IDRIS ELBA is poised to take over the world. But it didn't happen overnight. An award-winning actor who landed his breakout role as criminal impresario Stringer Bell in HBO's cult hit The Wire, Elba now splits his efforts between DJing (going under the name “DJ Big Driis”), headlining clubs all over the world, singing on the new Macklemore and Ryan Lewis album, and designing a new fashion line with Superdry.

“People seem to think, ‘You're now dipping your toes into music, into fashion, into producing'," he explains, “but these are all projects and passions I've been working on for years. Nothing has been done on a whim. There's no way I could pull that altogether in one go."

For the time being however, his onscreen commitments will remain his primary bread and butter.

This year will see the Luther star hog the limelight as the villainous Krall in Star Trek Beyond, play a gangster sea lion in Finding Dory as well as Shere Khan in The Jungle Book. Later he begins production on the long-awaited adaptation of Stephen King's The Dark Tower with Matthew McConaughey. But before all that, Elba gets his spy on in espionage thriller Bastille Day.

Directed by The Woman in Black's James Watkins, Elba is Sean Briar, a former CIA agent who teams up with a petty pickpocket [Game of Thrones' Richard Madden, recovered from the unfortunate events of the Red Wedding, where his mother, wife, and unborn child died] who's wrongly accused of a terrorist attack in Central Paris.

Determined to clear his new partner's name and find those responsible, Briar stumbles on an elaborate government cover-up, using the guise of extremist fundamentalism. But who will believe him?

Fast-paced and edgy, it's a white-knuckle ride with the humorous traits of a buddy cop comedy. Unfortunately, elements of the storyline have an eerie quality after the Paris attacks last November. Rugged and brawny in a blue sweater and jeans, Idris Elba recognizes the temptation to make connections between reality and entertainment but dismisses it.

“I DON'T NEED ANY MORE RUMORS. I DON'T NEED THAT. I THINK THE RUMOR MILL NEEDS TO TAKE A REST."

And he's also quick to affirm that “Bastille Day" is not your typical terrorist thriller. Joking and witty, he visibly rolls his eyes with the mention of James Bond but Briar, even he has to admit, isn't a million miles away from 007. The star also looks towards his busy year, his dreams of doing comedy, why Daniel Day Lewis has the perfect career, and his stance on diversity in the entertainment industry.

Q. We may as well get it out of the way because you know I'm going to want to ask.

ELBA: Yea, alright [laughs].

Q. Is the Bond rumor going to remain just that?

POW! Straight in there [laughs]. Look, it's a rumor that has become something far greater than I ever could have imagined, anyone could have imagined. You know, it was at once something someone said and then bam, it's all anyone can talk about it. “Do you have it? Are you Bond? When, Where, How?"

And it won't go away because you lot keep asking about it [laughs]. But hey, look, it's not a rumor I'm embarrassed about. God, not in the slightest. It's the coolest thing to be associated with. It's a huge compliment and I will never say otherwise. I'd be stupid to think that. It's fantastic to be part of the conversation. He's is the ultimate icon. I'm not complaining.

Q. So there's never been any contact with Barbara Brocolli, never been any conversation at all? Even with all this?

Not at all, I just don't know how many more times I can talk about it, it's coming across a little repetitive on my part because there hasn't been any discussions with James Bond producers, there's been absolutely no contact. But it is lovely that there is so much interest. I'm very grateful and thankful for that.

Q. “Bastille Day" is kind of like an audition for Bond, let's be honest. [Briar is] an international spy, they're not too dissimilar. Is this the closest we'll ever see you play 007?

These characters are very different. Bond, Briar. There aren't really any ties, as much as there are those out there would like to make that connection. And again, it's a cool connection but this is a very different film.

Q. So what appealed to you about “Bastille Day"?

I quite liked the old school element of the script and storytelling. Definitely the old school element of it. Our director James Watkins said, “Oh we want to make a film that feels like (the) Seventies," and with the framing, the way he did the action, the tone, sort of in your face, whoop bang, crashing cars in cars, little bit old school, very little CGI in the film, a lot of it is actuality and I just like that in the film like this. And that approach. And what I like is that it deviates from what you think it is, and that's a terrorist plot, that's not at all what it is, it's you know, good guy vs. bad guy in the end. Who doesn't love that?

Q. What was it like working with Richard Madden?

Even James admits that he didn't know if it would work but then putting you together, it just fit so well. Simply down to the fact that he's a lovely, lovely, top bloke and we got on so well. We're mates, always bantering, always laughing and that, there was a lot of laughs between takes. It was great. And I think that chemistry has definitely made it to the screen, you see it up there and that sort of propels it along in this “Lethal Weapon" kind of way.

Q. I hear he became quite the quick hand at pickpocketing.

Yea, I think that's a life skill right there that you need to keep up. Although how do you do that? It's not like you can ask your mates, “Hey, can I try this on you?"

