Mandela role massive, says Idris Elba

'Luther' star, Idris Elba, who will be playing Nelson Mandela in director Justin Chadwick's biopic, 'Mandela

'The Wire' star sees this film, based on Mandela's 1994 memoir, as an opportunity to re-educate people on this legend, the Sun reported.

Elba admitted that he never met the former South African President, as he was unwell, so the interpretation of him was based on the book.

The 40-year old actor admitted that portraying the icon came with a huge sense of responsibility. He added that judging his performance on the basis of his appearance or sound would ruin the message of the film.