1. Idrissa Akuna Elba is an English actor, rapper, singer and DJ.
79 Facts About Idris Elba
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Idris Elba has received a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for three BAFTA Awards and six Emmy Awards.
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Idris Elba was named in the Time 100 list of the Most Influential People in the World in 2016.
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Idris Elba's films have grossed over at the global box office, making him one of the top 20 highest-grossing actors.
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Idris Elba was Emmy-nominated for his guest role in Showtime comedy-drama series The Big C and for his leading role in Apple TV+ thriller series Hijack.
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Idris Elba is known for his recurring guest role as Charles Miner in the NBC sitcom The Office.
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Idris Elba joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe portraying Heimdall in six films beginning with Thor, as well as the DC Extended Universe playing Bloodsport in The Suicide Squad.
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Idris Elba has voiced roles in Zootopia, The Jungle Book, and Finding Dory.
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Idris Elba has voiced Knuckles the Echidna in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Knuckles, and Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
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Idris Elba is a co-owner of the Formula E team, Kiro Race Co.
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Idrissa Akuna Elba was born on 6 September 1972 in the London Borough of Hackney, to Winston Elba, a Sierra Leonean man who worked at the Ford Dagenham plant, and Eve, a Ghanaian woman.
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Idris Elba's parents were married in Sierra Leone and later moved to London.
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Idris Elba worked in nightclubs under the DJ nickname "Big Driis" during his adolescence, but began auditioning for television roles in his early twenties.
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Idris Elba's first acting role was in Crimewatch murder reconstructions, and in 1994, he appeared in a BBC children's drama called The Boot Street Band.
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Idris Elba's first named role arrived earlier in 1995 when he was cast as a gigolo on the "Sex" episode of Absolutely Fabulous.
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Idris Elba joined the cast of the soap opera Family Affairs and went on to appear on the television serial Ultraviolet and later on Dangerfield.
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Idris Elba decided to move to New York City soon afterward.
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Idris Elba returned to England occasionally for a television role, such as a part in one of the Inspector Lynley Mysteries.
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In 2001, Idris Elba played Achilles in a stage production of Troilus and Cressida in New York City.
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From 2002 to 2004, Idris Elba portrayed Stringer Bell in the series, perhaps his best-known role in the United States.
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Idris Elba appeared on the 2007 BET special Black Men: The Truth.
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Idris Elba appeared as Charlie Gotso on The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, filmed in Botswana.
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In January 2009, Variety reported that Idris Elba would portray Charles Miner, a new rival to Dunder Mifflin regional manager Michael Scott for NBC's The Office.
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Idris Elba appeared in a six-episode story arc later in the 2009 season, as well as the season finale.
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Idris Elba appeared on Showtime's The Big C in 2010.
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At the 69th Golden Globe Awards telecast on 15 January 2012, Idris Elba won Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film for his role on the BBC crime thriller series Luther.
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In 2007, Idris Elba signed on to play the lead role of the film Daddy's Little Girls, playing Monty, a blue-collar mechanic who falls in love with an attorney helping him gain custody of his kids, and finds the relationship and his custody hopes threatened by the return of his former wife.
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Idris Elba played Heimdall in Kenneth Branagh's film Thor, based on the Marvel Comics superhero of the same name.
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In Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, the sequel to Ghost Rider, Idris Elba played an alcoholic warrior monk tasked with finding the title character.
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In February 2012, Idris Elba confirmed that he would portray Nelson Mandela in the film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, which is based on his autobiography.
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In June 2012, Idris Elba portrayed the role of Captain Janek in Ridley Scott's Prometheus.
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Idris Elba joined the cast of the film Pacific Rim in the role of Stacker Pentecost.
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Idris Elba reprised his role as Heimdall in Thor: The Dark World in 2013.
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In 2015, Idris Elba appeared as Heimdall in the superhero blockbuster Avengers: Age of Ultron, directed by Joss Whedon.
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Idris Elba starred alongside Abraham Attah in the film Beasts of No Nation, which premiered in select theatres and on Netflix.
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Idris Elba earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture, as well as a BAFTA Award nomination for Supporting Actor in the Film category.
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Idris Elba created and starred in the semi-autobiographical comedy In the Long Run.
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In 2022, Idris Elba was the voice of Knuckles the Echidna in the film Sonic the Hedgehog 2, a sequel to the film Sonic the Hedgehog which is itself based on the franchise of the same name.
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Idris Elba reprised the role in a self-titled solo series for Paramount+ and returned for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, both in 2024.
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Idris Elba portrayed the character Solomon Reed in Phantom Liberty, a 2023 downloadable expansion for CD Projekt Red's 2020 video game Cyberpunk 2077.
