Idris Elba thought 'Luther' would be over for good if he didn't make a new series.

Idris Elba

Idris Elba

The 46-year-old star had been planning to take some time off from acting to focus on his DJing career, but after three years away from playing D.I. John Luther in the drama series, he decided to change his plans and make a fourth run of the show, which returns to screens on New Year's Day (01.01.19).

He told the Daily Telegraph newspaper: "I remember going, if I don't do it, that's the end of the show. I need to do it ..."

The detective is known for his long tweed coat but Idris revealed it was something show bosses wanted to change, though there's never any explanation for his wardrobe choices.

He said: "I remember, early on, we decided, 'He will wear one coat.' They wanted us to change it: 'He's not wearing this silly coat. He needs to wear a suit.' And we were, 'No. He's wearing this coat and he won't wear any other coat, and we won't even discuss why he never changes his clothes.' "

While the 'Mountain Between Us' star is kept busy juggling his acting and DJing careers, he also wants to make a rap album and branch out into fashion.

He explained of the latter: "Unisex. Because my biggest fans are female."

And Idris also struggles with feeling tired so he wants to be able to focus on looking at his exhaustion differently.

He said: "So it can deal with it. Compartmentalise it, have it not be a distraction."


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