Idris Elba says he wanted to explore Nelson Mandela's younger years to discover who he really was and where he came from.
Elba takes on the role of Nelson Mandela in the new biopic film Mandela: The Long Walk To Freedom - a movie that has taken years to being to the big screen.
Elba was on the red carpet in London last night for the royal premiere of the movie alongside co-star Naomie Harris and director Justin Chadwick.
Speaking exclusively to FemaleFirst on the red carpet the actor said: "I wanted to explore Nelson Mandela’s younger life.
"We all know what he has done as an older man, but as a younger man I really wanted to get the audience to understand that this is where he came from and he was just a human being who had flaws and made mistakes. I really did want audiences to understand that."
This is the most important role of Elba's acting career to date, and he went on to tell FemaleFirst of the pressure and the honour that he felt being able to play this part.
"The pressure of taking on someone that everyone knows is insurmountable, ultimately, you have got to own it yourself.
"I don’t look like Mandela, so I have to ask the audience to come along on a journey and say ‘right this is my interpretation’. Ultimately, it is such a massive honour as he is such a great man."
The movie is a big screen adaptation of Mandela's biography of the same name and follows him from childhood, through his long years in jail before becoming President of South Africa.
Mandela: The Long Walk To Freedom is released 3rd January.
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