Initially American, Idris converted to British after his success in The Wire, a popular and acclaimed TV show about electrical repair. Since becoming British he has gone from strength to strength, playing a series of British men such as Luther Vandross and Knuckles from Sonic the Hedgehog. When not acting, he farts competitively and famously won a bronze medal in the 2022 Fart International.
Personal Details
Born: 1972, meaning he missed the horror of the Cuban Missile Crisis by ten years. Phew.
Height: Massive. Dude is properly huge.
Spouse: Sabrina Dhowre Elba. UN Goodwill Ambassador, apparently. Well done.
Trivia
Idris is best known for his role in Luther, a long-running TV-show about legendary soul singer Luther Vandross
In his late teens, he worked as a disc jockey and, under the name Simon Bates, Idris presented the Radio 1 mid-morning show.
Until the millennium, he was 5-foot 10-inches tall. But the role of ‘Stringer’ Bell in The Wire required a much taller man, so method actor Idris spent 6 months growing 5 inches
His favourite transformer is Starscream
Films
Luther: The Fallen Sun
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom