Angie Martinez IRL - Idris Elba’s Mindset: Discipline, Romance & Balance

0:00This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human. Hey guys, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but you know. Tired and sick. Tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.

0:56Worst? Yeah. Me. Is there anything to the idea that because you're from Harvard, you only got in because your parents made a huge donation? To the group? To the group. The Yardbirds, right? That's the name? The Harvard Yardbirds. They're open. Do you have a name suggestion? We're open. Since you guys are middle-aged. One Erection. Listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. Humor me. I need some jokes to make me seem funny. En Nueva York, Lorena Borjas protegía a latinas que han aprendido a sobrevivir tres veces. Como mujeres trans, como inmigrantes y como trabajadoras sexuales.

1:42Yo voy a llegar a donde tenga que llegar como una perra, pelear con garras y uñas. But when he died, he started a fourth battle to prosper in a world full of threats. Listen Central, The Queen's Reines, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

2:18You have to be willing to live with a kind of uncertainty that none of us likes. You can have opinions. You can have like a strong stance. And then there's your body having its own program. Listen to A Slight Change of Plans on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So what is your definition of romance? I like being encouraging to my wife. Do you know what I'm saying? And I love when she has moments of doubts. I like being that arm, that ear to be like, yo, you got this, you know, and just reinforce that she can do what she wants to do. And to me that, you know, when she does that for me, that's romance.

3:02Like she buys me flowers. But if she just hugs me and like, yo, you're doing your thing. Words of affirmation. You know what I mean? Just that's romantic to me. That's your that's. Yeah, that's romantic to me.

3:18Thanks for watching, guys. Today's episode is brought to you by Boost Mobile. So this episode is going to be a little bit different today. It's not the traditional long-form interview. And I have an amazing guest, somebody who's a friend and a tremendous talent and just an overall lovely human being. Idris Elba will be here. But there's a lot going on in the world. Idris feels it. He shared how he's kind of navigating and staying positive and happy throughout that. We talk about this season of the year. This is like the time of the year, like all the goals we set for ourselves in 2026. Maybe they're not hitting like we thought they would be hitting, or maybe people kind of get off their ritual that they tried to do at the top of the year.

3:59So he talks about navigating that and discipline and goals and how we stick to them. But also with Valentine's Day around the corner, it is the season of love. So we're talking about romance and what that means to him and his marriage and his life. so plenty to learn from Idris Elba he's going to pop in and then we're going to hit the bowl we're going to hit the IRL bowl and we're going to hit a voice note and by the way I want to encourage people to check in if you have any questions or comments you can always send them to our Instagram page or DM us at Angie Martinez IRL and that's how we find you so without further ado Idris Elba what are you doing?

4:37I mean cutaways baby what are you doing with this? are you really doing? you know about the cutaways? who are you man? looking great what's going on? you know life lives you know what what a time to be alive though man like should we just take a moment to take a deep breath and just say let's do it give me give me this set it up set up give me the scene seriously though like you know the what we get to do is you know entertainers and entertainment discussing life discussing living from a perspective where we get to absorb stuff you know when you really think about this time of where we are what's happening in the world and what we are absorbing man i i have to sit down and sometimes be like i'm just so lucky to be here and witness what we're seeing you know what i mean to live through it to be able to wake up in the morning and be like wow i survived another day because the world are not surviving it's in a crazy state how you met how do you manage that i'm taking a moment to absorb because we get hit everyday news you know family we get hit with stuff all the time right and by the time you've been hit with one thing you haven't even had a chance to figure out what you're doing that how to react to that what the impact is on you you already moved on to the next what i have to do and i have to do it is absorb i have to sit still for a second but i whoa i'm an only child so i'm used to sitting quietly because you just had no choice right and if i don't do that i get overwhelmed I get very overwhelmed.

6:08And honestly, just the news cycle. Good news does not sell. I know. All we hear is bad news. Why don't you start a good news network? You're very ambitious and creative. I just told you it won't sell. I don't mean for the sales. I mean for the humanity of it all. Well, it's funny you say that because I see part of my job as an actor as part of that good news energy. Oh, I love that. Because I feel like I get to, you know, give people an escape-pist route, you know, via their imagination, via characters I get to play. I get to talk to you. We get to examine and talk about this stuff. I mean, that's like, yeah, that's good news.

6:49Okay, so I know you jumped in here, but can I just give you like an introduction? Yes. We just started talking. But that's how we do all the time. I know, but sometimes you have to let like the host like introduce you. Sorry, I forgot. It's the host. I'm the host. Yes. Our guest today has lived many lives. As an actor, a DJ, a producer, a global icon, a father, an entrepreneur, a wonderful human being. He's played all kinds of things from a king to a crook, to a president, to a sea lion. He's done all the things. I did that. He is now back on our screens with season two of Hijack on Apple TV. A career like this doesn't just take talent.

