Idris Elba says he would handle a real‑life hijack 'worse' than his character

Idris Elba opened up about how he thinks he’d react in a real‑life hijacking situation compared with his character Sam Nelson in the Apple TV+ thriller Hijack, telling People that while he stays relatively calm under pressure, he isn’t as skilled as the fictional negotiator he portrays.

Elba, 53, discussed the new season of Hijack and offered an honest assessment of his own potential instincts in such a high‑stakes scenario.

“I’d handle it worse probably,” Elba said when asked who would fare better in a real hijacking, himself or Sam Nelson. “I’d handle it worse.” He added with a laugh, “I’m not sure I’d think on the way he does,” acknowledging the strategist’s cool head and tactical mind featured in the show.

Elba explained that his own approach would likely hinge more on human connection than cold calculation. “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 said, contrasting his instinctive empathy with Sam’s sharper, more manipulative negotiation style. “Where he’s a lot more like, ‘Okay, I’ll figure this out. I’ll double cross you all somehow.’”

Despite admitting he’s “calm and not a panicker,” Elba acknowledged that his real‑life response might fall short of the expert negotiator onscreen. “Definitely probably not as good as a negotiator as him,” he said, underscoring the contrast between his personality and the seasoned crisis manager he plays in the series.

Season 2 of Hijack moves the action from a plane to an underground train in Berlin, upping the stakes as Sam finds himself in another perilous situation. Elba, who also serves as an executive producer, said he initially had doubts about recreating the success of the first season but was drawn back by the creative possibilities for the character.

“It was really good and people really loved it. And can we do it again? I wasn’t sure,” he shared, noting the challenge of keeping the intensity alive. “As much as I loved the character, sometimes you’ve just got to move on. But I was really sort of compelled to see how we could do it … and keep what the audience loved of the first season alive.”

Hijack Season 2 episodes premiere Wednesdays on Apple TV+, continuing the high‑tension narrative that has audiences on edge as Sam navigates another life‑and‑death crisis.