Omar Elba

In the A24/Netflix series Mo, Elba plays Sameer, an autistic character who has trouble fitting in. In preparation for the role, he worked meticulously with a behavioral therapist studying specific autistic patients at great length.^[4][5] His nuanced portrayal of autism received rave reviews, most notably from family and caregivers of members of the autism community.^[6]

Elba also starred, wrote and directed Tim, a Freudian short film about the Ego, Id and Superego. In preparation for the 2 main roles, he transformed his body twice by gaining 20 pounds of fat to play Tim and then losing the weight and gaining 10 pounds of muscle to play Tim's Ego. For the physical transformation between both characters to take place, the two performances, Tim and Tim's Ego, were shot one year apart, respectively. In the film, both characters, Tim (an overweight, balding codependent) and Tim's Ego (his better looking, more assertive counterpart), are seen interacting onscreen simultaneously.^[6][7]