Idris Elba’s open casting call turned into glorious chaos

We’re not quite sure what he was expecting. After Idris Elba posted an open casting call, he realized how much of a following he truly had. The call, which was looking for paid extras, definitely brought out the aspiring actor in everyone.

Held in London, it was an open call that was set to happen within a five-hour window. The parts were for a 1983-based feature film that Elba is set to direct himself. While those interested didn’t need to bring anything besides themselves, they were definitely encouraged to wear outfits based on the timeframe. Since the ’80s was one of the best decades ever, that suggestion likely wasn’t super hard to follow.

While an exact count wasn’t set, fans of Elba estimated that approximately 900 people showed up.

Streets were filled with hopefuls, and it got so bad that police actually showed up to try and manage the crowd.

Jaxx Nelson, who showed up for the event, noted on Twitter that eventually the crowd was broken up, because nobody anticipated such a crazy turnout.

Luckily, hopefuls weren’t totally out of luck. They were told to e-mail their information and go home.

Elba also addressed the situation in a video that he posted while people were being seen.

Yikes. So, while everything was handled in a totally professional way, maybe next time Elba should remember his total star power. People would do anything to work with such a legendary actor!