Idris Elba says he was “super conscious” about playing a US president in his new movie A House of Dynamite.
Elba, 53, was at the film’s New York Film Festival premiere on Sunday when he opened up about his latest role in a chat with the press.
“I was super conscious of it,” the actor told People Magazine. “But my granddad’s American and I was raised in America for a long time, so I kind of got over it.”
“Playing the president was a challenge … I wanted to bring a human side to this character, and I hope the audience enjoy that,” he added of the political thriller.
Elba called working with director Kathryn Bigelow a “bucket list” moment. “I’m a big admirer of her films,” he said. “But the truth is, we got to make a really important film … one that highlights the fragility of our world and who we are as people.”
A House of Dynamite follows Elba’s president and members of the US government in the tense hours after a nuclear missile is launched over the Pacific Ocean.
A House of Dynamite marks Elba’s second straight political role, following his turn as the UK prime minister opposite John Cena in July’s Heads of State.
The drama also stars Rebecca Ferguson, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, Moses Ingram, Greta Lee, Jason Clarke, Gabriel Basso and Jonah Hauer-King.
Written by Noah Oppenheim, A House of Dynamite hits theaters October 10 and begins streaming on Netflix Octber 24.
