Idris Elba based his portrayal of Nelson Mandela in 'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom' on his late father.
Idris Elba based his Nelson Mandela role on his late father.
The 41-year-old actor plays the anti-apartheid revolutionary, who died last night (05.12.13) aged 95, in biopic 'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom', and admits he looks very similar to his late father, who recently passed away from lung cancer aged 76, when portraying Mandela as an old man.
When asked how he felt when he saw himself with white hair and wrinkles while playing the former South African President at a later stage of his life, he replied: ''Funny, because that's how we designed the older Mandela to assimilate how I would look, and ironically I looked just like my old man. I designed my Mandela on my dad.''
Idris admits his father got emotional when he watched his son take on the iconic role because he knew it would be one of the last times he would see him on the big screen.
He added to The Sun newspaper: ''He cried. He was so emotional, because I think he must have known, if I'm really honest about it.
''He must have thought it was one of the last times he was going to see one of my really big performances.
''It's a sad film and now, when I think about it, it must have been emotional for him. He must have known. We were all in denial. It was a great moment to share.''
Idris attended the Royal Premiere of 'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom' in London's Leicester Square last night alongside his co-star Naomie Harris - who plays Mandela's ex-wife Winnie - as well as Prince William and Duchess Catherine, and the 'Luther' actor admits he did ''so much'' research before he started filming.
He told BANG Showbiz: ''I was more of a journalist than an actor when I first got the role [as Mandela]. I didn't know as much as I'd like to about him, there is so much to learn.
''Especially about his aura, about the way people feel about him because you can't really act that. You just have to have some understanding of it, so that's what I did.''
Mandela's daughters Zindzi and Zenani Mandela were also at the premiere and they immediately left the screening of the movie - which is based on the late leader's 1994 autobiography of the same name - upon hearing about their father's death.
A spokesman for the Nelson Mandela Foundation said: ''They received the news of their father's passing during the screening and immediately left the cinema.''
On the same day that Glastonbury welcomed back Margate's adopted sons, The Libertines, Margate itself put on it's very own Leisure Festival as it...
Sheffield's very own all girl group Pretty Fierce are still on a high after the recent release of their debut single - 'Ready For Me'.
Three nights before the end of his current tour Will Varley returned to his home town of Deal to delight a sold out crowd in The Astor Theatre.
With only a few days to go before Portsmouth based songstress and producer WYSE releases her new single, 'Belladonna', we caught up with her to find...
Colorado raised, Glasgow educated and Manchester based Bay Bryan is nothing if not a multi-talented, multi-faceted artist performing as both...
Former Marigolds band member Keelan Cunningham has rediscovered his love of music with his new solo project Keelan X.
Wiltshire singer-songwriter Luke De Sciscio, formally known as Folk Boy, is set to release is latest album - 'The Banquet' via AntiFragile Music on...
Electronic music pioneer and producer Annie Elise says that the release of her first EP - 'Breathe In, Breathe Out' feels "both vulnerable and...
The most riotously enjoyable Marvel movie yet, this action epic benefits hugely from the decision...
With his friends and his hammer, Thor is virtually unbeatable by any creature in the...
To most of the world, Molly Bloom is a beautiful young skiing extraordinaire, but behind...
When two people from different walks of life find themselves unable to take their scheduled...
Jake Chambers is an 11-year-old boy who has been having visions of a strange other...
A multi-strand drama set in London, this film is very nicely shot and acted, but...
It's been 13 years since the release of the Disney/Pixar hit Finding Nemo, and filmmaker...
This is where the Star Trek franchise officially shifts from thoughtful drama into thunderous action....
When the Starship Enterprise finds itself under forceful attack, the crew on board fight to...
Dory's past has always eluded her, she's a little forgetful fish whose bright character and...
Star Trek Beyond is the thirteenth film to be released from the Star Trek franchise...
An attempt to muscle in on Luc Besson's Taken-style of thriller, this is an odd...
Using remarkably photorealistic animation, this remake of the 1967 Disney classic is warm and enjoyable,...