Idris Elba Biography

The actor known as Idris Elba was born Idrissa Akuna Elba in 1972 in Hackney, London. Idris began working as a DJ as a teenager, alongside his uncle who frequently performed at weddings. As a young man, Elba owned his own DJ company for a while, until he landed his first acting role on the British series Bramwell in 1995.

The role led to many offers for other supporting roles on a variety of British shows for Idris, until 2001, at which time he moved to New York. Guest roles on a number of television shows, such as Law & Order, followed, until Elba landed his first starring role in the HBO series The Wire. Portraying Russel “Stringer” Bell, Idris Elba became a recognizable actor in the United States and abroad, and since that time his star has been on the rise.

Since his role on The Wire, which concluded in 2004, Idris Elba has appeared in episodes of the television shows: Girlfriends, The Office, The Big C, Demons Never Die, and Luther, another role for which he is well-known, appearing in fourteen episodes of the series between 2010 and 2013 in the role of DCI John Luther. Elba has also appeared in the filmes: The Reaping (2007), American Gangster (2007), Prom Night (2008), The Human Contract (2008), Obsessed (2009), Takers (2010), Thor (2011), Prometheus (2012), Pacific Rim (2013), and as Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013), another role for which he has recently received much acclaim and recognition.

In fact, Idris Elba has a number of award nominations so far, including: a Screen Actors Guild nomination for American Gangster: an NAACP Image Award nomination for his role in Obsessed; and Golden Globe, Primetime Emmys, and NAACP Award nominations for his role in Luther. Elba has been selected as one of People’s 100 Most Beautiful People (for year 2007) and also as one of People’s sexiest men alive (2013.)  Elba’s next upcoming role is as the title character in the film Luther, based on the character he portrayed in the series. The film is scheduled for late 2014.