Idris Elba recently shared that portraying characters who are “completely socially unacceptable” can be a therapeutic experience.
However, Elba, 51, also believes that the greatest villains are often more credited to the writers who created them than the actors who bring them to life.
“These people get to say things that we only think in the deepest, darkest recesses of our brains,” Elba told the Wall Street Journal of The Bad Guys roles.
“They say horrible things and scream horrible things and get to be completely socially unacceptable. As an actor, that’s sometimes a gift, sometimes a bit of therapy.”
Over the years, Elba has portrayed a number of infamously awful characters, such as the antagonists in Hobbs & Shaw (2019), Beasts of No Nation (2015), and The Harder They Fall (2021).
He noted, “They are usually well-written,” contributing to the power of a character’s most wicked traits.
“When you see a really interesting bad guy, you’re going to think about the actor, but think about the writer,” he said. “It’s the writer who’s dark. You’ve got to give him or her a hug.”
Elba provided input on his decision-making process for his next roles in other sections of the profile.
“I guess I’m one of those actors who believe acting is acting,” he said. “I don’t really have a formula for what to choose. If I resonate with the character, I don’t have a hierarchy. Is the writing good? Is it something I’ve done before? Can I disappear in the role?”
