: Idris Elba says backlash over not calling himself a black actor is stupid #IndiaNEWS #Social Los Angeles, March 4 (IANS) Hollywood star Idris Elba created a tizzy on social media in February after

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Idris Elba says backlash over not calling himself a black actor is stupid #IndiaNEWS #Social
Los Angeles, March 4 (IANS) Hollywood star Idris Elba created a tizzy on social media in February after he said that he stopped calling himself a Black actor because it created limitations for his career.
The Luther actor was immediately accused of renouncing his blackness, although actors such as John Boyega came to his defence and argued that critics werent paying attention to his message about damning Hollywood stereotyping, reports Viral.
I feel as I get older Im 50 now we all have fears of saying too much, oversharing and whatnot, Elba now told The Guardian in a new interview.
And in this day and age, its really difficult to have an opinion if youre in the public eye because it gets overly scrutinised, taken out of context, thrown into some sort of bullshit, zeitgeisty social media argument.
Elba pointed to the controversy around his Black actor comment as proof that social media is a conflict incubator, adding, Me saying I dont like to call myself a Black actor is my prerogative.
Thats me, not you. So for you to turn around and say to me, Im denying my Blackness, on what grounds? Did you hear that? Where am I denying it? And what for? Its just stupid. Whatever.
In his Esquire U.K. interview, Elba noted that as humans, we are obsessed with race and that obsession can really hinder peoples aspirations, hinder peoples growth. Racism should be a topic for discussion, sure. Racism is very real. But from my perspective, its only as powerful as you allow it to be.
I stopped describing myself as a Black actor when I realised it put me in a box, the actor said.
Weve got to grow. Weve got to. Our skin is no more than that: its just skin. Rant over.
As Elbas detractors accused him of renouncing his Blackness, Boyega took to Twitter to re-direct the discourse to the kind of stereotyping that Elba was calling out in the first place.
I think we should fixate on who is typecasting and putting actors in boxes because of this, Boyega wrote. Not on making weird adjustments for them. We continuously focus on what we have to do so they dont do this or that. Very worrying. We BLACK and thats that.
Elba took to Twitter after his Esquire interview to tell off his detractors, writing: There isnt a soul on this earth that can question whether I consider myself a BLACK MAN or not. Being an actor is a profession, like being an architect, they are not defined by race. However, If YOU define your work by your race, that is your Perogative.
IANS
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