My father wasn't happy with me becoming an actor: Idris Elba

Idris Elba has said his dad did not want him to be an actor.

The 44-year-old star says his first love was music and his father felt his original dream to be a DJ would be a more steady source of income than having to audition for parts, reported Contactmusic.

"I was inspired by Robert De Niro after skipping school one afternoon when I was 16 to go and see 'Once Upon a Time in America'.

"My acting teacher in school told me that one day I'd be a great actor. My father wasn't that happy. He was worried that I'd starve and he told me to keep working as a DJ so I could earn a living. But my mother supported me," Elba said.