Idris Elba dishes on playing U.S. President in ‘A House of Dynamite’

British actor Idris Elba opened up about his struggles playing the U.S. president in A House of Dynamite.

On Sunday, September 28, at the New York Film Festival premiere, Elba admitted he was “super conscious” of the role as a U.K. national.

"But you know … my granddad's American and I was raised in America for a long time, so I kind of got over it,” he added. “Playing the president was a challenge, but I wanted to bring a human side to this character, and I hope the audience enjoys that.”

A House of Dynamite follows Elba’s president and other U.S. government officials in the tense hours after a nuclear missile is launched over the Pacific Ocean.

The ensemble cast includes Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, Moses Ingram, Jonah Hauer-King, Greta Lee, and Jason Clarke.

The film also marks Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow’s return to the big screen, her first feature since Detroit in 2017.

Elba revealed that working with Bigelow had been on his bucket list.

"I'm a big admirer of her films,” he said. “But the truth is, we got to make a really important film — one that highlights the fragility of our world and who we are as people."

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