Hollywood favors actors with “unhealthy habits”, says Idris Elba

Many artists from different sectors pursue fame in all ways. When they achieve it — or even when they are still in the process of achieving it —, unfortunately, they cannot deal with the consequences of success on a large scale.

Idris Elba issued a warning in this regard. The star of films and series such as The Wire, Luther, Thor,The Suicide Squad and so many other productions, he reached the level of one of the most popular actors today, but he saw that several of his colleagues who also reached this category had to indulge in unhealthy habits — which, in his opinion, are “rewarded” by the American film industry.

In an interview with podcast Changes with Annie Macmanus(via IndieWire), Elba admitted that he himself dedicated himself to work too much to the point of having an unrecommended lifestyle. Defining himself as an “absolute workaholic”, he stated: that he started therapy to deal with the fact that he was an “absolute workaholic”.

“I work in an industry where I am rewarded for these unhealthy habits. I am rewarded by them. I’m an absolute workaholic. And that’s not good for life in general.”

The star revealed that he has been in therapy for about a year. The treatment has been beneficial, as he himself assesses.

“I’ve been in therapy for about a year. It’s quite a lot, right? In the sessions, I am being led a lot to think about change. It’s not because I don’t like myself or anything, it’s just because I have some unhealthy habits that have really formed.”

Idris Elba and balance

In the view of Idris Elba, the key to a good life is balance. Despite this, he recognizes that this is easier said than done.

“Nothing that is too extreme is good, everything needs balance. But I am greatly rewarded for being a workaholic. These are paths that made me think: ‘I have to adjust’.”

Another type of art has done Elba balance: music, as he develops a parallel career as a DJ. In fact, the star had already revealed on previous occasions that he would like to retire from acting to dedicate himself to this field, where he takes on the nickname DJ Big Driis. To the podcast, about his relationship with work, he added:

“I can work 10 days on a film, complete with underwater sequences holding my breath for six minutes, and still feel more relaxed on set than sitting on the couch with my family — which is bad, right? This is the part where I have to normalize what makes me feel relaxed, it can’t just be work.”

About working in music, in a 2022 statement to Vanity Fair(via website Igor Miranda), he commented:

“Making music is a very exhausting process. It becomes even more difficult combining the activity with filming. It’s like trying to cook a soufflé while building a wall. Some may think that my dedication to music will be my death as an actor. I’ve been dealing with this internal struggle for years. Now that I have chosen a path, I am at peace. That’s what I’m going to do. I know some will love it and some will hate it.”