Hollywood star Idris Elba said African film and music is poised to replicate the global acclaim of South Korea, as a continent packed with creative talent benefits from a new technological age.
The UK citizen, whose parents were born in Sierra Leone and Ghana, hailed the untapped creative resources of Africa during the Bridge Summit, a media and technology conference in Abu Dhabi.
Elba, 53, said young creatives across Africa should look to emulate the recent dominance of K-pop culture. That would allow them to correct the many preconceived views of African culture.
“I've played everything from drug dealers to presidents, and my goal as an actor is always to bring a lot of my characters to life as much as possible,” said Elba, who starred in hit TV shows Luther and The Wire, as well as numerous Hollywood blockbusters. “I see acting as a bridging device for entertainment, for education and for understanding.
“If I ask anybody to tell me something about Sierra Leone or Ghana, they would have a story that was given to them that forms their perception of what the culture is, especially Sierra Leone.
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