Idris Elba Once Shared Why He Wasn’t a Fan of Tyler Perry Films After Starring in 1
Actor Idris Elba and media mogul Tyler Perry once collaborated for the feature Daddy’s Little Girls. But Elba’s time on set didn’t seem to change the actor’s mind on some of Perry’s work.
Idris Elba once criticized Tyler Perry’s ‘buffoonish’ characters
Elba was already very familiar with Perry’s work. In 2007, he co-starred alongside Gabrielle Union in the Perry picture Daddy’s Little Girls. There, he played a blue-collar worker trying to make ends meet for his family. Union was already on board the project before Elba was cast. Both Perry and Union agreed emphatically that he was the right actor for the movie.
“We screen-tested a few men, and the only man on both our lists – I made a list and Tyler made a list – the only man on both our lists was Idris. It was a no-brainer,” Union once told MovieWeb.
Despite taking the job, Elba asserted that he didn’t have a very high opinion on all of Perry’s films. According to The Box, Elba was once asked to compare Perry and filmmaker Spike Lee. But Elba might’ve believed there was no comparison, as the actor wasn’t all that impressed with Perry’s film resume.
“Can I be candid? I don’t like all of Tyler Perry’s films,” Elba said. “Yes, I did work with Tyler for Daddy’s Little Girls because it portrayed a positive image of a black father. I am happy for Tyler’s success…we need Tyler Perry…by going to support his movies, we need to show economic strength. But we are also responsible for elevating film. I’m not with buffoonish characters like Madea or Big Momma.”
Idris Elba once lost a role to Tyler Perry because Perry was a ‘phenomenon’
Ironically, Perry once wound up winning a role over his former Daddy’s collaborator. In 2012, Perry starred in the thriller Alex Cross. The movie was based on a series of novels, and saw Perry playing a detective in a cat-and-mouse game with a serial killer. But before Perry nabbed the part, Elba was tapped for the role. Studio changes behind-the-scenes caused for a rewrite of the film. Under new maintenance, Elba was later out of Alex Cross, and Perry was in.
At the time, one of the film’s producers Bill Block explained the change. And shared why he felt that Perry was a better fit for Alex Cross than The Wire alum.
“When we came on, we looked at it freshly, and just built it from the bottom up,” Block once told Entertainment Weekly. “Sure, Idris is a great actor; Tyler Perry is a phenomenon. Tyler Perry is one of the most significant entertainers in all of media. He is a huge cross-media talent and presence — and he’s a terrific actor whose range is going to be shown here.”
Block was also excited to share that Perry’s physicality would be displayed in Alex Cross, which was often downplayed in other Perry flicks.
“You’re going to see Tyler Perry like you haven’t seen him. He’s 6 feet, – 5 inches, he is a linebacker. He is an awesome physical presence and is just going to tear it apart here. It’s an intense, dramatic role,” Block added.
What Idris Elba thought about working with Tyler Perry personally
Elba might not have been a fan of some of Perry’s work, but he harbored no ill will towards Perry as a person. According to his interview with Black Film, The Suicide Squad star had a more than pleasant experience with Perry. And Perry’s own acting experience gave him the ability to connect with Elba in a way that other filmmakers perhaps couldn’t.
“His background as an actor gives him the ability to relate to us in a way that we feel comfortable,” Elba said. “He’s also the writer, director so he was very adaptable in how we play with the text and how we open up his story and dialogue and apply our own experiences to it. Some director/writers don’t do that very well. They’re very precious with the words so it becomes a little bit of a battle between you and them. But this one, he was really open. He’s a good guy to work with. He’s very open.”
