Entertainment
 

Idris Elba

From The Wire

Idris Elba
Birth name Idrisa Elba
Born Sept. 6, 1972
Hackney, London, England
Height Huge
Other name(s) DJ Big Driis
Big Driis the Londoner
Notable roles Stringer Bell in The Wire
Augustin Muganza in Sometimes in April
Monty James in Daddy's Little Girls

Idris Elba (born September 6, 1972) is a British television, theatre, and film actor who has starred in both British and American productions. Elba is also a DJ under the moniker DJ Big Driis / Big Driis the Londoner, and a hip-hop soul recording artist.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Elba, an only child, was born in Hackney, London. His father a Sierra Leonen[1][2] and his mother is from Ghana, West Africa.

(Idris actual real first name is Idrisa (Sierra Leone, origin), but shortened it to Idris professionally.)

[edit] Career

Elba started acting in secondary school with encouragement from his drama teacher, on whom he also had a crush. He got his break as a supporting cast member of UK soap opera Family Affairs, but is perhaps best known for playing Russell "Stringer" Bell, one of the major characters in the HBO drama series The Wire. He also portrayed Captain Augustin Muganza in Sometimes in April, an HBO TV movie about the Rwandan Genocide somewhat similar to Hotel Rwanda.

Elba has a large female fan base following an appearance on the cover of Essence's "Hot Hollywood Men" issue, April 2004 and again in Essence's November 2005 "10 Hottest Men on the Planet" issue. He recorded the four-song EP Big Man for Hevlar Records in 2006.

Elba has a daughter named Isan.

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Awards/Nominations

[edit] References

  1. ↑ http://www.visimag.com/exclusive/fb374_dlg.htm
  2. ↑ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/02/11/PKG4MNV3NJ1.DTL&hw=Elba&sn=001&sc=1000

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://thewire.wikia.com/wiki/Idris_Elba"