At a Glance
- Idris Elba admits he would handle a real hijack crisis worse than his TV character
- The actor says he’d appeal to captors’ humanity rather than outmaneuver them
- Season 2 of Hijack moves the action from a plane to a Berlin train
- Why it matters: Fans get a darker, more complex Sam Nelson when new episodes drop Wednesdays
Idris Elba doesn’t believe he could outsmart hostage-takers the way his Hijack character does. The 53-year-old actor told News Of Los Angeles that corporate negotiator Sam Nelson would definitely handle a real-life hijacking better than he ever could.
“I’d handle it worse probably,” Elba said flatly. “I’m not sure I’d think on the way he does.”
Elba’s Real-Life Strategy vs. Sam’s Cold Calculations
While Sam Nelson relies on layered deception and tactical double-crosses, Elba pictured himself taking a far more personal approach.
“I would try and appeal to the human beings involved and try and say, ‘Hey, man, it doesn’t have to be like this,'” he explained. “Where he’s a lot more like, ‘Okay, I’ll figure this out. I’ll double cross you all somehow.'”
The difference, Elba admitted, comes down to negotiation instincts. He described himself as “calm and not a panicker,” yet quickly added he is “definitely probably not as good as a negotiator as him.”
Inside Season 2’s New High-Stakes Setting
Hijack shifts terrain for its sophomore run. After trapping Sam 30,000 feet in the air throughout season 1, the thriller now places him aboard an underground Berlin train where, once again, nothing is what it seems.
Elba, who also executive-produces, confessed he initially questioned whether lightning could strike twice.
“It’s a complex show to make,” he said. “It was really good and people really loved it. And can we do it again? I wasn’t sure.”
The creative team-including Elba-began brainstorming while the first season was still riding its wave of success. Ideas flew around the writers’ room until one bold concept clicked.
“What if he’s the hijacker?” a writer pitched.
Elba’s eyes lit up. “Yeah. And then it all started to cascade.”
Why Elba Came Back
Despite early hesitation, the character pulled him in.
“As much as I loved the character, sometimes you’ve just got to move on,” he said. “But I was really sort of compelled to see how we could do it and see if we can do it again, do it well, keep what the audience loved of the first season alive.”
The new episodes expand Sam’s moral gray zones, forcing viewers to question whether the seasoned dealmaker has stepped onto the wrong side of the crisis.
Key Takeaways
- Elba openly rates his own crisis skills below those of fictional Sam Nelson
- Season 2 trades airplane claustrophobia for subterranean tension in Berlin
- The actor-producer embraced the darker twist of making Sam the apparent threat
- Fresh installments stream Wednesdays on Apple TV
