Red Carpet Interview with Idris Elba
Interviewer: Zoe Ball
Q. Welcome to the BAFTAs. How are you feeling tonight, obviously nominated for an incredible role in Beasts of No Nation.
A. Thank you, I feel good, really good, it's a lovely night, Valentine's night, there's love in the air and it's my first BAFTAs. So I'm super excited.
Q. Your first and you've got a nomination. Tell me about Commandant and you playing him. He is a character that has been through an awful lot to make him how he is, we cannot excuse his behaviour but it's a tough character to play.
A. Yeah, one of the hardest. He's a bad guy but I needed to bring some sort of humanity to him and that was a craft. My director and the team helped me do that but it is one of my proudest roles, for sure.
Q. An incredible young cast of non actors around you. Particularly Abraham who plays Agu, his performance is amazing.
A. Yeah, it's stunning, very pure, heartbreakingly pure. When I was working with him, I was very nervous about how he was psychologically being affected but he was a brilliant actor, took it on the chin and just went for it.
Q. That are brutal scenes in this film, about child soldiers in Africa and I think the director said probably what goes on is a lot worse than what we're seeing but an important story to tell.
A. Yeah, for sure. It's one of those horrible moments in our world where it was on the TV a lot and then this film has brought it all back. So an incredibly hard film to fund and get people excited for it but thankfully we got there, got it to a lot of people and they've seen it and the story feels like it's still relevant, you know.
Q. Let's talk about Star Trek. I'm sure you can't tell us anything but you must be quite excited.
A. Star Trek, who is in Star Trek? No, I've done it, I can't wait for people to see it.
Q. We really want to see it. It must be hard to keep quiet about these things. Will you do a welcome to the BAFTAs down the camera for us?
A. I don't mind at all. Ladies and gentlemen, it's Idris Elba here and I'm going to say welcome to the 2016 BAFTAs.
Q. Thank you. Good luck tonight.