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Idris Elba provides voice acting and his likeness to the character.
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Idris Elba signed a deal with Apple to produce original content through his Green Door Pictures production company.
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In September 2024, Idris Elba joined Things Fall Apart as an actor and executive producer.
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In January 2025, Idris Elba premiered a documentary into the rampant knife and gang-related crimes in the United Kingdom.
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Idris Elba has appeared in music videos for Fat Joe, Angie Stone and rapper Giggs.
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Idris Elba co-produced and performed on the intro to Jay-Z's album American Gangster.
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Idris Elba DJed at the 2007 NBA All-Star parties at The Venetian and Ice House Lounge in Las Vegas.
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In July 2009, Idris Elba was the DJ for BET's current series Rising Icons.
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Idris Elba announced the release of his first single "Please Be True".
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Idris Elba featured on the remix of the Ghanaian music group, VVIP's single "Selfie" together with Nigerian rapper Phyno released on 12 September 2014, and the video was released on YouTube on 11 April 2015.
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Idris Elba performed a rap for the second album by Noel Fielding and Sergio Pizzorno's band, the Loose Tapestries.
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Idris Elba rapped in a remix of Skepta's "Shutdown" which was uploaded on 1 June 2015 to SoundCloud.
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In November 2015, Idris Elba opened for Madonna during her Rebel Heart Tour in Berlin, Germany.
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Idris Elba had the idea to develop the music from his album Idris Elba Presents Mi Mandela into a show, which eventually resulted in a play called Tree that premiered at the Manchester International Festival in 2019.
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Idris Elba performed at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2019.
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Idris Elba appears in the "Boasty" music video, delivering his verse in a mansion that includes a film set.
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In 2019, Idris Elba appears on Taylor Swift's song "London Boy" from her seventh studio album Lover.
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Idris Elba was credited as the creative director of the video and is being credited as an executive producer of Emanuel's forthcoming full-length debut album.
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On 13 February 2021, Elba performed a guest DJ mix for Mix Up on Australian national youth broadcaster Triple J On 22 September 2021, Elba announced he would be releasing a collaborative EP with Australian pop rock duo Lime Cordiale titled Cordi Elba, which was released on 14 January 2022.
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Idris Elba collaborated with Paul McCartney on a remix of his song "Long Tailed Winter Bird".
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On 8 January 2024, Idris Elba released the song "Knives Down" featuring UK rapper DB Maz as a part of his campaign against knife crime in the UK.
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On 24 January 2024, Movement Electronic Music Festival in Detroit announced that Idris Elba would be performing a back-to-back DJ set with veteran EDM DJ and producer Kevin Saunderson in 2024.
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In 2024, Idris Elba Started his own label "Sound International" inspired by his uncle's legendary 1980s London "Sound System" which had an open-minded approach to music; the label aims to showcase diverse house music talent from around the world, with a goal to sign records from every country, highlighting the global unity and freedom within the house music genre.
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On 11 February 2025, it was announced that Idris Elba invested in Kiro Race Co, a team competing in the FIA Formula E World Championship.
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Idris Elba was then married to American real estate lawyer Sonya Nicole Hamlin for four months in 2006.
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Idris Elba began a relationship with Canadian model and businesswoman Sabrina Dhowre in early 2017.
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Idris Elba was featured in various television commercials for Sky box-sets in 2013,2014,2015,2016 and 2019.
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Idris Elba has collaborated with the UK parliament in their efforts to eradicate Ebola from West Africa, working alongside the UK Secretary of State for International Development Justine Greening in 2014.
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Idris Elba has created a collaboration with British fashion label Superdry, which launched at the end of November 2015.
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In January 2016, Idris Elba addressed the UK parliament regarding the concern of the lack of diversity on screen.
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Idris Elba said: "Change is coming but it's taking its sweet time".
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Idris Elba served on the Board of Governors of the British Film Institute between 2018 and 2022.
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Idris Elba voiced support for a vote to remain in the European Union for the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum.
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Idris Elba attended the UK government's inaugural knife crime summit in 2024, alongside Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
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Idris Elba emphasized the importance of action over mere discussion, advocating for a wide range of perspectives, including those of parents, youth workers, and law enforcement to address the issue.
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Idris Elba has said that he is spiritual but not religious.
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Idris Elba is a lifelong supporter of his local football team Arsenal FC.
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Idris Elba hosted The Best FIFA Football Awards at the London Palladium on 23 October 2017, during which he took a selfie of "the best team in the world" which included Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar.
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Idris Elba was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to drama.