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Next up, Elba will play what he calls "a very despicable man" in Cary Fukunaga's Beasts of No Nation, based on the experiences of child soldiers in Africa. He is also hoping to launch a Thelonious Monk biopic. ("He's on my bucket list," Elba says.) And of course, those James Bond rumors still persist--no less than the current Bond, Daniel Craig, thinks a black actor should be the successor to the 007 throne, and Elba has emerged as a fan favorite. ("If it happened, it would be the will of a nation and the most incredible thing," Elba says. "But I don't think it is going to happen.") In the meantime, he has a string of Mandela premieres on his dance card, having already brought the film to South Africa and to a White House screening with President Obama. (Elba, for the record, does an excellent Obama impression.)
Most important, Elba had the chance to show the movie to his father. "I lost my dad about two months ago," he says, "but he got to watch it before he passed, and was seeing all these moments he recognized from our family--he kept saying, 'Oh, looks like Uncle. Oh, looks like Grandpa.'"
Did he ever say, "Oh, looks like me?"
"No," Elba replies. "My mom said it."