Actor Idris Elba considers himself a "workaholic" and has compared himself to his "Luther" alter ego Detective John Luther because he gets so consumed by his career.

"John Luther is a workaholic and I'm a workaholic. I throw everything I've got into whatever I do. Whatever it is. And I think John does the same. If I want to do something, I'll do it - break dancing at the end of a movie trailer, adding a verse on a rap song, racing rally cars. Why not?," Elba told Woman magazine, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

However, Elba says he "battles" with his dedication to his career and his desire to be a great father to his children, 14-year-old daughter Isan, who he has with former partner Kim Norgaard, and Winston, 17 months, with girlfriend Nalyana Garth.

"More than anything you have to make time to be with your children. It's something I battle a lot because of my career, because as much as it's nice to be busy and working, ultimately children don't raise themselves.

"You've got to be there to help them and guide them through it. That's one thing I try my very best to do. I love being a dad, it's an important part of my life," he said.