Idris Elba Says Hollywood Rewards ‘Unhealthy Habits’ for ‘Workaholic’ Actors

Samantha Bergeson
·2 min read

Idris Elba is looking to find a mindful approach to acting.

The “Hijack” star shared during the “Changes With Annie Macmanus” podcast that he has started therapy to cope with being an “absolute workaholic.”

More from IndieWire

“I work in an industry [where] I’m rewarded for those unhealthy habits. I’m rewarded for them,” Elba said. “I’m an absolute workaholic. And that isn’t great for life, generally.”

He continued, “I’ve been in therapy […] about a year now. It’s a lot right? In my therapy, I’ve been thinking a lot about changing…like neuropaths being shifted. It’s not because I don’t like myself or anything like that. It’s just because I have some unhealthy habits that have really formed. […] Nothing that’s too extreme is good, everything needs balance. But I’m rewarded massively to be a workaholic. Those are pathways that I had to be like, ‘I’ve got to adjust.'”

Elba credited his music career as a DJ for helping balance out the pressure to repeat the cycle of taking on more acting roles for months at a time.

“I could work 10 days on a film, underwater sequences holding my breath for six minutes, and come back and sit in [the studio] and [feel relaxed], more so than sitting on the sofa with the family — which is bad right?” Elba said. “This is the part where I’ve got to normalize what makes me relaxed, it can’t be all work.”

Elba previously shut down rumors that he is in talks to take over the James Bond franchise, saying on “The Shop” podcast in 2022, “It is not a goal for my career … I don’t think that, you know, playing Bond will satisfy some of my personal goals.”

Elba’s latest series, “Hijack,” is now available to stream on Apple TV+.

Best of IndieWire

Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.