The conversation surrounding Black British actors taking on roles typically played by Black Americans is an “unintelligent argument,” according to Idris Elba.

Appearing on The Shop (via The Root), the British-born actor was asked by host Maverick Carter about British actor Naomi Ackie playing Whitney Houston in the forthcoming biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody.

“You know what I noticed?” Elba said. “You said Black women in America versus an English woman. Like being English makes you less Black? To me, that defines how unintelligent the whole argument is.

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