Idris Elba has said his dad did not want him to be an actor.
The 44-year-old star said his first love was music and his father felt his original dream to be a DJ would be a more steady source of income than having to audition for parts.
"I was inspired by
Robert De Niro after skipping school one afternoon when I was 16 to go and see 'Once Upon a Time in
America'.
"My acting teacher in school told me that one day I'd be a great actor.
My father wasn't that happy. He was worried that I'd starve and he told me to keep working as a DJ so I could earn a living. But my mother supported me,"
Elba said.