Idris Elba

Bio:

Idris Elba (born Idrissa Akuna Elba on September 6, 1972 in Hackney, London) is a British actor. While attending school in Canning Town, Idris first became involved in acting. He left school in 1988 and won a place in the National Youth Music Theatre. While studying, he worked at a various jobs, including as a nightclub DJ under the name Big Driis. His first role came in 1995, when he played a thief on the medical drama Bramwell. He had roles on series Absolutely Fabulous, The Bill, Family Affairs and Ultraviolet. After he moved to New York in the early 2000’s, he appeared on an episode of Law & Order. Idris’s breakout role came in 2002 when he was cast as Russell “Stringer” Bell in The Wire. His success with that critically acclaimed series led to appearances in The Office, the BBC show Luther and on Showtime’s The Big C. His performance in Luther won him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film  His film career includes roles in films like 28 Weeks Later, Thor, This Christmas, Pacific Rim and Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, when he portrayed Nelson Mandela.. In addition to acting, Idris has an active music career. In 2006, he released a four-song EP, Big Man. He co-produced and performed the intro to Jay Z’s 2007 album, American Gangster. He released three more EPs, Kings Among Kings (2009) and High Class Problems Vol.1 (2010) and Idris Elba Presents mi Mandela (2014).

Best Known For:
Idris is best known for his role as Russell “Stringer” Bell on The Wire.

Personal Life:
Idris was appointed as an Anti-Crime Ambassador for the Prince’s Trust in 2009. In sports, Idris is a supporter of Arsenal FC. Idris was previously married to Kim Elba. Together, they have a daughter, Isan. In 2014, Idris and girlfriend, Naiyana Garth, welcomed their first child together: son Winston.