Idris Elba admits fame has made him "paranoid" about people.
The 42-year-old actor is now one of the most recognisable faces in TV and film due to his roles in ‘Luther’, ‘Thor’, ‘Prometheus’ and ‘Pacific Rim’ but he admits his celebrity status has made him question people’s intentions towards him a lot more.
He told the new issue of Loaded magazine: "You know ‘The Truman Show’? Sometimes you’re not sure what’s real or not, especially when it comes to relationships. If you’re adored by millions, sometimes even on your own front doorstep you can become paranoid and constantly question, ‘Who is he? Who is she? I know I’ve been guilty of it in the past."
Idris is considered by fans to be one of the coolest actors around and he has no shortage of female admirers.
The hunky star – who has baby son Winston with girlfriend Naiyana Garth and daughter Isan with his ex-wife Kim Elba – doesn’t consider himself to be cool but thinks people gravitate towards him because he’s down-to-earth.
He said: "Mr cool? Me? Well I wouldn’t go quite that far. You know what I think it is? I think people like to see some genuine attributes in people they admire, you know a bit of relatability, I think I have that. And I think I’ve always managed to remain as Idris. It goes a long way in this business if people can relate to you. They believe in you more, they want to see you win more and they support you better. I’ve been on both sides. I’ve gone to America as the new boy and come back to England as the old boy and I’ve watched American actors come here and realise immediately why they aren’t relatable – you just don’t want to go to the pub with them."
Read Idris’ full interview in Loaded magazine (www.loaded.co.uk) out now.
Idris Elba: Fame’s made me paranoid
