Source: Vulture.com

You can almost already foresee the Oscar that Idris Elba will someday bring home as the British actor continues to gain notoriety in Hollywood and increasingly stellar roles. Though he;’ enjoying a very successful career run, Idris isn’t oblivious to the barriers of being a black man trying to make it as a thespian, the thing is he just has no interest in talking about it all day.

In an interview with Vulture.com, Idris was asked why he thinks he’s had a slow rise to fame, to which he answered the fact that he’s British and there are already more than enough leading men to go around. But when the reporter asked if whether he thought being black had anything to do with it, he quickly shut him down and said “next question.”

“I’m so bored of answering that,” he added. “Are there differences between black actors’ opportunities and white actors’ opportunities? Yes, there are. It’s been said. I’d rather a young black actor read about success as opposed to how tough it was. I get these roles because I can act and that’s it. Hopefully that’s it. The less I talk about being black, the better.”

Good point. It seems Idris had enough of the “woe is me talk” from a very early age, opting to actually do something about it instead. During the interview he talked about his childhood and the extremist right-wing party, The National Front, saying “Their beliefs are ‘Keep Britain White” and added:

“Walking down the street, someone would call you a black c*nt. I was like, ‘F*** that.’ ”

According to the article, it was around this time that Idris decided to shorten his given name, Idrissa, which means “firstborn son,” because he got tired of beating people up when they told him it sounded too feminine.

“I quickly got well known because I was tall and wasn’t taking any s***.”

He forgot to mention fine, although like the subject of how hard it is for black actors in Hollywood, he’s not too keen on spending a lot of time talking about his looks either. When Vulture asked if he’s ever worried about damaging that face we’ve come to love when he takes on action roles like Prometheus and Thor, he said:

“If I made my living off my face alone, I don’t think I’d be here talking to you now. I don’t have much to lose. Besides, there are characters out there that have crooked noses. I think I’ll get those characters.”

I’m pretty sure he will too, although he insists he’s still relatively unknown in the industry.

“My publicist says a lot of the time people don’t get it. They’re like, ‘Ee-dris Elba?’ And she’s like, ‘The guy from The Wire.’ I don’t see myself as ­famous. I’m more, ‘What’s his name again?’ And I love that.”

What do you think about Idris’s comments? Is he right that the less he talks about being black, the better off he is?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

More on Madame Noire!

• Jay Electronica: The Homewrecking Other Man?
• Where Are They Now? 10 Black Actresses Who Should Have Blown Up Big…
• Sun Sets: 6 Summer Must-Have Accessories
• Get A Little Closer: Romantic Movies To See With Your Summer Boo
• MN Exclusive: Malinda Williams On Her Most Challenging Role
• Kanye I Want You To Take Your Own Advice: Drive Slow Homie
• What About Ciara? Knicks Star Amar’e Stoudemire Proposes To Mother of His Children

Source: hawtcelebs.com

We say it all the time, and by we, I mean black people. Ever since Halle and Denzel took home their Oscars in 2002 for “Training Day” and “Monster’s Ball,” black people have felt the only time anyone of us could get an Oscar or even a nomination was to be the bad guy. That’s not quite the same as “trashy” but Michelle Rodriguez’s thinking appears to be along the same lines, hopefully.

In a recent interview with Vulture, Michelle was asked how she felt about Lee Daniel’s latest film The Paperboy which was shown at the Cannes Film Festival and was definitely not a crowd pleaser:

“I loved The Paperboy!” she said before speaking on the negative reviews it received. “I say f*** them because they don’t get it. He’s so good at keeping me entertained. When I don’t like the dialogue, I’m amused by the visuals. And when I don’t like the visuals, I’m amused by the dialogue. It’s always switching up senses. I’m intrigued by his ability to capture me in a theater. It’s not easy to capture me in a theater — I’m ADD like that.”

But what about that scene where Nicole Kidman apparently urinates on Zac Efron before she has an orgasm?

“I f***ing loved it. One of my friends said, ‘She’s going to get nominated for an Oscar for that.’ I was like, ‘Nah, man. She’s not black!’ I laugh, but it’s also very sad. It makes me want to cry. But I really believe. You have to be trashy and black to get nominated. You can’t just be trashy.”

Perhaps her phrasing is a tad odd, but I think we get the point. Even when it comes to The Help, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer certainly weren’t trashy, but their characters weren’t symbols of one of the brightest aspects of African American history either, which is why there was so much mixed emotion about their sweeping nominations this past awards season. Michelle shouldn’t forget white actresses who have won for trashy parts though, like Charlize Theron who immediately comes to mind for the 2003 film Monster which won her 17 awards, including an Oscar for Best Actress.

I’m thinking Michelle Rodriguez might need more people for allowing herself to be quoted in a way that’s actually sort of trashy itself but I don’t know if that takes away from the fact that she has a point. What do you think about what she said?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

More on Madame Noire!

• Bet You Didn’t Know: The Secrets Behind The Making of Love Jones
• “Who Gonna Check Me Boo” and Other Pop Culture Sayings Birthed By Our Fave Reality Shows
• Who Believes It? Tami Roman Sheds Crocodile Tears On Wendy and Vows To Do Better
• Out of Site, Out of Mind and In Luck: Why The Best Way To Find Love Is To Forget About It
• Don’t Be a Ratchet Rat: 7 Manners Everyone Should Mind…Or Risk Getting Snapped On
• Haute Hats: When It’s Hot, Keep Your Cool With These 7 Stylish Looksl
• Things I Learned While Rocking Relaxed Hair, Natural Hair, and No Hair At All