“Hello” Idris Elba – Born 6 September 1972
Idris Akuna Elba (born 6 September 1972) is a British actor, producer, and musician.
Idris grew up in Canning Town, East London. One of his first acting roles was in the soap opera Family Affairs
He is known for playing Russell “Stringer” Bell, a Baltimore drug lord and aspiring businessman, in HBO’s critically acclaimed show The Wire.
Elba is a DJ under the moniker DJ Big Driis/Big Driis the Londoner, and a hip-hop soul recording artist.
Some of his other most known roles have come in American Gangster, Takers, The Losers, Thor andPrometheus. Besides a prominent role on The Wire, Elba’s other television roles include Ultraviolet and The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, recurring roles in The Office and The Big C, and the title role of Detective John Luther in Luther, which airs on BBC One for which Elba has won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of DCI Luther.
Mr Elba is a supporter of The Arsenal
Although his film, television, and stage work officially commenced around 1992, in 1995 he landed his first role on a series called Bramwell, a medical drama set in 1890s England.
In 2001, Elba played Achilles in a stage production of Troilus and Cressida in New York City. After a supporting turn on a 2001 episode of Law & Order, he landed a starring role on a 2002 HBO drama, The Wire. From 2002 to 2004, Elba portrayed Russell “Stringer” Bell in the HBO drama series, perhaps his best known role in the US.
In September 2009, Elba signed a deal to star as the lead role in the 6-part BBC television show Luther, which aired in May 2010.
At the 69th Golden Globe Awards telecast on 15 January 2012, Elba won the Award for Best Actor in a Series, Mini-Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television for his portrayal of DCI Luther in the BBC Crime-Thriller series Luther.
Elba was featured as one of the “Ten Hottest Men on the Planet” in the April 2004 issue of Essence magazine and again in the November 2005 issue. He was selected as one of People Magazine’s annual 100 Most Beautiful People in the World, in May 2007. Elba appeared on the August 2009 and the November 2011 covers of Essence magazine. He appeared on the August 2010 cover of Ebony magazine.
