Director Says Idris Elba Landed Role Thanks To Height

Over the years Danny Glover, Sidney Poitier, Morgan Freeman and Terrence Howard have all played former South African president Nelson Mandela on film. Why hasn’t a home grown actor been given the opportunity? According to the director of yet another film about the life of this Nobel Peace Prize winner it’s all in the height. Yes, on why the British-born Idris Elba landed the role as opposed to an actual South African thespian, Moonyeenn Lee says, “I was free to cast a South African, and I auditioned some extraordinary local actors. But the main problem is the height. Mandela is a particularly tall man. On average, South African actors are not 1.9 metres.”

So I guess Elba being an established, respected actor who is easy to market had nothing to do with it, too?

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