‘Okonkwo’: It’s About Authenticity, Storytelling –Idris Elba

Sierra-Leone- Ghanaian-born British actor Idris Elba has broken the silence on the viral and ongoing debate trailing the announcement that he is to play the protagonist Okonkwo in an upcoming series adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s novel ‘Things Fall Apart’.

Elba, who spoke at the African Cinema Summit in Ghana, said it is a matter of authenticity and storytelling.

Featuring on the panel “The Relevance of Cinema In African Communities” the actor expressed his understanding of Nigerians, especially the Igbos, doubting his ability to do justice to the role, stating he experienced the same opposition when he played Nelson Mandela in the film, The Long Walk To Freedom.

“When I played Nelson Mandela, I was very, very nervous. I am not from the Xhosa tribe.
I am from Sierra Leone and Ghana. However, South Africans, especially the Xhosa tribe, were very vocal about why this guy was playing Mandela.

“Nigerians, the Igbo tribe may look at me and say, “But this guy now, he is black and he is from Sierra-Leone. He is not Igbo. How is he going to play this?”

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“Here is the thing, though, this is about filmmaking. This is storytelling. We should all be allowed to tell our stories. We should. I think this is important, especially in the continent. There has been so much division on our continent that we didn’t put ourselves.

“We know there are different tribes, complexions, hair textures, etc., but we consider ourselves Africans. When I see an African team playing in the World Cup, it doesn’t matter where they are from; I support them.

“This is where the question of authenticity comes in. If I am going to play that coveted role in ‘Things Fall Apart’, I shouldn’t be there if I am not authentic. If I can’t play that character authentically, I shouldn’t do it. But if I can, then I want my Africans to support me.”