1. – Idris Elba, Prom Night, 2007. The Ghana-born giant – 1.92m – was moving into movies after Euro modelling and musicals. He missed nothing here. Detective Winn was a zero. Like the film. He had better luck when running into James Cameron in a parking lot. He was hired on the spot for the Horse Clan Leader in Avatar, 2009.
2. – Bob Sapp, Conan The Barbarian, 2010. With his height, Mensah usually gets to play figures of authority. Easily. For example, he met James Cameron in a parking lot and The King of the World cast him, then and there, as the Horse Clan Leader in Avatar. Likewise, Mensah didn’t need to test for the retired gladiator in TV’s Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Not so lucky for Conan’s Ukafa – well, he was taller than the 1.89m) Honolulu-born hero.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 2