I wasn’t pushed as an actor: Idris Elba

Idris Elba said about his career hanging by a thread after The Wire.

The Luther star revealed that he “stuck out like a sore thumb” after viewers learned about his British nationality while he essayed a Baltimore drug dealer on the super-hit HBO show.

“Most people thought I was American during The Wire, and then when they realized I was not, I suddenly stuck out like a sore thumb. I felt more scrutinized,” Elba told The Guardian. “I was enjoying success, but I don’t think I was being pushed or stretched as an actor.”

The Suicide Squad star continued, “I don’t think I was getting roles that were, like, remarkable. I could feel that there was a glass ceiling coming. I could sort of see the smudges on it.”

Previously, the 50-year-old told Esquire that he “identified” a lot with his character Stringer Bell and that it was difficult to part ways with the character.

“He was an underdog, right? I was an underdog. And the feeling that I’m not the guy; I’m the guy next to the guy. Or, I’m not the guy yet, but I could be the guy,” Elba added.

“I always had a fear that I would end up like Stringer Bell. I always felt like, damn, this guy was going places, he was *** smart, everyone liked him, and he got moped out. I always feel like that could be me. I could get run over; I could get stabbed; I could get shot. I could get an illness. Nothing’s permanent.”