Originally Posted by
Surf
I mean, it's on the back of what you said...
Because at the end of the day, Luther, good bad or indifferent doesn't get made, imo, lasting 8-9 years, without Idirs Elba, biggest international Black movie star on the planet.
One one hand, anything culturally is a lot- too much, to put on his specific shoulders in terms of portrayal. 1. Especially since like you said, the workings behind the scenes might not be as diverse as one would have where the interactions in front of the camera might lie. And I've seen interviews with him where he's seem really cool and 'get's it' on whatever level I might assign. Also from what I've gotten hip to on this very thread. Black Brittish television in general is even at fewer numbers than what we've grown to know in America. So his portrayal is still good because 2. Yes, Black is not a monolith.
I'm talking worldwide here. The caveat being there is only 1 Idris Elba, and that's by a mile. To that end Will Smith and Denzel are part of the same coin and the goes the steep drop-off. Luther was 1 show, any critique of any of it needs to pulled way back, they're asking the wrong question. Why the subject of this one scrap on the bone, as an outlier to even begin with to me, is where the questions might should begin. This is an issue that cornball Jason Statham, with his dozen movies that all dance to the same beat, doesn't have to deal with.
And just so there's no misconstruing, there should be a fucking ton of International Black movie stars. They can do it all. Yes I have a few in the States but there are voices all over that should be coming here, to America, for an audience. Unfortunately, like Elba, one usually has to blow up here first. Like he did with The Wire, one of very favorite shows of all time btw, but he has the added boost of being Brittish so there is a double dip that isn't an available lane for the Black actors working here.