Idris Elba says he didn’t have to feign an aversion to rats in the new DC Comics superhero film The Suicide Squad. In fact, Elba, who plays the mercenary Bloodsport, tells ABC Audio that he’s still not a fan of the rodents, even after getting some major one-on-one time with them on set.
“No — next question,” quips an expressionless Elba when asked if he had developed a new appreciation for the garbage-loving creatures.
“Listen, they’re very intelligent. Very intelligent and to some degree… have a real human interaction. They understand [and] you can communicate with them,” he says. “So I was like, ‘What? Really?'”
Elba’s co-star Daniela Melchior, who plays Ratcatcher 2 — a woman who inherited the ability to control rats and communicate with them — says her experience working with the rodents actually made her a big fan.
“After shooting the movie…[and] getting to know a little bit more about these animals, and…how smart they are, I now follow a bunch of Instagram accounts from people that have rats as pets. And I’m loving it,” she says. “Like, I can’t wait to have a rat again in my hand.”
A stunned, and perhaps disgusted, Elba looks at Melchior, and says, “You need to get out more, Daniela. You need to get out more.”
The Suicide Squad, also starring Viola Davis and John Cena, is now in theaters nationwide and streaming on HBO Max.
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