Idris Elba has played many roles in his storied career but portraying the president of the United States was a notable challenge.
I was super conscious of it,” Elba at the premiere of A House of Dynamite. “But you know … my granddad’s American and I was raised in America for a long time, so I kind of got over it.”
The film chronicles how the U.S. government responds to a nuclear missile that was launched over the Pacific Ocean.
“Playing the president was a challenge. But I’m hoping that … I wanted to bring a human side to this character. And I hope the audience enjoy that,” Elba adds.
He also spoke about how much he enjoyed working with director Kathryn Bigelow
Bucket list. Working with Kathryn was something that I always wanted to do,” Elba says. “I’m a big admirer of her films. But the truth is, we got to make a really important film. A film that’s going to highlight, I guess, the fragility of our world and who we are as people.”
Ebla attended the premiere with his daughter Isan, who is following in her father’s footsteps as in the entertainment industry. During an interview with Tatler Magazine, she spoke about her aspirations.
‘I want to be a producer because I grew up on film sets. I’ve been around that my entire life so it was kind of a no-brainer,” Isan said.
‘When I was much younger, I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian,” she continued. “But once I realised what my parents did – and you know, they are my idols – I realised I want to be in the film industry,’
A House of Dynamite is the second consecutive film where Elba plays a politcian. With John Cena, he starred in Heads of State of a Prime Video.
“When a single, unattributed missile is launched at the United States,” reads a synopsis for the film, “a race begins to determine who is responsible and how to respond.”
A House of Dynamite is in theaters Oct. 10, then streaming on Netflix Oct. 24.