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Idris Elba is an English actor, writer, producer, musician, DJ, rapper and singer. He is known for roles including Stringer Bell in the HBO series The Wire, DCI John Luther in the BBC One series Luther and Nelson Mandela in the biographical film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. He has been nominated four times for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor: Miniseries or Television Film, winning one and was nominated five times for a Primetime Emmy Award.

Birth Name

Idrissa Akuna Elba

Nickname

Idris, DJ Big Driis, Big Driis, 7 Dub, Big Driis the Londoner

Profession

Actor, Writer, Producer, Musician, DJ, Rapper, Singer

Genre

Hip Hop, Soul, R&B

Instruments

Vocals

Labels

He has released his music via 7wallace / Parlophone Records Limited.

Nationality

English

Personal Life

Birthday / Date of Birth

Idris Elba was born on the 6th of September 1972, in Hackney, London, England.

Age

He’s currently 46 years old.

Residence

Los Angeles, California, United States

Sun Sign

Virgo

Ethnicity

Black

Religion

Christianity

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Education

Idris attended Kingsland High School and then went to Barking and Dagenham College in London to study drama. Elba left school in 1988, and won a place in the National Youth Music Theatre thanks to a £1,500 Prince’s Trust grant.

Family Details

  • Father – Winston Elba (Shop Steward at Ford Dagenham) (Died of lung cancer in 2013)
  • Mother – Eve Elba
  • Siblings – None

Marital Status

Married

Girlfriend / Spouse

Idris Elba dated –

  • Hanne Norgaard (1999-2003) – Danish makeup artist Hanne Nørgaard and Idris Elba got married in 1999. Together they have a daughter named Isan (b. 2002). Elba has spoken about their financial struggles during their marriage which supposedly took a toll on their relationship. The couple filed for divorce in 2003. Their daughter stays with her mother in Atlanta in Georgia, United States after the couple’s divorce.
  • Sonya Nicole Hamlin (2006) – Idris and Sonya Hamlin, who works as a property lawyer, were introduced by a mutual friend in 2006. The two were instantly attracted to each other and after dating for only a couple of months, they tied the knot in Las Vegas on a whim. Unfortunately, he was struggling for his big break at the time and Sonya’s flourishing career put a dent in their marriage. There were also reports that Elba got the marriage annulled as he wanted to maintain his sex symbol status in Hollywood which would have been affected by his marital status. They were married from April 9, 2006, to August 11, 2006.

  • Naiyana Garth (2013-2016) – Idris fell for another makeup artist when he began dating Naiyana Garth in 2013. Idris became a dad for the second time with a boy who he named Winston (b. 2014) after his father. However, in February 2016, he moved out of their London home and the long-time couple pulled the plug on their relationship. The news of their break up came within days of Elba being pictured partying with supermodel Naomi Campbell.

  • Sabrina Dhowre (2017-Present) – Idris Elba met American model and actress Sabrina Dhowre while shooting the film The Mountain Between Us in 2017. Sabrina is a former beauty pageant winner who was Miss Vancouver in 2014 and is 16 years his junior. But it couldn’t stop sparks from flying between the two. The couple made their red carpet debut at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2017. On February 10, 2018, Idris surprised many by proposing to his girlfriend at the London screening of his directorial debut film Yardie.

Physical Statistics

Height

  • In feet – 6 feet 2¾ inches
  • In centimeters – 190 cm
  • In meters – 1.90 m

Weight

  • In Kilograms – 96 kg
  • In Pounds – 112 lbs

Body Measurements

  • Measurements – 44-14-38
  • Chest – 44 in or 112 cm
  • Arms / Biceps – 14 in or 35.5 cm
  • Waist – 38 in or 96.5 cm

Body Build

Athletic

Eye Color

Dark Brown

Hair Color

Black

Shoe Size

He wears a size 11 (US) shoe.

Sexuality

Straight

Professional Statistics

Famous For

He is known for roles including Stringer Bell in the HBO series The Wire, DCI John Luther in the BBC One series Luther and Nelson Mandela in the biographical film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013).

Singer Debut

In 2014, Elba released his EP Idris Elba Presents mi Mandela after being influenced by playing the titular role in the feature film Mandela: Long Way To Freedom.

Film Debut

In 1999, Idris made his theatrical film debut playing Grégoire in the French comedy movie Belle Maman (Step-mother in English).

Television Debut

In March 29, 1994, Idris made his first TV show appearance as Alex Mason in the Pig in the Middle episode of the crime-drama series The Bill.

Brand Endorsements

Elba has endorsed the following brands: Toyota Avalon (2013), Sky Cable Television (UK) (2015), Stand Up 2 Cancer, Fathom Events & Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege.

