Fitness fan Idris Elba plans to still be action star in his 90s
He owns the vibe. Some might call it an effortless cool.
Idris Elba, 50, also plays it well. On a warm summer morning in London, though, he’s not the guy in the sleek suit in this interview, opting instead for khaki shorts and an olive green silky shirt.
But his smile? Movie star, all the way.
He just doesn’t see it. The star of prestige TV such as “The Wire” and the new Apple TV+ thriller “Hijack” tells a story about how women often approach him and ask for photos … for a parent.
“I do get a lot of, ‘My mum loves you. Can I take a picture of you for my mum?’ ”
Yeah right, their mum.
Elba might just garner an all-ages fan base for his new project, which is a lot like “24” in the sky.
He executive produced and stars in the seven-part series “Hijack,” now streaming on Apple TV+. The high-octane thriller, shot on an actual plane, is told in real time and follows the seven-hour journey of a hijacked jet flying from Dubai to London. Elba as Sam Nelson, a man 30,000 feet up in the sky who knows how to negotiate in the business world. He has no choice but to step in to save himself and his fellow passengers.
The London native began his career as a DJ and has shown off his skills at Coachella, among other notable gigs. Elba hit it big on HBO’s “The Wire,” playing Stringer Bell, then portrayed John Luther on the hit BBC cop series “Luther.”
His big-screen work includes “The Suicide Squad,” “Thor: Love and Thunder,” “Beasts of No Nation,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” “The Mountain Between Us” and “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.”
But at home in London, he’s just another bloke biking around on weekends with his wife, model/actress Sabrina Dhowre Elba. His good life tips:
Find the humor
He spent over two years prepping and then filming inside a real plane’s interior to create the rocky flight in “Hijack.” What did it feel like to be in such a confined space for so long? “As an actor, it felt like I was flying to Mars,” the 6-foot-3-inch Elba jokes. “I was like, ‘Am I still on the plane? We were on the plane so long that I thought, ‘How many seasons of this show are we doing? … I think I’m still wearing the shirt from the show now. I just hope it’s not the one with the blood on it.”
Play against type
Why this project? “All my adult life, I’ve heard, ‘Oh, you’re a big man.’ I’ve taken on roles that feed into that thinking,” he says. “Now I want to play against it. Sam is not always the hero. He’s quite vulnerable and has a lot going on with his family. … The way to keep life interesting is to give people something they do not expect.”
Stay loose and limber
Elba says he trains hard in order to do action scenes and stay healthy. He mixes shadowboxing into his routine. “Shadowboxing is one of the best workouts you can do,” he says. “You don’t need any equipment and it works every muscle. It’s what Nelson Mandela did in his jail cell.”
He also does kickboxing to stay fit. “It’s all core strength and it gives you strength to defend yourself in real life,” Elba adds.
His cardio also includes a childhood favorite: skipping. “You really break a sweat,” he say.
The key to fitness is consistency, Elba explains. “It’s a conscious choice to fit moving into each day,” he says. “You’ll never be sorry that you decided to spend some time focused on your health and overall well-being. It also means you eat that Snickers bar.”
Mix it up
Age before action star duty? Never. Elba plans to mix it up in his 90s. “I figure it this way: If you hurt yourself, take a breather and carry on,” he says. “Age doesn’t figure into if you can do something physical. You have to continually challenge yourself in that area.”
Laugh at the labels
Is it a blessing or a curse to be a good-looking man? “I’m getting a lot of love today, thank you very much,” Elba says, laughing. “I’m sure it’s all very subjective. I’m sure I’m not that good-looking to everyone. … Filming ‘Hijack,’ some of the camera angles were not sexy. At one point, the camera was right up my nozzle (nose) and I said, ‘Are you sure that’s the right angle, man? Should I go into a nice light?’ And I heard, ‘No, it’s perfect.’ ”
Know your worth
“I’m a force of nature and a true spirt,” Elba says when asked to describe himself. “Forget the negative talk. You need to reinforce your positive qualities. Those are the things that will carry you far in life.”
Release expectations
“I don’t presume that everyone knows who I am, even though I’ve been acting for a long time,” he says. “When I look in the mirror, it’s just a guy that was trying to be an actor. So, if I walk into a restaurant in the middle of Belgium, I’m not expecting everyone to recognize me.”
Dream it; do it
“I dream of being an old, old man on a beach in Jamaica,” Elba says with a laugh. “You must always have a dream.”
