10 Actors Who Need Quentin Tarantino To Save Their Careers

By Danny J. DPurb / January 1, 2013

4. Idris Elba

The man from Hackney is known to have a knack for strong acting, and has demonstrated the dimension he adds - with titles such as American Gangster (2007), Takers (2010), The Losers (2010) and Thor (2011) to name a few €“ where he has mostly played the €˜tough-guy€™ character - a recipe seemingly fitting to his style.

Elba€™s big break came through HBO€™s popular show, The Wire, in which he portrayed a Baltimore druglord and aspiring businessman named Russell €œStringer€ Bell. He followed up as Charles Miner in 7 episodes of The Office and went on to win a Golden Globe Award for best actor as DCI John Luther in BBC€™s psychological crime drama series, Luther. Throughout his career, Tarantino has worked with very €˜unique€™ black actors, and €˜unique€™ here might just be a fusion of style, intellect, flair and wit. That is where Idris Elba sets the bar high as a QT prospect with his wealth of acting experience in gangster-themed productions and authoritarian roles - bringing to mind Guy Ritchie€™s RockNRolla (2008) where Elba played Mumbles, a tough guy who €“ along with Tom Hardy (Handsome Bob) and Gerard Butler (One-Two) €“ form a group known as the €œWild Bunch€. Guy Ritchie is believed to be QT€™s closest competitor in the crime genre €“ making it an even more exciting partnership to wish for. The actor€™s build, sarcastic and witty delivery - make him an ideal candidate for the Tarantino expedition. Come on Mr. Tarantino!

It's also worth noting that Elba was widely believed to be the third choice for the lead role of Django in Tarantino's latest movie behind Will Smith (who turned the film down) and Jamie Foxx, who ultimately accepted the offer.