Awards & Nominations

Year Work Award Result
2005 The Gospel Black Reel Award for Best Actor Nominated
Sometimes in April Black Reel Award for Best Actor: T.V. Movie/Cable Nominated
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Nominated
2007 Daddy’s Little Girls BET Award for Best Actor Nominated
American Gangster Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated
2008 This Christmas, American Gangster and 28 Weeks Later BET Award for Best Actor Nominated
2009 RocknRolla and The Unborn Nominated
Obsessed NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Nominated
2010 The Losers BET Award for Best Actor Won
Takers Black Reel Award for Best Ensemble Nominated
Luther Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Nominated
2011 Takers NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Nominated
Takers and Luther BET Award for Best Actor Won
Luther NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Won
The Big C Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Nominated
Luther Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Won
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Nominated
Satellite Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Nominated
2012 Black Reel Award for Best Actor: T.V. Movie/Cable Won
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Nominated
Thor, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance and Luther BET Award for Best Actor Nominated
2014 Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama Nominated
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and Thor: The Dark World BET Award for Best Actor Nominated
Luther Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Nominated
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Won
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Nominated
2015 Luther and No Good Deed BET Award for Best Actor Nominated
Beasts of No Nation Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Won
Awards Circuit Community Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated
BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Nominated
Indiana Film Journalists Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated
Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male Won
Kermode Award for Best Actor Won
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Won
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated
Luther Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Nominated
Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries Won
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Won
2016 British Academy Television Award for Best Actor Nominated
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Nominated
2017 The Jungle Book NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance Won
Black Reel Award for Outstanding Voice Performance Won
Zootopia Black Reel Award for Outstanding Voice Performance Nominated
Finding Dory Black Reel Award for Outstanding Voice Performance Nominated
Star Trek Beyond Kids’ Choice Award for Favorite Villain Nominated

Idris Elba Favorites

  • Favorite Movies – Goodfellas (1990), The Champ (1979)
  • Favorite Song – Darling I Need Your Loving (By John Holt)
  • Favorite Emojis – The Pound Fist, The 100
  • Favorite Place To Shoot – Africa
  • Favorite Cities – London, Accra (Capital of Ghana), New York City
  • Favorite Drink – Beer

Idris Elba Net worth

Idris Elba has an estimated net worth of $25 million dollars as of 2019. As of May 2019, his films have grossed over $9.8 billion at the global box office, including over $3.6 billion in North America where he is one of the top 20 highest grossing actors.

Social Media Profiles

Some Lesser Known Facts About Idris Elba

  • As a teenager in 1986, Elba used to help his uncle with his wedding DJ business. Eventually, he enlisted the help of his friends and started his own DJ company within a year.
  • He is a self-confessed football fan and supports the Arsenal Football Club since the age of 15, although he has admitted to having attended very few matches. His dad is a supporter of the Manchester United Club.
  • He also made the cover of Essence Magazine’s Hot Hollywood Men issue in April 2004.
  • Idris holds the distinction of being the only male to have appeared on the cover of Maxim magazine.
  • Actor Daniel Craig had mentioned Elba as his favorite to succeed him as James Bond,  saying that he would be fantastic as the MI6 agent.
  • He counts actors Jamie Foxx and Chiwetel Ejiofor among his close friends.
  • He has a penchant for high speed and is an avid rally fan. He has also participated in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.
  • Idris Elba has appeared in music videos for Fat Joe, Angie Stone and Giggs. He has also served as a director and producer for multiple music videos by Mumford and Sons and K Michelle.
  • In May 2007, Elba was selected as one of Peoples annual 100 Most Beautiful People in the World.
  • In April 2009, he was appointed as the Anti-Crime Ambassador of the Prince’s Trust  which had helped him financially in getting his footing in the show business during his younger days.
  • In July 2009, Elba was the DJ for BET’s current series Rising Icons.
  • In August 2010, Elba signed up to portray the title character in a reboot of James Patterson’s Alex Cross film franchise.
  • In 2011, he performed on the intro to Pharoahe Monch’s album W.A.R.. The following year, he co-directed and performed in the Mumford & Sons music video for Lover of the Light.
  • In 2013, he played the famous revolutionary Nelson Mandela in the biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.
  • In 2013, he was named Essences annual Sexiest Man of the Year and was ranked No. 2 in Peoples annual Sexiest Man Alive.
  • In 2014, he produced K. Michelle’s The Rebellious Soul Musical which debuted on VH1 on 19 August 2014.
  • In October 2014, Elba was presented with a MOBO Inspiration Award.
  • In 2015, Elba appeared as Heimdall in the superhero blockbuster Avengers: Age of Ultron, directed by Joss Whedon.
  • In 2015, he was named one of GQ magazine’s 50 best-dressed British men.
  • In April 2016, He was included in the list of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World.
  • In July 2018, he launched his record label, 7Wallace Music.
  • In September 2018, he was one of 50 people named for making London awesome and helping to shape London’s cultural landscape who were featured in Time Out to mark the magazine’s 50th anniversary.
  • In 5 November 2018, it was announced he had been named Peoples Sexiest Man alive via The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
  • In 2019, Elba appears in Taylor Swift’s song London Boy from her seventh studio album Lover.
  • In April 2019, Elba performed at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
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