British actor Idris Elba says he wanted to capture the spirit of Nelson Mandela, not impersonate him, while playing the role of the former South African president and anti-apartheid leader in a film.
Elba said Monday that acting as Mandela in "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" was a gift and that he read a lot to understand the man who spent 27 years in jail under white minority rule and guided South Africa to all-race elections in 1994 that propelled Mandela to the presidency.
Elba spoke at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg. The film, based on Mandela's autobiography, will be released in South Africa in late November before opening in the U.S. and other markets.
Mandela, 95, is critically ill and being treated by doctors at his Johannesburg home.
TBWA\Worldwide’s Chaka Sobhani to preside over LIA TV & Cinema and Online Film Jury
Chaka Sobhani, global chief creative officer of TBWA\Worldwide, has been named president of the LIA TV & Cinema and Online Film Jury, which will convene for 2026 judging at Encore @ Wynn Las Vegas from September 25-October 3. Sobhani began her career in television before setting up ITV’s first in-house creative agency. She previously held creative leadership roles at Mother, Leo Burnett and DDB Worldwide where she was instrumental in winning global recognition, including Global Network and Agency of the Year honors across every major awards show. Sobhani said, “I couldn’t be more excited or honored to be president of this jury. Film is still such an important medium and a place where ideas and craft can come to life in a way that moves people like no other. As always, I’m excited to see the best of the best from across the world, and to spend time with this incredible jury diving into the work and debating what represents the gold standard from the past 12 months.” Christina Shaw, VP-awards director, LIA, said, “There are a lot of heavy hitters in the jury room. This means that the stakes will be raised and only the best work will make the cut. This is what LIA is all about--setting and raising the benchmark for creative excellence higher with each passing year.” Sobhani presides over the 2026 TV & Cinema and Online Film Jury which consists of: Samira Ansari, U.S. CCO, Grey New York; Lu Hagl, CCO, Saatchi & Saatchi Germany; Aaron Koh, CCO, GOVT VCCP, Singapore; Kanit Mingmuang, ECD, Wolfbkkk, Bangkok; Tista Sen, founder, TistaThinks, Mumbai; Shauna Seresin, co-founder, Minerva, New York; Joel Simon, CEO/CCO, JSM New York; Tim Snape, creative partner/founder, Pablo, London; Lolly Thomson, joint global CCO, M+C Saatchi Group; and... Read More