Idris Elba facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Idris Elba
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Elba in 2018
|
|
| Born |
Idrissa Akuna Elba
6 September 1972 Hackney, London, England
|
| Other names |
|
| Citizenship |
|
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1994–present |
|
Works
|
Filmography |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Genres |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Labels |
|
| Associated acts | Lime Cordiale |
Idrissa Akuna Elba (born on 6 September 1972) is a famous English actor, rapper, singer, and DJ. He has won a Golden Globe Award and has been nominated for many other big awards, like the BAFTA Awards and Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2016, he was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time magazine. His movies have earned over $9.8 billion worldwide, making him one of the highest-earning actors.
Idris Elba studied acting at the National Youth Music Theatre in London. He became well-known for playing Stringer Bell in the TV show The Wire (2002–2004). He also played John Luther in the BBC series Luther (2010–2019), which won him a Golden Globe Award. He has also appeared in popular shows like The Office and Hijack.
In movies, he played a powerful leader in Beasts of No Nation (2015), earning him a Screen Actors Guild Award. He also played Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013). You might know him as Heimdall in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films like Thor, and as Bloodsport in The Suicide Squad. He has also lent his voice to characters in animated movies like Zootopia, The Jungle Book, Finding Dory, and as Knuckles the Echidna in the Sonic the Hedgehog movies and TV show. Besides acting, he is known as DJ Big Driis or Idris and is an R&B singer.
Contents
Early Life
Idrissa Akuna Elba was born on 6 September 1972 in Hackney, London. His father, Winston Elba, was from Sierra Leone and worked at the Ford Dagenham car plant. His mother, Eve, was from Ghana. They got married in Sierra Leone and then moved to London.
Idris grew up in Hackney and East Ham. He started using the shorter name "Idris" when he was at school in Canning Town. This is also where he first got interested in acting. He says a newspaper called The Stage helped him get his first big chance. He saw an ad for a play, auditioned, and met his first agent while performing.
In 1986, he started helping his uncle with a wedding DJ business. Within a year, he had his own DJ company with friends. He went to Barking and Dagenham College for a short time. In 1988, he left school and got a place at the National Youth Music Theatre with help from a grant from The Prince's Trust. To earn money between acting jobs, he worked in different places, like fitting tires and doing night shifts at the Ford factory. He also worked as a DJ in nightclubs, using the name "Big Driis."
Acting Career
TV Shows
Idris Elba's first acting jobs were in crime show re-enactments. In 1994, he was in a BBC children's show called The Boot Street Band. His first important role was in the medical drama Bramwell in 1995. He played Charlie Carter, a man who lost his wife and had to care for his baby.
He then had many supporting roles in British TV shows like The Bill and Family Affairs. Later, he moved to New York City to pursue more acting opportunities. In 2001, he played Achilles in a play called Troilus and Cressida in New York.
From 2002 to 2004, Idris Elba starred as Stringer Bell in the HBO drama series The Wire. This became one of his most famous roles in the United States. In 2009, he joined the cast of the American version of The Office as Charles Miner. In 2010, he got the main role in the BBC series Luther, where he played DCI John Luther. He won a Golden Globe Award for this role in 2012.
Movies
Idris Elba has starred in many films. In 2007, he played the lead in Daddy's Little Girls. He also appeared in 28 Weeks Later and This Christmas. In 2008, he was in the horror film Prom Night and the gangster film RocknRolla.
In 2009, he starred in the thriller Obsessed with Beyoncé, which was a big success. He also played Heimdall in Kenneth Branagh's film Thor (2011), based on the Marvel superhero. He continued this role in other Marvel films like Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).
In 2012, he played Captain Janek in Ridley Scott's Prometheus. He also starred as Stacker Pentecost in Pacific Rim (2013). One of his most notable roles was playing Nelson Mandela in the film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013). For this role, he even spent a night in a prison cell on Robben Island, where Mandela was held.
In 2015, he starred in Beasts of No Nation, a drama released in cinemas and on Netflix. In 2016, he played the villain Krall in Star Trek Beyond.
.jpg)
In 2017, he starred in The Dark Tower and Molly's Game. In 2019, he played the villain in Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw and Macavity in the movie Cats. In 2021, he played Bloodsport in The Suicide Squad.
Voice Acting
Idris Elba has voiced many popular animated characters. In 2016, he was Chief Bogo, the cape buffalo police chief, in Disney's Zootopia. He also voiced the villainous tiger Shere Khan in The Jungle Book and the sea lion Fluke in Pixar's Finding Dory. More recently, he voiced Knuckles the Echidna in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) and the Knuckles TV series (2024). He will also return as Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024).
Directing
Idris Elba made his first movie as a director with Yardie in 2018.
Other Work
Music and DJing
Idris Elba is also a successful DJ and musician. He has appeared in music videos for artists like Fat Joe and Angie Stone. In 2006, he released an EP (a short album) called Big Man. He also helped produce and perform on the intro to Jay-Z's album American Gangster in 2007.
