Idris Elba: “The Word Sexy Doesn’t Apply to Black Men”

Posted on September 27, 2011

"I always get asked this question and I don’t really have a real satisfactory answer. I don’t know what it feels like to be a sex symbol. When I wake up in the morning I see the same face. I will say this and I’ve said this in the press before, black men, we’re never called sexy, we’re called athletic, intense, we’re described as being the strong type, the silent type, but we’re never really described as sexy.

"There’s a real generalization to what I’m saying. In general, the word sexy doesn’t apply to black men particular. In a script, they won’t say a sexy black man they’ll say a muscular black man, an intense black guy … good looking but they won’t say sexy. In that case the word has been thrown at me a few times so I have to say I own it, fine.

"If it gives me and black men another definition then great, I’ll live with that."

_Idris Elba for www.thelifefiles.com / glamour vixen

I.E. in YouTube Video #2