Q. Did he try it on you when the cameras weren't rolling?

And he knew better than to try it on me, be getting a slap in the face. There was this tremendous rooftop chase scene and James explained to me that he actually built a roof, on top of another rooftop in Paris.

“IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT SKIN COLOR OR ETHNICITY, IT'S ABOUT GENDER, ABOUT SEXUALITY, ABOUT DISABILITY, AND ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND CULTURAL FOUNDATIONS."

Q. Making the stunt all the more dangerous right?

It was pretty terrifying, yea because there was no wire work. Well, it was terrifying for the first take, the first few takes, you think, “Woah this is not good, I should not be up this high, running along the roofs of Paris," but then you had to just get on with it. You started to feel alright up there.

But you had a really interesting dynamic where you had a cameraman on, if this is the length of the roof, he was on a wire and he's just cruising along beside us, that blew me away. It was quite a dynamic sequence to make that film come alive and part of that, he wanted to see us actually doing it. Richard and I practiced for six weeks in a sequence doing that scene in a warehouse, but it was gruelling, dangerous but I like danger. Danger is my middle name [laughs].It was a lot of hard work, a lot and you had to be fit.

Q. Which surely isn't a problem for you?

You would be surprised. I'm getting on, no spring chicken [laughs].

Q. Now, there is no denying the eerie parallels between this film and the Paris attacks, has that changed the meaning of the film for you?

Without a doubt, we are so sensitive to how audiences might receive this film, but it's important to highlight that me as an actor, you know, I'm responsible for certain areas of the film, which is to make audiences relate to the characters. The filmmakers certainly paid attention to what is happening in current affairs, you know, adapted.

But the truth of the matter is, our film is based in Paris, we made it a year before the attacks, the script waswritten three years before that. And an intelligent audience will receive it that way and will understand that. But there's no doubt, our hearts go out to what happened in Paris and in Brussels and feel the audience shouldn't be too [reminded] of what happened in Paris and taken to a completely different direction and it's entertainment.

Q. You have a seriously busy release schedule this year, with “Star Trek," “Finding Dory," “The Jungle Book"...

It's kept me going.

Q. What can you reveal about your villainous role in “Star Trek"?

Who says I'm the villain? [laughs].

Q. It's in the trailer.

Well, don't take everything for face value.

Q. So what can you reveal?

A total rollercoaster ride, very different to anything I've ever worked on before. And it's been challenging, physically and mentally, I've pushed myself hard. The cast are an incredibly talented ensemble, some I've worked with before, some first time. Justin [Lin] and Simon [Pegg] and the team have created a complex, interesting journey. And I'm not going to say anymore because the marksmen will take me out through that window. They're listening [laughs].

Q. You've got “Finding Dory," “Jungle Book," “Zootropolis" like you're making your mark as a voice actor now this year too.

Yea, I love acting, portraying a story, a character with just your voice, your tone. It's a big challenge but it's a lot of fun and working on these films has been a great way to exercise that. And they were three movies I couldn't say no too.

Q. I love that you and Dominic West are playing East End London gangster sea lions.

When that is pitched to you, you sign up yesterday [laughs] and he's a great friend after all these years, it was the best opportunity to laugh and mess around.

Q. It's really the first time you're doing comedy, because I know it's something you've been after.

Exactly because I'm fucking funny. I'm a really funny guy [laughs].

Q. So would you like to star in a “Hangover"-style comedy, Judd Apatow...what would suit you?

No, no, I don't want to say any in particularly because it will be, “duhdudhdu wants to be in whatever." I don't need any more rumors [laughs] I don't need that [laughs]. I think the rumor mill needs to take a rest.

Q. You're well and truly part of the A-list now, but do you feel like you are?

No [laughs] who ever says, “Yea, I'm A-list now"?

Q. I'm sure lots of people. But your career has really got to a place now here you can surely pick and choose.

Yea, maybe. Yea, I feel now, in the last year or so, I'm able to actually examine and take my time and scope out what I want to do next. And not go from one to the other because I need the job. I've been acting a long long time, well. Wait, making myself sound about a hundred. I've been acting for what, 22, 23 years, but I'm only 43. At this stage, I can ease the speed.

Q. Who has the ideal career in your eyes?

Daniel Day Lewis. He is someone whose career speaks to what I want to do creatively. He chooses his work really methodically, with great intelligence and analysis. What he's done, has been pretty special, to put it mildly.

Q. Lastly, there has been so much discussion about diversity in Hollywood and in the entertainment industry. What's your opinion and have you detected any change?

Look, it's a great conversation to be having right now and can only be a good thing. We need more diversity in scripts, in storytelling, in reflecting the diverse world we live in. And it's not about just about skin color or ethnicity, it's about gender, about sexuality, about disability, and economic, social, and cultural foundations. So yea, it can only be a good thing.

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Top Left: JESSICA FORDE - © 2016 - STUDIOCANAL
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