He often DJs at big events, including NBA All-Star parties. In 2009, he released his first single "Please Be True." He has released several EPs, including High Class Problems Vol. 1 in 2010. In 2014, he released an album called Idris Elba Presents Mi Mandela, which was inspired by his time playing Nelson Mandela. He has also collaborated with many musicians, including Taylor Swift on her song "London Boy" and the Australian band Lime Cordiale.
In 2018, he started his own record label called 7Wallace Music. He performed as a DJ at the famous Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2019. In 2024, he released a song called "Knives Down" with UK rapper DB Maz as part of his campaign against knife crime. He also contributed music to the video game Cyberpunk 2077.
Kickboxing
Idris Elba trained for twelve months in kickboxing and mixed martial arts. This journey was shown in a Discovery Channel documentary called Idris Elba: Fighter. His training ended with his first professional kickboxing fight in London, which he won against a more experienced opponent.
Production Company
Idris Elba has his own production company called Green Door Pictures. He has a deal with Apple to create original content through this company. In 2021, it was announced that his company would develop an animated sci-fi series called Dantai for Crunchyroll. In 2024, he launched a new production company called 22Summers. He also received approval to build a film studio in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
Personal Life and Activism
Family
Idris Elba has been married three times. He has a daughter named Isan with his first wife, Hanne Nørgaard. He also has a son named Winston with his former girlfriend, Naiyana Garth. In 2017, he started a relationship with Canadian model Sabrina Dhowre. They got engaged in 2018 and were married on 26 April 2019 in Marrakesh.
Helping Others
Idris Elba is involved in many charity and social causes. In 2014, he hosted a radio series called Journey Dot Africa with Idris Elba to explore African music. He has worked with the UK parliament to help fight Ebola in West Africa. He also has a fashion collaboration with the British brand Superdry.
.jpg)
In 2016, he spoke to the UK parliament about the need for more diversity in film and TV. He is also an ambassador for The Prince's Trust, a charity that helps young people. This charity helped him start his own career. He supports staying in the European Union and is a strong campaigner against knife crime.
In 2024, Idris Elba attended a UK government summit on knife crime with Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He stressed that action is needed, not just talk. He believes that parents, youth workers, and police should all work together to solve the problem. His own charity, the Elba Hope Foundation, is part of this effort. They also want to stop online knife sales and make rules stricter for dangerous weapons.
Interests
Idris Elba has said he is spiritual but not religious. He is a big fan of the football club Arsenal. In 2015, he broke the British land speed record for the "Flying Mile" course at Pendine Sands. He also hosted The Best FIFA Football Awards 2017 in London, where he took a famous selfie with football stars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar.
Awards and Achievements
Idris Elba has received many awards and honors for his work. In October 2014, he received a MOBO Inspiration Award. By May 2019, his films had earned over $9.8 billion worldwide.
In 2016, he was given the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to drama. This is a special honor in the UK. In 2018, he was named one of 50 people who helped make London "awesome" by Time Out magazine. He has also been listed in the Powerlist as one of the most influential people of African/Afro-Caribbean descent in the UK.
Music Releases
Albums
- 2015: Murdah Loves John (The John Luther Character Album)
Extended Plays (EPs)
- 2006: Big Man
- 2009: Kings Among Kings
- 2010: High Class Problems Vol. 1
- 2014: Idris Elba Presents Mi Mandela
- 2022: Cordi Elba (with Lime Cordiale)
- 2023: The Phantom Files (From Cyberpunk 2077)
Singles
- 2023: "We Run the Area" (with Toddla T, General Levy and Naomi Cowan)
- 2023: "Most Wanted" (with Djibril Cissé)
- 2024: "Knives Down" (with DB Maz)
- 2024: "Pushing On" (as IDRIS with Kathy Brown)
- 2024: "Shake Body" (as IDRIS, with Shermanology)
Remixes
- "Trust in Me"
- "The Bare Necessities"
Mixtapes
- 2011: Merry DriisMas Holiday Mixtape
- 2024: Essential Mix
Other Appearances
- 2019: "Even If I Die (Hobbs & Shaw)" on the Fast & Furious spin-off film soundtrack.
- 2019: "London Boy" by Taylor Swift (features a sample of Elba's voice).
- 2020: "Fear or Faith Pt. 2" by Future Utopia.
- 2021: "Long Tailed Winter Bird (Idris Elba Remix)" by Paul McCartney.
Featured Singles
- 2016: "Dance Off" (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Idris Elba and Anderson .Paak)
- 2019: "Boasty" (Wiley, Stefflon Don and Sean Paul featuring Idris Elba)
- 2019: "Come Alive" (Wrenne featuring Idris Elba)
- 2019: "New Breed" (James BKS featuring Q-Tip, Idris Elba and Little Simz)
- 2021: "Apple Crumble" (with Lime Cordiale)
- 2021: "What's Not to Like" (with Lime Cordiale)
- 2022: "Holy Moley" (with Lime Cordiale)
- 2022: "Unnecessary Things" (with Lime Cordiale)
- 2022: "Vroom" (The FaNaTIX featuring Idris Elba, Lil Tjay, Davido, Koffee & Moelogo)
Images for kids
-
Idris Elba in 2018
-
Idris Elba has worked with Taylor Swift on the film Cats and her song London Boy.
_2.jpg)
See also
In Spanish: Idris Elba para niños
