Listen. If Idris Elba asked us to show up to anything—a restaurant, street fair, dentist appointment—anything… we’d be in formation like a first-week contestant on The Bachelor.
So who are we to judge that thousands of people showed up to a casting call on Monday, promoted by the actor on Instagram?
As reported by Slash Film, Elba was casting for Yardie, his directorial debut. The story follows D., a young man who smuggles a kilo of cocaine from Jamaica into London. What follows is his rise (and possible fall) as a drug dealer. Bronson co-writer Brock Norman Brock wrote the adaptation.
On Sunday, Elba shared a flyer that called for paid extras for his film set in a “Afro-Caribbean community in Hackney” in 1983. Talent was asked to dress appropriately for the time period and be there between 4-9pm.
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And here’s what happened
Thousands of people, yes thousands, showed up for the star.
What started fairly organized spiraled into blocked streets where talent began singing, dancing, and pushing to get in the casting doors.
“The response for the open casting has been unbelievable,” Elba said in a clip posted to Instagram when the crowds started to grow. “Thank you so much for sharing the info and for coming down, if you’ve come down. If you’re standing in line, I promise, we’re trying to see everyone but we’ve only got until 9 o’clock and already I’m being asked to shut it down because of the numbers.”
For those who were still on the way, he suggested they send a headshot with information about themselves to the casting agency.
“For those guys standing in the cold, big-up big-up. We will try to get you, but don’t be surprised if we don’t.”
Standing in the cold to possibly be seen in-person by Idris Elba? We’ll risk it all for BAE.
