Fight for survival at heart of Idris Elba’s ‘Beast’

How do you tell your kid that she didn’t get the role as your daughter? “It came down to chemistry at the end of the day,” Idris Elba says in a Zoom call. “She was great, but the chemistry wasn’t right for the film, weirdly enough.”

It wasn’t so hot at home either. “My daughter didn’t talk to me for about three weeks,” he says.

Elba has a lot of projects where things might fare better. Besides “Beast,” now in theaters, he stars on the big screen this weekend in “Mad Max” director George Miller’s new film “Three Thousand Years of Longing.”

Based on a A.S. Byatt novella, the film is a fairy tale romance starring Elba as a mystical Djinn (or genie) and Tilda Swinton as a lonesome professor on a trip to Istanbul. The Djinn promises to grant her three wishes for his freedom, but the deal isn’t so easy.

In “Beast,” Elba plays Dr. Nate Samuels, a man trying to save his two daughters from a vengeful lion lurking in every shadow on what was supposed to be a life-changing trip to South Africa. “He’s hoping to reconnect with his girls after their mother’s tragic passing but has to spend the trip saving their lives,” the actor says.

Elba’s life includes early work as a DJ and comedy club bouncer before making his first splash as Stringer Bell on HBO’s “The Wire.” He also starred as John Luther in the BBC cop series “Luther.” He has starred on the big screen ever since in films including “The Suicide Squad,” “Thor: Love and Thunder,” “Beasts of No Nation,” “Avengers: Infinity War” and “The Mountain Between Us.”

“I never want people to say, ‘Oh, this is an Idris Elba film, so I’m going to expect a certain something.’ I want to do films that are all different,” he says.

Review-Journal: How do you feel about turning 50 on Sept. 6? Big party at the Elba house?

Idris Elba: I haven’t planned a big party, but my wife (actor Sabrina Dhowre Elba) wants to throw one. I just want to chill with family, friends and some good music.

What do you know now that you didn’t know at 20?

I did know this deep down, but now I know deep in my heart that good people attract good people. It’s about the energy you put out there. If you put out good energy, it will come back to you.

On the big screen, your new hit film “Beast” features a lion, but the message goes much deeper.

Yes, the lion is the beast, and that’s the fun of the movie. The humans are trying to stay alive, but there is also a deeper message about how grief and pain are also beasts in our lives. Survival is a beast. It’s not just about a big lion chase, but a man and his kids chasing what’s meaningful in his life.

Describe filming in South Africa? And what does this film say about poaching?

That environment really is a character in the film, plus I just loved being there. … We’d get up at 3 in the morning just to catch the beautiful light. You might think it would be warm, but it was freezing. I’m a proud African, and I didn’t want this to be a misrepresentation of Africa. I wanted to talk poaching and animals and the land. And I like to point out that lions don’t really chase humans unless humans have disrupted their home.

Tell us about your character.

He’s recently widowed and a father visiting a game preserve with his daughters. There is an endearing family bond made even more special by the fact that they’re there because his wife and their mother was from this special place. But, like in any family, there are things not working when the film starts, and then you add the predator. It was one of the best scripts I’ve read in a long time.

No lions or actors were harmed.

None. The lion is CGI made with incredible technology. I didn’t fight a real lion, but there was puppetry to make it feel real to me.

What did you make of playing a genie for George Miller?

It was really unique storytelling and a character I’ve never attempted or wanted to even try doing. As an actor, the challenge is to bring him to life with an entertainment spin and a certain amount of authority. I know nothing about Genies or Djinns. So, that was also quite attractive to me. … What was really important to me was to veer away from anything that we may have seen before.

How did you rate working with Miller and Swinton?

I was a huge fan of Tilda’s for a long time. And then suddenly we were in a room sitting opposite each other discussing things about acting. You take your first breath with this person and think, “How is this actually happening?” And it’s as pure as it gets with someone like George. All of your vulnerabilities open up because this is an experience where George makes you feel quite safe.

What do you worry about the most as an actor?

All actors dread being stale. We want it always to be freshened up. We want it to feel like it’s the first time anyone has ever said the words. That’s why you need to feel safe with your director and other actors.

If you’re not working what is your idea of a great Sunday?

Sleeping! Eating good food. Family time. Again, I just want to chill with my family. I’ve learned to really appreciate the quiet moments in a busy life. So, if I have a day off, I’ll spend time with family and friends, sit on my sofa and maybe work on new music. That’s an absolute happy day for me.