7:28And it takes dedication and reinvention and discipline and all the things that we can learn from. So it just over is our guest today on Iowa. Thank you. I'm glad we did the intro. Right? It felt like something. It felt pretty good. When you said the sea lion, I was like, wait a second. You are a sea lion. I was a sea lion. It's all inside of you. Yeah. We did dive in and I was sort of just, you know, shedding. It's good seeing you. I love talking to you. You already know that. I love seeing you talking to me. You know, we just dive straight into the idea. It's a life. It's a life of life thing.

8:05Teachers, in a lot of people's season of life right now, because we're at the top of the year, we were talking about this when you came in, January, everybody likes to, it's 2026 now. All that shit we were in 2025 is brand new, new energy. I'm going to do this. I'm going to have all these goals. We have big to-do lists, ambition. And then I was reading something like by middle of January, sometimes february it's gone 90 of that shit falls apart for people so i wonder from you as we talk about and it's true what i said in the intro like you cannot have a career like yours without discipline without goals that you stick to and so i ask your advice in that for everybody who is kind of like on the new venture of 2026 and the greater version of themselves yeah how do you do it listen um first of all you know people's you know we we mark you know the annuals by a date right this is 31st it's the first is the annual your birthday is your new new year right but the truth is um those are not real times they're not real schedules they're not real cycles of time you know essentially you are conceived nine months before you're born and even before that that you're alive somehow in some form, right?

9:20So when I think about my timing, so for example, I start my new year's resolutions midway between the new year. I start my new year's resolutions in July. Why? Because it takes time to get to your new you. It doesn't happen overnight. It takes time, it takes practice, it takes discipline. And the fun fact, a new habit doesn't really start forming. unless you do it 21 days consecutively. No breaks. So like if you want to get to the gym, you have to do it 21 days. No off Sundays. You have to get up at 5 a.m. every morning for 21 days and then your body starts to get used to that. Do you do that?

10:04No. Oh. But it's a... Way to keep it honest. I wish. I thought we were learning from you. Teach us something. The idea of the ingestion period being longer is important to accept. But you've set disciplines in your life. You probably have some rituals. I mean, I've never seen you out of shape. I have never. Really? I wear baggy clothes, man. You know what I'm saying? No, but you take care of yourself. Yes. You're disciplined about that, about taking care of yourself. I think partly is that I was a kid that had eczema, asthma. I was in and out of hospital when I was five, six, seven, you know? and my parents, my mom, my parents were very strict on what I ate.

10:50Anything that would trigger me getting sick was sort of indoctrinated into me really early. So if I'm really honest, a lot of it is to do with my discipline on the diet because I don't want to get ill and maybe I'll overkill. Also, I think my career is super demanding, you know what I'm saying? Like I sort of live between someone that uses their brain and someone that uses their bodies. You know, an athlete uses their bodies every single day. As an actor, sometimes you'll get up in the morning and run in a scene. You have to think like an athlete. And in your brain, you're absorbing and dispelling a lot of information that you have to learn quickly.

11:26It's like being a professor or a teacher. You know what I'm saying? I'm not saying that's what I do, but I'm just saying it's that sort of brain power. So I think having the habitual aspect of doing this sort of stuff keeps me in decent shape. So you're thinking about upgrading to the all new iPhone 17 Pro designed to be the most powerful iPhone ever. But are you also thinking about the traffic on your way to the store or transferring all your data and all the time that takes? Well, the good news is that when you order a brand new phone online with Boost Mobile, they'll send an expert to your home or to your work to deliver your brand new iPhone 17 Pro and get you all set up.

12:05Boost Mobile can do that within minutes. No hassle. All you got to do is visit BoostMobile.com to get started. Delivery available for select devices purchased at BoostMobile.com. Terms apply. It's funny because we don't always consider that. People have big goals. I want to do this one day. But do you really think about what kind of conditioning you need to be in to be able to execute that? Yeah, exactly. Exactly. I mean, but, you know, it always boils down to the basic principles of preparation. You know what I'm saying? And intention. What is that? You know, like, okay, like let's say, Angie, I'm coming to eat on Saturday.

12:37You're like, you're coming? Cool. Okay. I've said it, but between now and Saturday, there's a few things that you're going to have to do. Okay. See what I did there? You know what I'm saying? This is how you do it. Set it up. But you're going to prepare. You're going to think about the menu. You're going to think about the money you have to spend on that. There's all these variables that you prepare, prepare you for that meal. Yeah. It's the same in life, in my opinion. You know what I'm saying? Like people can do anything they want to do, but are they, did they go and do the shopping list? Do they check out the ingredients?

