The “Luther” star confirms he will retire from acting — though perhaps not just yet.

Idris Elba reveals what’s next: ‘Directing allows me to flex slightly different muscles’

The "Luther" star confirms he will retire from acting — though perhaps not just yet.

By Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt is a writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2024. Her work has previously appeared on Yahoo and in American *Journalism Review* and *The Shreveport Times*.

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December 11, 2025 12:33 a.m. ET

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Idris Elba photographed at the Red Sea International Film Festival 2025 on Dec. 10 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Credit:

Tristan Fewings/Getty

Idris Elba doesn't plan to act forever. The *Luther* star will eventually retire from the craft to direct, he revealed at the 2025 Red Sea International Film Festival on Wednesday.

"I've been acting for a long time. I love it still, but I think directing allows me to flex slightly different muscles and just be a part of the set in a different way." Elba said in a festival Q&A in Saudi Arabia, per *Daily Mail*. "I really enjoy it."

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Elba attended the event to promote *Dust to Dreams*, a short film he directed that features musician Seal. He previously directed the 2018 crime movie *Yardie.*

“I'm hoping that my fan base as an actor isn't mad at me," Elba continued. "Eventually I want to transfer to be a director fully."

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He explained that he was camera on a movie he just completed, called *This Is How It Goes*. He shot his take on the 2005 Neil LaBute play in Ghana.**

Elba's professional credits date back to the mid-'90s. His best-known projects include police drama *Luther* — he was nominated for an acting Emmy four times for the TV version — as well as movies such as *Beasts of No Nation*, *Zootopia*, and the *Thor *franchise.**

'Luther' stars Idris Elba. Des Willie/BBCAmerica

Elba, 53, also told reporters that he feels "like an imposter in the political arena," and he might also want to make his learning on that front a formal process.

"There is a possibility that I may go to school and just study human science, not political science, because I think humans respond to humans regardless of whether it's politics or sports. It's about humans," he said. "I'd like to maybe study that so that I can be more effective when it comes to some of the philanthropy work I've been doing and some of the activism work."**

The self-professed workaholic is expected to return to acting for a second *Luther *movie, according to the *Hollywood Reporter*. Production is scheduled to begin in February.

Elba also confirmed — once again — that he will *not *be taking on the famous part of James Bond.

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