Michael Jordan Rejected Idris Elba’s Request To Portray Him In A Biopic

Movie star Idris Elba has revealed the legendary Michael Jordan turned down his request to play him in a biopic.

The Chicago Bulls star is one of the most recognisable names and characters in the world and a biopic about the basketball player's career would undoubtedly be a hit.

A name as iconic as Idris Elba would fit the bill perfectly to play the big man, however, the six-time NBA champ turned down the offer, claiming he wasn’t ready for a biopic to be made about him just yet. 

Jordan’s life both on and off the court would be a dream role for many an actor, so he probably has a line out the door of Hollywood stars.

However, Elba is one of the biggest stars in film today having featured in superhero movies such as Thor, Avengers, and The Suicide Squad.

He famously played Nelson Mandela in the biographical film Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom where he was nominated for a Golden Globe.

However, in a recent episode of Complex’s Sneaker Shopping the film star recounted his conversation with MJ.

He told host Joe La Puma: “I even said to him one time, ‘I want to play you’.

“He was like, ‘Hm, I’m not ready yet.’ That’s what he said, ‘I’m not ready yet.’ … I was dead serious.”

Elba detailed how he would portray Michael Jordan in the potential role, looking beyond his career as an athlete.

He continued: “In my head, playing Jordan wouldn’t be about playing the basketball player; it was about the businessman.

 “He is a very astute businessman, really smart. And his work as a philanthropist is unspoken, but people don’t understand the work. He cares; he does a lot of work. 

“So that’s where I was hinting at. I wanna play Jordan – I’m doing that. He was like, ‘Ah, I’m not ready for that story yet.'”

I think a lot of us would be more than ready for that story.

While Jordan’s basketball career has been highly documented and talked about in documentaries such as The Last Dance he has yet to have a full-length biopic made about him.

That doesn’t seem to bother him for the moment. 

Hopefully, Jordan’s mind changes in the future, which would undoubtedly cause a lot of competition from actors hoping to nab the role.

Featured Image Credit: Tribune Content Agency LLC / Alamy. Sydney Alford / Alamy.

Topics: Basketball, NBA, Michael Jordan

Jayden Collins

Jayden Collins is a Journalist at SPORTbible. He has worked across multiple media platforms in areas such as sport, music, pop culture, entertainment and politics. He is part of the editorial team for LADbible Australia.