13:08Do they know how they're going to cook this? How long? What time is everyone eating? How many foods? That sort of level of thinking is what you have to apply to everything. Yeah. You do it when you're prepping the show. Yeah. You've got everyone here. You're like, okay, this is what I need to achieve. Yeah. You already cut the edit in your head before you even, you're here. You know it. I do do that. That's so funny. I know you do. Even when you came in, I was like, I'll put the intro first and then I'll move that other part back over there. I already told you you're going to be a good director.

13:36That's so funny. Thank you for believing me. You know, I just tried it for my first time. Yes, I know. It kicked my ass real bad. I know. It was very challenging. Really? Yes. Very challenging. Yes, because we did it on a small budget and there's a lot of things I didn't anticipate. But it's great. I can't wait to do it again. A lot of things I didn't anticipate. Yeah. That's the thing. I didn't anticipate the work. the tall, the tiredness, the things that might go wrong. And it's applicable to life generally, I think. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. So what are your goals for this year? Like you can't, what could you possibly be chasing at this point?

14:12You've already done so much, my friend. I'm happy to just be healthy, be happy, love and be loved. Yeah. I mean, I'm serious. These are the things that I really value. I like doing what I do for a living and I'm very thankful for it, but I would not swap my health or my happiness just to keep acting or keep doing stuff. Because from a simple base of health and happiness and contentment, that's really important. I can do anything. Do you know what I'm saying? Like you can take it all away from me if I've still got my health. I've got some sort of positivity as in happiness and I'm content with just, all right, this is what I've got.

14:55I can go out and make another hundred bucks. Do you know what I mean? But if I don't have those three or version of, I don't think I can do any of that. You can't do that. Yeah. So I'm not really chasing anything special. I'm just, you know, I'm blessed, man. I'm lucky. I'm so lucky. And I get to do it again. Yeah. I have an in real life bowl. Brought to you by Walden University. These are questions about real life. I want you to go into the bowl. Oh, man. And pick out a question. Do I have to be honest? Yes. Always. Are you an honest man? Yes. I'm guarded, though. I'm guarded. Oh, like in an interview, like with the cameras on.

15:32No way. Do you sometimes say too much? Yeah. It depends on who's interviewing me. Yeah. Have you said too much with me before? No, I don't think so. No. You and I, when we talk outside of the cameras, we talk deep. Yeah. And sometimes we might not agree on stuff. We don't want to air that. Yeah. that's good though to not disagree great disagreeing is fun it's great you don't want to go walk around with people I learn from someone that I disagree with because if they can articulate why they feel the way they feel I'm like yes please so I've got to pick something out read it out and then speak on it yeah it's just in real life questions there's nothing dramatic or do you have a sound effect for this bit no but would you like me to yeah adding noted

16:22it's going to be your voice doing that exact thing idris elba has now become the voice of the andrew martinez irl bowl and it's gonna go

16:37okay good all right so here's my question um i hope it's good what is your go-to self-care ritual when you are burnt out oh burnt out yeah do you have a self-care ritual just to define burned out for me right to be burnt out is when i i i don't want to speak to anyone i mean literally i just don't want to see no one and speak to anyone i am very tired and when i'm burnt out i get grumpy short tempered no uh 100 you're taking this i fell for that um i get grumpy uh short tempered and just short with people that's my definition of burnt out my go-to ritual for that is to literally just be by myself just go somewhere where quiet yeah quiet silencio you're a married man you can't always be how does that work in marriage it's tough because you can't say to the wife hey no you can okay i mean i feel like my wife and i have that rapport she has five siblings i have none so she understands that i don't get it when I say I don't want to be around you I'm good she's like yeah but that's so extreme I'm like no no no it's not I just need to be by myself because you're an only child I am an only child too so I understand before you came I was sitting in the room by myself and is that a ritual for you sometimes if I feel a little overwhelmed I just need a minute by myself it's quiet think about what I'm doing but you don't get grumpy

18:18Touche Anyway, so thanks for coming by

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19:06Because their network has improved, like, a lot. which means Chicagoans can keep speaking their mind with the top-rated fiber internet in the city. Chicago won't stop talking. Our improved network backs it up. AT &T, connecting changes everything. AT &T Fiber, limited availability in select areas. Top-rated and fastest internet. AT &T Fiber, based on analysis by Ooclops, Pete's intelligence data, 2H, 2025. Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers, and guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, Nick? Huge news. We created our own podcast called Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it.

19:39We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. Yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts. We're starting a trend. But this one's extra special. So how did we actually come up with the name Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band. Before Jonas Brothers. This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast where people could call in and say, Hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey, Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast.

