Hollywood star Idris Elba to produce and narrate WW2 documentary

Hollywood star Idris Elba wants to highlight the unsung heroes of World War II in his new National Geographic documentary series.

The project, which will be produced by October Film and the actor’s Green Door Pictures, will cover unsung heroes of colour at Dunkirk, Pearl Harbour and D-Day during World War II, and the 51-year-old star is looking forward to shining a spotlight on their stories, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Speaking to Deadline, Elba, whose grandfather fought in the War, said he was pitched the documentary when October showed him a photo of soldiers from the war and asked “What do you think is missing from these pictures?”

The ‘Luther’ actor said: “The answer, of course, was people of colour and I realised I didn’t know any stories about them from World War II. So this felt like a genuinely fresh and original way into a perennial subject.”

Each episode of the programme will focus on three specific people via premium dramatisation, character portraits and archive material.

Elba will also highlight how their experiences of war directly influenced the post-war movements for freedom and equality for people of colour all over the globe.

Previously, the ‘Molly’s Game’ actor had worked with National Geographic for 2013’s ‘King of Speed’, which showed the history of underground racing, and how the need for speed impacted the modern motorsport world.

Meanwhile, Elba recently revealed he has been in therapy for a year because of his obsession with work.

He told the ‘Changes’ podcast: “I’ve been in therapy for about a year now. It’s a lot.”

“In my therapy, I’ve been thinking a lot about changing, almost to the point of neuropaths being changed and shifting. It’s not because I don’t like myself or anything like that, it’s just because I have some unhealthy habits that have really formed.

“And I work in an industry in which I’m rewarded for those unhealthy habits, I’m rewarded for that.”

Elba once found himself working for 10 days straight on a film set and spent his downtime relaxing in his music studio instead of being with his family.

He added: “Whether it’s to be selfish, or (because) I’m a workaholic. I’m an absolute workaholic, and that isn’t great for life generally.”