Why Michael Jordan rejected Idris Elba’s request to play him in a biopic

Portraying Michael Jordan in a biopic will definitely come off as a privilege for any actor who is granted that opportunity. But it looks like the basketball Hall of Famer isn’t keen on a project of such nature as Idris Elba recently revealed the Chicago Bulls legend turned down his request to portray him in a biopic.

Elba, 49, made the revelation in an interview on Complex’s Sneaker Shopping, per Bleacher Report. The Harder They Fall actor said he actually floated the idea to the billionaire business mogul and retired athlete, but he rejected his request.

“In my head, playing Jordan wouldn’t be about playing the basketball player; it was about the businessman,” said Elba.

“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 was like, I wanna play Jordan—I’m doing that. He was like, ‘Ah, I’m not ready for that story yet.'”

Despite the rejection, Elba’s amazing talent cannot be over-emphasized as he’s starred in several award-winning and blockbuster movies. So it is safe to say he would do a great job portraying Jordan.