Below is a compiled list of the most interesting facts about Idris Elba. Check it out!
An only child, Idrissa Akuna Elba was born and raised in London, England. His father, Winston, is from Sierra Leone and worked at Ford Dagenham; his mother, Eve, is from Ghana and had a clerical duty. Idris attended school in Canning Town, where he first became involved in acting, before he dropped out. He gained a place in the National Youth Music Theatre – thanks to a £1,500 Prince’s Trust grant. To support himself between acting roles, he worked in jobs such as tyre-fitting, cold call advertising sales, and working night shifts at Ford Dagenham. He worked in nightclubs under the nickname DJ Big Driis at age 19, but began auditioning for television roles in his early-twenties.
Interesting Facts about Idris Elba
- He co-produced and performed the intro on rapper Jay-Z’s album “American Gangster” (2007).
- Disc jockey under the name “Big Driis the Londoner”.
- Daniel Craig is the person who suggested that Idris could be the next James Bond, saying he would be fantastic.
- Admires actors Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep.
- Revealed (by not denying) on The Graham Norton Show (2007) that he has a foot fetish. Kate Winslet discovered this while filming a love scene for The Mountain Between Us (2017).
- Named one of Time Out magazine’s 50 Londoners who made the city awesome and helped to shape the city’s cultural landscape for the magazine’s 50th anniversary. [September 2018]
- Named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. [April 2016]
- Born on the same date as Justina Machado and Anika Noni Rose.
- He was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2016 Queen’s New Years Honours List for his services to drama. He is an actor in London, England.
- In April 2009, The Prince’s Trust, which Elba credits with helping to begin his career, appointed him their Anti-Crime Ambassador. In July 2010, he announced his support for Oona King in her campaign to become the Labour Party candidate for Mayor of London in 2012.
- Named one of People magazine’s 100 Most Beautiful People in the World. [May 2007]
- Is the only male that has ever appeared on the cover of Maxim magazine.
Personal Quotes by Idris Elba
What really excites me in a project is when it goes in a way you haven’t been before.
Idris Elba
As an actor, you’re trained to do the right thing, be politically correct, say your lines, say the right thing about the people you’re working with.
Idris Elba
I’m a little sheepish about it. Whenever I meet fans and they’re like, ‘Oh, you’re so sexy,’ I just don’t get that. There’s no way one man can be universally sexy.
Idris Elba
Africans, we hold on to our youths and whip them into shape.
Idris Elba
I was on a well-beaten path of actors – what we all call ‘the Law and Order route’. I spent two years of auditioning for everything… and then ‘The Wire’ came up.
Idris Elba
