Idris Elba

Idris Elba is keen to play the jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk.

The ‘Luther’ star explained he was fascinated with how Monk was able to create something truly remarkable with his music while battling bipolar disorder.

He said: “When jazz was popular in the early ’50s, Monk came along and just did something weird with it and everyone was like, ‘He’s a bit odd.’

“He had mental health issues he didn’t realize he had for a long time, but he was an absolute genius because he just came in and broke all the rules. He was kind of like the Skrillex of his day.

“You know when Sonny [Moore] came out and just DJ’d a different way to everyone else? When he’s nutting it out playing a bit of d’n’b, a bit of dubstep and everyone’s going, ‘What the front door?’ Monk was a bit like that.”