Showing solidarity! Idris Elba revealed that Tom Hanks “motivated” him to come forward publicly about his coronavirus diagnosis amid the global pandemic.
The Luther star, 47, answered questions from fans in a social media livestream on Tuesday, March 17, one day after he confirmed he had tested positive for the illness. Elba admitted that he is still not showing any symptoms and gave some insight on how he is able to remain “positive and optimistic” throughout the crisis.
“I’m really proud of Tom Hanks, who is also someone in the public eye who came out and said they have it and has been public about it,” the Obsessed actor said in his live Twitter video. “I was really motivated by Tom’s move there.”
The beloved Toy Story actor, 63, was the first Hollywood figure to open up about testing positive for COVID-19 on March 12. Hanks revealed in an Instagram post that he and his wife, Rita Wilson, “felt a bit tired” and experienced “some body aches,” and later found out that they had contracted the virus.
“Hey folks. Good News: One week after testing Positive, in self-isolation, the symptoms are much the same. No fever but the blahs. Folding the laundry and doing the dishes leads to a nap on the couch,” the Cast Away star captioned an Instagram post on Tuesday, one day after Us Weekly reported that he and Wilson, 63, had been released from the hospital. “Bad news: My wife @ritawilson has won 6 straight hands of Gin Rummy and leads by 201 points.”
Hanks, Wilson and Elba are all attempting to stay calm through this uncertain time. After revealing his diagnosis, The Wire alum told fans that he was glad to have “opened up a conversation” about how people can help prevent the spread of COVID-19, even if they haven’t been tested yet.
“I think it made it a lot more real for some people,” Elba said on Tuesday. “Definitely made it a lot more real for me and my family … And at the end of the day, my wife [Sabrina Dhowre] and I felt like it was the right thing to do, to share what we’re going through, because we ain’t the only ones.”
The Hobbs & Shaw actor also gave an update on his wife, 30, who joined him in his self-quarantine to show her support. The couple tied the knot in an extravagant three-day ceremony in Morocco in June 2019.
“As much as we talked about her not coming to where I am, she did, and wanted to,” he admitted. “I love her even more for it and I would do the same for her … Love is all you can get.”
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