Damson Idris facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Damson Idris
Idris in 2019
Born	Adamson Alade-Bo Idris (1991-09-02) 2 September 1991 (age 33) London, England
Nationality	British
Alma mater	Brunel University London
Occupation	Actor entrepreneur film producer
Years active	2012–present

Damson Idris (born September 2, 1991) is a British actor. He is well-known for his main role in the TV show Snowfall. This crime drama series started in 2017 and finished in 2023. He also starred in the 2021 science fiction movie Outside the Wire on Netflix. In 2025, he played a Formula One driver in the sports drama film F1.

Early Life and Education

Damson Idris was born in Peckham, South East London. His family is Nigerian and from the Yoruba group. He is the youngest of six children.

When he was younger, Damson loved playing football. He also played rugby. In 2002, he even met Queen Elizabeth II when his rugby team took part in her Golden Jubilee celebration.

Most of his older brothers and sisters work in areas like law and business. Damson chose a different path. He studied drama at Brunel University London. He earned a degree in Theatre, Film & Television studies. In 2024, the university gave him an award for his great work in culture and creativity. After university, he continued his acting training at the Identity School of Acting in London.

Acting Career Highlights

Damson Idris began his acting journey after meeting actress Cathy Tyson at university. She encouraged him to try out for a play called Pandora's Box. He got the part, found an agent, and started acting in more plays.

After performing in plays at the Royal National Theatre in London, he decided to try television and film. He appeared in British TV shows like Miranda (2013), Doctors (2015), and Casualty (2015).

Starring in Snowfall

Damson Idris became widely known for his role as Franklin Saint in the FX crime drama Snowfall. He played a determined young man in Los Angeles. The show started in July 2017 and finished in 2023.

The first season of Snowfall is set in 1983. It tells the stories of different people whose lives become connected. Damson worked hard to sound like someone from South Central Los Angeles. He even got help from rapper WC to learn the accent and local ways of speaking. Critics praised his acting, with one calling him "captivating."

Film Roles and Other Projects

Damson Idris made his first big movie appearance in 2016. It was in the British thriller City of Tiny Lights. In 2017, he was in his first American film, Megan Leavey, a war movie. He also played an FBI agent in the 2018 film The Commuter.

He starred in Farming, a movie based on the real-life story of actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. Damson played a character who, like many Nigerian children at the time, was sent to live with a white family in the UK for a better life. He won an award for Best Actor for this role at the Edinburgh Film Festival in 2019.

In 2019, he appeared in an episode of the TV series Black Mirror called "Smithereens." In 2021, he was a co-lead in the Netflix sci-fi action film Outside the Wire. He also played a Formula One driver in the 2025 sports drama film F1.

In May 2017, Damson Idris received the "Emerging Talent Award" at the Screen Nation Film and Television Awards in London. In 2023, he became a brand ambassador for Tommy Hilfiger's menswear. It was announced in May 2025 that he will star in the upcoming film Miles & Juliette.

Filmography

Film

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2016	City of Tiny Lights	Hakim
2017	Megan Leavey	Michael Forman
2018	The Commuter	Agent Denys
	Astral	Jordan
	Farming	Enitan
2021	Outside the Wire	Lt. Thomas Harp
2025	F1	Joshua Pearce
2027	Children of Blood and Bone	Prince Inan	Post-production
TBA	Miles & Juliette	Miles Davis

Television

Theatre

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Damson Idris para niños