’s room and, coupled with the fact that I’ve got some talent, I’m going to get that part. I had it down almost to a science in England. Wasn’t as good at in America, though [laughs].
Let’s talk Bond.
No, let’s not. What’s to talk about?
Do you want it?
It’s a rumour. And, I have to tell you, if the producers of Bond thought that I was self-campaigning, it would be such a turn-off. I’m flattered, obviously, but I’ve been advised to just pipe down about it. Apparently Daniel Craig said I’d be a great Bond. Daniel, why did you say that? Dropped me right in it! What an honor it would be, but also, what an indication of change. I know Ian Fleming lived in Jamaica for a long time, didn’t he? I think it’s interesting to think what he would have made of a black man playing Bond.
It would be interesting to see what Idris would make of the role of James Bond.? Wouldn’t you agree?
Read Idris’ full GQ UK interview HERE…