Idris Elba Once Asked Michael Jordan If He Could Play Him In A Movie
Idris Elba wants to play NBA legend and former Chicago Bulls player, Michael Jordan, in a film one day and even had the chance to ask him personally.
According to The Jasmine Brand, Elba shared that when had the opportunity to meet the former Chicago Bulls superstar at a party in the Bahamas, he took the chance to see if Jordan would be open to Elba playing him in a movie one day.
“So Jordan had these wicked getaways in the Bahamas. He would invite a bunch of people out. I think me and Gabrielle Union went out there, we were promoting a movie, Daddy’s Little Girls and I was gassed to be at Jordan weekend,” he explained.
Elba added that when he proposed the idea to the six-time NBA champion he was a bit hesitant.
“I [met him] once or twice, just to say hello. I even said to him one time, ‘I want to play you.’ He was like, ‘Hmm, I’m not ready yet,’” the Luther actor added.
Given some additional context on his interest on why he would like to play MJ, Elba says that wants to focus on his athlete's accomplishments off of the court.
“In my head, playing Jordan wouldn’t be about playing the basketball player, it was about the businessman. He is a very astute businessman, really smart. And his work as a philanthropist is like unspoken, but people don’t understand the work — he cares,” he says.
Adding, “So that’s where I was getting at, I wanna play Jordan, I’m doing that. But he [Jordan] was like, ‘Ahh I’m not ready for that story yet.'”
Idris Elba’s extensive acting resume in television and film include The Wire, Luther, American Gangster, The Harder They Fall, Concrete Cowboy.
His upcoming film Beast is slated to hit theaters on August 19, 2022.
