The 'Luther' actor shares a story from his early days as a struggling actor, saying he was once booted from De Niro's office after lying to get into 'A Bronx Tale' audition.
- Feb 27, 2024
AceShowbiz - Idris Elba was "kicked out" of Robert De Niro's office after "scamming" his way in to land an audition. The 51-year-old "Luther" star was an aspiring teenage actor in the early 1990s when he decided to attempt to land a try-out for De Niro's 1993 crime movie "A Bronx Tale" by blagging his way into the actor's office in New York, but Idris was soon found out and was removed from the building without landing the coveted audition spot.
"When I was just starting out in this business, I was 19 years old. I scammed my way up to Robert De Niro's office in Tribeca. Auditions were taking place for 'A Bronx Tale', and they started that week. Even though I was very late and wasn't even invited," Idris recalled during the "I Am an Actor" segment at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Idris explained he used his "English charm" to convince the receptionist and security guard that he had an appointment with the legendary star, who directed and starred in the movie. He went on, "Now the woman sent me up into the elevator - do you remember when the elevators had a little key and you went in and went up? ... "
During the brief elevator ride, he psyched himself up and even did his best impression of De Niro. Idris added, "I was like, 'What are you going to do, when you in there what are you gonna do? Idris, come here' ... And that's when I ended up in 'A Bronx Tale' ... No, I'm lying now. I wasn't in 'A Bronx Tale'."
The actor concluded, "I got kicked out of the office by Robert De Niro's producing partner at the time, a gesture that I took to mean, kid, you're going to go places ... I'm Idris Elba, and I'm an actor."
