Idris Elba initially refused to play Mandela

Actor Idris Elba was so worried about being cast as Nelson Mandela in his biopic that he hung up the phone when he was first approached about the role.

The 41-year-old actor was apprehensive about playing South Africa's first black president in the biopic 'Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom' and he even tried to pass the role onto Morgan Freeman - who played Mandela in 2009 film 'Invictus', reported Contactmusic.