Stretching his acting muscles

On HBO’s “The Wire,” Idris Elba was so convincing as Stringer Bell, the power and brains behind a Baltimore drug empire, that real-life drug dealers approached him on the streets to praise his leadership skills. But Stringer was killed off in December, so the British-born Elba has moved on.

On Saturday he will star in the HBO original film “Sometimes in April,” a drama of two brothers set during the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Elba portrays Augustin, a Hutu soldier with a Tutsi wife.

Elba spoke over the telephone -- in his native Cockney accent -- from Atlanta, where he is filming a Sony/Screen Gems production, “The Gospel,” in which he plays a Southern Baptist preacher with large ambitions.

What’s the difference between this movie and “Hotel Rwanda”?

I haven’t seen “Hotel Rwanda.” I applaud that they told that story. It’s huge and acclaimed. Films from Africa aren’t acclaimed or celebrated. “Sometimes in April” is a difficult watch. The character I play is a man who loses his family. The audience will say, “Well, Augustin, why did you let that happen?” They are so used to the man being a hero, having a happy ending. Not with this film.

We can’t imagine that this actually happened to some people. “What do you mean, your family was totally wiped out?” We worked with people who were actually there and had the experience. It was not an acting job for me anymore.

It was difficult. I allowed myself to submerge and let go of my senses, to allow myself to feel that pain. I have a child. To think that would happen to her breaks my heart. I had to be a brokenhearted actor for four months.

Were you concerned how Rwandans would perceive your portrayal of their history?

They were nervous about us being there. “This happened to us 10 years ago. A million people died. What is your standpoint?” None of us wanted them to feel we were about to mimic them. We had to allow people to teach us what it really was like. It definitely changed my life for the better. It put things in perspective. I am African, but I had never been to Africa. I love Rwanda now.

How have you mastered so many different accents in your career?

I definitely have a gift for mimicking, and I’m just learning this about myself. I was an only child, and I used my imagination profusely. If I was to hang with you long enough, I would start to unconsciously mimic your speech patterns. I think my skill is really to look, learn and listen very quickly. It goes in. And it goes out.

My mom was from Ghana, my dad from Sierra Leone. They speak Creole. They moved to England when they were young to study. My mom’s dad was born and raised in Kansas City and, after his service in World War II, ended up in Ghana. He left 22 brothers and sisters in Kansas City. It’s an amazing story I’d be interested in developing someday.

I do feel I’m part of the African American culture. Since I was 18, I’ve been coming to America on vacation. By 24, I decided this is where I wanted to be and work.

Why leave England?

England is great, but it couldn’t house my ambition. The competition is just as fierce there, but the amount of work is smaller. I was auditioning against black actors I’d been seeing on TV for five to 10 years. It was discouraging for me. If they need a black actor, they get everyone. There are no Denzels and Wesleys you can look up to.

I don’t want to follow anyone’s career pattern, I want to carve my own. I don’t want people to know or predict what I’m going to play next. I love being an actor. There are more important things we could be doing with our lives. There’s a responsibility that comes to actors who have a certain amount of pull. They should stretch themselves and stretch the audience.

Will you miss Stringer?

I did three years on that character. He’s the character most people recognize me for and love me for. I miss the guy; he put me where I am today. It’s amazing that character was so relatable, not just to drug dealers or African American men, but all races, women, identified with wanting to get from one part of life to another and the struggle that embodies that. I won’t talk about him anymore. He will haunt me if I talk about his death.

What would you do if you weren’t acting?

I’ve been a DJ since I was 14. It was my main source of income for a little while. I DJ now when I can for gigs that actually want to take me on as a DJ and not as that actor from “The Wire.”

Eventually I want to take the craft and introduce that into soundtracks. I have a studio and produce a little bit. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not about to hang up my scripts. But I love DJ’ing. It keeps my feet on the ground. There’s nothing like having a live audience respond.