20:19But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey, Jonas on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy. Not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and friends. me and hilarious guests from Jim Gaffigan to Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guests, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an acapella band with their between songs banter. Who's the worst singer in the group? The worst? Yeah. Me. Is there anything to the idea that because you're from Harvard, you only got in because your parents made a huge donation?

21:00To the group? To the group. The Yarn Herds, right? That's the name. The Harvard Yard, but they're open. Do you have a name, suggestion? We're open. Since you guys are middle-aged, one erection. Listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Humor Me. I need some jokes to make me seem funny. In New York, Lorena Borjas era the protectora of Latinas who have learned to survive three

21:37I was going to be able to get to where I have to be like a girl, fight with garras and uñas. But when she died, nobody will be able to get the shoes of the Sra. Lorena Borjas. I'm Rula Avila Muñoz, and I invite you to a world ferocious and brilliant world, where women three times marginally free a fourth battle, not only to survive after the death of her protector mother, but to prosper in a world full of threats, armed with tacks, lentes, and if you need a good shot of tequila. Listen Central, The Queen's Reines, as part of My Cultura Podcast Network, on the app of iHeart Radio, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

22:26Hey guys, support for this podcast is brought to you by Walden University. Have you ever thought to yourself, what if I could go after what I actually want and I could really make a difference? Well, you are not alone. And this is exactly why I want to tell you about Walden University. For over 50 years, Walden has helped working adults like you get the W with the knowledge, the skills and everything you need to build the future that you want. And you can make a difference where it matters most. If you've been waiting for the right moment, this is it. Head to waldenu.edu and take that first step.

23:00Walden University, set a course for change. Certified to operate by Shiv. I have some real life questions for you. Ready? This is like speed round in real life. Speed round. In real life, what are you most proud of about yourself? Let's go right in. Damn. Yeah. I am proud that I'm very proud that I don't really get bothered by, you know, criticism, opinions and such. It does bother me. I'm a human being, but I don't let it derail me. What do people ever say bad about you? Oh, come on, man. Like, you know, I can be fatiguing to people because I'm always trying to overachieve. that can be annoying to people 100 % I'm a positive person I'll always look on the bright side and that can be annoying to some people

23:56I'm a British actor that made it in America that is annoying to some people recently though really? when they didn't know they didn't know we never would have thought Stringer Bell had an English accent it really confused us My granddad. We got over it by now, no? Well, I don't think, no. There's a big culture divide at the moment, which is a bit painful to watch. But my granddad is American. Kansas City. So, suck it! You've been waiting to say that all day, haven't you? 100%. 100%. It's very hard to do in real life questions in a fast round, but I'm going to do it again. In real life, what is your guilty pleasure, Idris Elba?

24:44Damn. So are we telling the truth here? Yes, the truth only. Facts only. Guilty pleasure, man. Who did we just have? We just had Jill Scott on. She said, she said, Krishan and Blueface's storyline is her guilty pleasure. That's what Jill said.

25:05I happen to love, I'm not proud. I happen to love the drama between Blueface and Christian Rock. I love it.

25:27I know. I know. Now, what is it about this said situation that does it for you? What does it bring up for you? I think that that's a pimp. And I think I think that's a pimp. And I think that she got caught up with her pimp. It's your pleasure. Okay, I'm just going to be honest. I'll be watching those Nigerian comedy skits where the guy, the skinny guy, he's always after the girl with the big hips. And he's trying to wash outside and she's just right in the garden. And then his wife comes along and he's doing something else. and they always do these sound effects. Oh, Jesus. Yo, I be bussin' up.

26:20That's pretty good. I spend way too much time on that. I have not gone down that rabbit hole. Oh, yeah, it's a rabbit hole. Nigerian humor is very funny to me. I'm going to do that. What is, in real life, what is a habit that you have that you, this goes in theme with our resolutions and discipline. What is a habit that you are proud of? and a habit that you are currently trying to break? You have any bad habits? The bad habit I'm really trying to break is that I go to bed way too late and I get just not enough sleep. Yeah. Like I will be up until one or two in the morning knowing I have to get up at five.

27:01You have the aura ring on, doesn't it tell you? Yeah, I got this for Christmas and I'm starting to learn some shit. I'm starting to learn. I'm like, hmm, REM. wow i didn't get that much you know i'm really getting into that good for you but that's a habit i'm definitely trying to break i'm a night owl i don't really love getting up early but i can't go to bed early have you conquered any recently habits uh i um no habits any good new habits good new habits um i'm being disciplined around not losing my temper getting grumpy This is really a theme. It is. I find that I suppress that urge to be like, shut the fuck up, man, all the time.