His name keeps coming up when it comes to a new, seminal James Bond actor: Idrissa Akuna “Idris” Elba. As a cool investigator in the globally successful BBC series “Luther”, the 49-year-old Briton has proven that he can do both action and character. He also knew how to impress in major US productions such as “Avengers”, “Fast & Furious” and “Star Trek Beyond”.
Now the Bond speculation carousel gets an unexpected new twist. Because Idris Elba does not wait for a call from the producer house Broccoli. He prefers to concentrate on his commitment as a DJ and label maker.
Bond in criticism:
Speaking to Vanity Fair magazine, he said: “Some now think that if the music sucks, it’s going to kill my acting. But I’ve fought internal battles with myself long enough. Now I’m calm and I’ve decided: I’ll do it anyway – and I’ll keep doing it. Some will love it and some will hate it.”
What might sound a little romantic to an established, world-class actor, like the blues band in the basement, definitely has a history. Elba is no longer a beginner with his music. British trade magazines such as “Mixmag” or “DJ Mag” listed his merits on the mix deck, styles ranging from house to tech house.
Elba released the first EP “Big Man” in 2006, and founded his own label 7Wallace Music in 2016. A first release on it was the Franco-Cameroon rapper James BKS. “A big step towards diversity for a small indie label,” Elba told Billboard at the time.
In addition to his collaborations with established music names such as Pharoahe Monch, Mumford & Sons, Mr Hudson, Inner City or Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, his remix of “Trust In Me” for dear fellow actor Scarlett Johannsson falls more into the category of celebrity bling. As a DJ, he also plays under his pseudonym Big Driis. Regular sets are documented when he is not in front of the camera. These include an appearance at Coachella 2019 or a show from Amsterdam that received a lot of views on YouTube.
It remains to be seen to what extent Elba’s DJ weakness will encourage producer Barbara Broccoli to come up with new, tailor-made offers. A wild chase in Berghain or through the pools of a megadisco in Ibiza would possibly inspire the desired rejuvenation of the Bond “brand core”.