{"id":311533,"date":"2025-12-12T06:27:15","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T06:27:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/311533\/"},"modified":"2025-12-12T06:27:15","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T06:27:15","slug":"idris-elba-announces-shock-plan-to-retire-from-acting-and-focus-on-different-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/311533\/","title":{"rendered":"Idris Elba announces shock plan to retire from acting and focus on different career"},"content":{"rendered":"

Despite rumours that he is the next James Bond and years of Hollywood success, Idris Elba has revealed surprise plans for retirement from acting to focus on another career\"IdrisIdris Elba announces plan to retire and focus on another career<\/p>\n

Idris Elba<\/a> has shared plans to retire from acting. Despite being one of the highest grossing actors and rumours he will be the next James Bond, the 53-year-old has expressed a desire to pivot to another career. In a Q&A at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia<\/a> on 10 December, Idris<\/a> shared that he wanted to hang up his acting hat and hoped his fans wouldn’t be “mad” at him.<\/p>\n

“I’m hoping that my fan base as an actor isn’t made at me,” he said whilst promoting his new short film Dust To Dreams. “But eventually, I want to transfer to be a director fully. I\u2019ve been acting for a long time. I love it still, but I think directing allows me to flex slightly different muscles and just be a part of the set in a different way. I really enjoy it.\u201d<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Netflix’s new Luther movie to reunite Idris Elba with ‘dangerous’ legend<\/a>READ MORE: Biggest hint yet that Aaron Taylor-Johnson is the new James Bond<\/a>\"IdrisIdris Elba has won awards for his acting(Image: Getty Images for BAFTA)\"HeHe wants to retire(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Idris directed his first feature film, Yardie, in 2018. He’d previously done a TV short, Rebellious Soul: The Musical, making Dust To Dreams his second short and third directorial film. He also has three films that have not been released yet, including one called Above The Below, which he also stars in.<\/p>\n

The Thor actor is one of the top 20 highest grossing actors, as his films, including several Marvel projects and a biopic about Nelson Mandela, have grossed over $9.8 billion at the global box office.<\/p>\n

In recent years, Idris has also been tipped to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond. He even suggested he would say yes to the role if it was offered to him, even if it’s not something he’s actively pursuing.<\/p>\n

\"Thor\"Idris was Heimdall in Thor\"IdrisAnd Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom<\/p>\n

Talking to Vanity Fair<\/a> in 2019, he said: “James Bond is a hugely coveted, iconic, beloved character, that takes audiences on this massive escapism journey. Of course, if someone said to me \u2018Do you want to play James Bond?,\u2019 I\u2019d be like, Yeah! That\u2019s fascinating to me. But it\u2019s not something I\u2019ve expressed, like, yeah, I wanna be the black James Bond.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the same article, he said he was “disheartened” by the backlash to Bond rumours. He shared that he found it troubling that some people thought he couldn’t do the role, which has so far been played by white men, purely because of his race. Idris added that the backlash meant taking on the role would be a “difficult position to put myself into”.<\/p>\n

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok<\/a>, Snapchat<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, YouTube<\/a> and Threads<\/a>.<\/p>\n