I watched a recent Brooklyn, New York screening of the independent film “Legacy,” starring Idris Elba, who is also the movie’s executive producer. It is my understanding that executive producers in film have a great say in casting and script decisions. The film’s director, Thomas Ikimi, a young, London-based, Columbia University trained, Nigerian filmmaker who secured funding from people in his homeland after an unsuccessful attempt stateside. The money he was able to raise in Nigeria was far greater than the funding he received in the United States. I like that inspiring back story.
This is my observation, however, about the content of the film and I guess to some extent the business of it.
Arguably, Idris Elba’s core fan base in the United States is Black women. I would estimate that 90% or more of the Brooklyn “Legacy” screening audience was made up of Black women who probably were less interested in the actor’s acting ability. Several women I was seated next to seemed genuinely perplexed about the film’s psychological thriller story line and an acting part they were unaccustomed to seeing Elba in. What was clear, though, is their adoration of Elba. He could have played a clown in the film and would have received the same love.
During the Question and Answer part of the evening with the director, an audience member asked about the decision to cast a White woman (Puerto Rican/German/Irish) as Elba’s love interest in the film. The director’s response: “We cast the best actress for the part.” That may all be well and good and maybe even progressive to some, but film is artistic and it is definitely political and social. Elba runs the risk of insulting and alienating his core fan base here in the United States by casting love interests who don’t look, well, like his fans. Too much of that kind of cast decision-making is not good for a Black actor’s career in the U.S..
Perhaps this would be a good point for Idris Elba to study the career trajectories of Wesley Snipes and Denzel Washington. How and when one actor fell off of the radar of Black women and how the other has managed a long, successful career with a loyal fan base of Black women in tact. How did Washington balance and work through the artistic, political and social dynamics of Hollywood casting – be it in independent or studio backed films.
I like Idris Elba. He is easy on the eyes and I am most impressed by how he carried the entire two-hour film, “Obsessed” (a bad script and silly storyline). And, I especially enjoyed his performance in the "Wire." I would like to see him around stateside for awhile. But I wonder if the “Legacy” casting decision is something his core fan base of Black women in the United States will have to monitor in future productions.
Sharon is the founder and managing editor of BlackandBrownNews.com
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