Video: Interview with Idris Elba on Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom As part of his research into the role of Nelson Mandela, Elba said that he had studied everything he could on Mandela and watched footage. However, in order to get a handle on his character, Elba spoke to people who had met him and how they had felt during their encounter with him. He went on to say that he was "nervous" about taking on the role of such an iconic figure. Elba said: "What stands out about Nelson is his humanity and the fact that he had been treated in that way for his beliefs and still walk out of there with forgiveness." Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom charts the life of Mandela, from his childhood in a rural village through to his inauguration as the first democratically elected President of South Africa, including the time he spent in prison.