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"I certainly just plugged into the energy of Mandela and the way people respect him," said Elba. He added: "There was no messing about with this character and this story." The film has been in development for many years, during which several other big screen depictions of Mandela have been released. Others to tackle the role include Morgan Freeman ("Invictus") and Terrence Howard ("Winnie Mandela"). Producer Anant Singh long ago secured Mandela's approval. The 95-year-old Mandela has been ailing, so he wasn't involved in the production or able to meet with Elba. Singh, though, said he showed scenes last year to Mandela on an iPad. When he saw Elba in character, Mandela asked: "Is that me?"
[Associated
Press;
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