Idris Elba

Actor, Producer, Writer

Birthdate: September 6, 1972 (53 Years Old)

Birthplace: Hackney, London, England, UK

Idris Elba (birthname: Idrissa Akuna Elba) belongs to the upper tier of actors with Trans-Atlantic appeal, equally renowned in his native U.K. and in the U.S., where he first made an impact in Marvel’s Thor (2011) as Heimdall. He followed up his striking and award-winning turn as Nelson Mandela in the limited series, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom with roles in four blockbusters—Ridley Scott’s Prometheus (2012), Pacific Rim (2013), Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). Idris Elba gained further prestige as a fearsome warlord in Cary Joji Fukunaga’s Beasts of No Nation (2015), one of Netflix’s first major original features, which earned him four awards and six nominations. But it was his title role in the hit series, Luther (2010-2011, 2013, 2015, 2019), which finally scored Elba his widest visibility and confirmed his position as a leading man. The successful recording artist diversified his resume with voice work in animated features Zootopia (2016), The Jungle Book (2016), and Finding Dory (2016). Despite occasional misfires like the Stephen King adaptation of The Dark Tower (2017), Idris Elba has nimbly shifted between MCU megahits like Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Fast & Furious Presents Hobbs & Shaw (2019) and The Suicide Squad (2021) and more artistic ventures such as Molly’s Game (2017) with Jessica Chastain and The Mountain Between Us (2017) with Kate Winslet. 2022 ushers in one of Elba’s biggest profile roles to date, co-starring with Tilda Swinton in George Miller’s supernatural adventure, Three Thousand Years of Longing. In 2018, Elba made his debut as a feature film director with the British urban drama, Yardie.

Personal Life
Movies
Facts

Personal life

Idris Elba was born in 1972 in London to parents Winston and Eve Elba. His national heritage mix includes Sierra Leone and Ghana, with Creole on his father’s side. He shortened his name to Idris while studying acting. He developed DJ skills working with his uncle and supported himself with night shifts at Ford’s Dagenham car plant where his father worked. While he was going on auditions, he also gained a spot in England’s National Youth Music Theatre. His first wife was Hanne "Kim" Nørgaard, with whom he has a daughter. His second wife was Sonya Hamlin. His third wife is model Sabrina Dhowre, to whom he proposed during a screening of his movie Yardie. He has a son with his ex-girlfriend Naiyana Garth. He and his wife Sabrina tested positive for COVID-19, putting Elba at higher risk because he has an asthmatic condition.

Known For

Above the Below

(2026)

Masters of the Universe

(2026)

Zootopia 2

(2024)

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

(2024)

Three Thousand Years of Longing

The Djinn (2022)

Awards

Two-time winner and two-time nominee, Screen Actors Guild (2007, 2015-2016); four-times nominee, Emmy Awards (2011-12, 2014, 2016); winner and four-time nominee, Golden Globe Awards (2010-12, 2014-2016).

Actor

Actor

Screen Actors Guild Awards

Golden Globe

Golden Globe

Golden Globes, USA

Primetime Emmy

Primetime Emmy

Primetime Emmy Awards

Idris Elba Movies

Actor

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Previous (37)

2022 |
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
2022
Action, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
When Dr. Robotnik returns with a new partner, Knuckles, in search of an emerald that has the power to destroy civilizations, Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, on a journey across the world to find the emerald first.
More Info
asKnuckles
2022 |
Three Thousand Years of Longing
Three Thousand Years of Longing
2022
Drama, Fantasy, Romance
A lonely scholar, on a trip to Istanbul, discovers a Djinn who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom.
asThe Djinn
2019 |
Cats
Cats
2019
Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Musical
A tribe of cats called the Jellicles must decide yearly which one will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new Jellicle life.
More Info
asMacavity
2017 |
The Dark Tower
The Dark Tower
2017
Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Western
A boy haunted by visions of a dark tower from a parallel reality teams up with the tower's disillusioned guardian to stop an evil warlock known as the Man in Black who plans to use the boy to destroy the tower and open the gates of Hell.
More Info
asRoland
2017 |
The Mountain Between Us
The Mountain Between Us
2017
Drama, Thriller
Stranded after a tragic plane crash, two strangers must forge a connection to survive the extreme elements of a remote snow-covered mountain. When they realize help is not coming, they embark on a perilous journey across the wilderness.
More Info
asBen Bass
2017 |
Molly's Game
Molly's Game
2017
Biography, Crime, Drama
The true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game and became an FBI target.
More Info
asCharlie Jaffey
2016 |
The Take
The Take
2016
Action, Adventure, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A young pickpocket and an unruly CIA agent team up on an anti-terrorist mission in France.
asSean Briar
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as Knuckles
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as Heimdall
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as Dr. Nate Samuels
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as Bloodsport
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as Harp
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as Brixton
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as Heimdall
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as Fluke
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as Krall
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as Chief Bogo
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as Shere Khan
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The Gunmanas Barnes
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No Good Deedas Colin
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Pacific Rimas Stacker Pentecost
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as Janek
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Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeanceas Moreau
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as Heimdall
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as Dr. Nate Samuels
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as Heimdall
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as Heimdall
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as Heimdall
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as Chief Bogo
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as Chief Bogo
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as Chief Bogo
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as Chief Bogo
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as Chief Bogo
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as Chief Bogo
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as Duncan
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as Jackson
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as Lekan

Director

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Previous (1)

2019 |
Yardie
Yardie
2019
Crime, Drama
British crime drama film directed by Idris Elba based on the novel of the same name by Jamaican-born writer Victor Headley.
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Producer

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Previous (1)

2021 |
Concrete Cowboy
Concrete Cowboy
2021
Drama, Western
Sent to live with his estranged father for the summer, a rebellious teen finds kinship in a tight-knit Philadelphia community of Black cowboys.

Facts About Idris Elba

Sexiest: Idris Elba was picked Sexiest Man of the Year in 2013 by Essence magazine, and Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine in 2018. Honors: Idris Elba was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2016. Speed Racer: While filming Idris Elba: No Limits for Discovery Channel, Elba broke the land speed record in Wales’ Pendine Sands “Flying Mile” automobile race. He reached 180 mph in a Continental GT Speed. Athlete: Elba also filmed a documentary, Idris Elba: Fighter, which covered his 12-month training in kickboxing and mixed martial arts; Elba won his only professional kickboxing fight against Lionel Graves in London in 2016.

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