VIDEO: Idris Elba Addresses Parliament on Diversity in British Film and Television

BET and NAACP Image Award-winning actor delivered what he calls "The most important speech I ever made," on Tuesday, as he addressed the United Kingdom's Parliament about the need for greater diversity and representation on film and TV screens.

His appearance before the governing house comes a year after the launch of UK's Channel 4's 360° Diversity Charter, calling on broadcasters to increase the diversity of talent used in front of cameras and behind the scenes.

"I'm not here to talk about black people, I'm here to talk about diversity," said the star of television's LUTHER and THE WIRE. "Diversity in the modern world is more than just skin color. It's gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, social background, and most important of all, as far as I'm concerned, diversity of thought. Because if you have genuine diversity of thought among people making TV and film, then you won't accidentally shut out any of the groups I just mentioned."

The timing of the anniversary coincidentally comes as Hollywood debates the lack of diversity in this year's Oscar nominations. Elba's highly-regarded performance in Cary Fukunaga's BEASTS OF NO NATION is among those notably absent from the list of nominees.

View his full speech in the video.