Idris Elba Trivia | 40 facts about the famous actor

Idris Elba is an English actor and DJ. He is known for his roles in the HBO series The Wire and in the BBC One series Luther.

Let’s find out more about the actor!

1. His full name is Idrissa Akuna Elba OBE.
2. He was born on 6th of September 1972 and he is an English actor and DJ.
3. His zodiac sign is Virgo.
4. He’s an alumnus of the National Youth Music Theatre in London
5. Apart from acting, Elba performs as a DJ under the moniker DJ Big Driis or Idris and as an R&B singer.
6. In 2016, he was named in the Time 100 list of the Most Influential People in the World.
7. 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.
8. Disc jockey under the name “Big Driis the Londoner”.
9. Has appeared on the cover of Essence magazine’s “Hot Hollywood Men” issue. [April 2004]
10. Is an only child of African immigrants to England. His father was from Sierra Leone and his mother was from Ghana. His name is of Krio African origin.
11. He appeared on the Black Entertainment Television (BET) special Black Men: The Truth (2007).
12. He co-produced and performed the intro on rapper Jay-Z’s album “American Gangster” (2007).
13. Former member of the National Youth Music Theatre.
14. Has been a huge fan of Arsenal Football Club since age 15, although admits only to having gone to two matches. His father is a supporter of Manchester United Football Club (interview on arsenal.com website February 2010).
15. Became a father for the second time at age 41 when his girlfriend Naiyana Garth gave birth to their son Winston Elba on April 17, 2014.
16. 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.
17. He broke a land speed record, drove a dragster, and piloted an airplane in his miniseries Idris Elba: No Limits (2015). An avid rally fan, he competed in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship as well as starred in the miniseries, where he races a rally car with help from Ari Vatanen.
18. 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.
19. For his work in Beasts of No Nation (2015), he’s the first (and, as 2016, the only) winner of the SAG award for Best Supporting Actor in a motion picture not to receive an Oscar nomination for the same performance.
20. Has worked with Tom Hardy in the crime comedy RocknRolla (2008). Both stars appeared in the very popular Star Trek series. Hardy appeared in Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) and Elba appeared in Star Trek Beyond (2016).
21. Has played a spaceship commander in two sci-fi films: Captain Janek of the spaceship Prometheus in the movie Prometheus (2012), and Captain Balthazar Edison of the starship USS Franklin in Star Trek Beyond (2016).
22. Nominated for the 2011 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series category for his role as Lenny Charles in The Big C (2010), but lost out to Justin Timberlake.
23. 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).
24. In the 1980s, he worked for Ford of Britain, as did his father who worked for the Ford company for 25 years; in 2019, he became the spokesperson for Ford’s electric vehicles.
25. When he first moved to New York City as a budding actor in the late 1990s, he worked for a time as a bouncer at Caroline’s Comedy Club on Broadway. Has no formal acting training.
26. In September 2018, he was named one of Time Out magazine’s 50 people for making London awesome and helping to shape London’s cultural landscape to commemorate the magazine’s 50th anniversary.
27. Daniel Craig is the person who suggested that Idris could be the next James Bond, saying he would be fantastic. In response to fans that have suggested him as a candidate for James Bond, Idris himself responded that he has no interest in pursuing the role.
28. In June 2016, Elba, along with Sir John Hurt, Helena Bonham Carter, Keira Knightley and Cara Delevingne, announced his support for the vote to remain in the European Union (EU) for the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum.
29. First met his wife-to-be Sabrina Dhowre Elba at a party while on location in Vancouver, British Columbia shooting The Mountain Between Us (2017). In February 2018, the couple announced their engagement in London (UK) and married the following year.
30. Not only did he and fiancee Sabrina Dhowre Elba attend the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May 2018, but Idris also DJ’d the reception at the invitation of Harry and Meghan delivering a customized playlist as ordered by the bride.
31. Pictured as the character Krall on one of a set of 18 British commemorative postage stamps issued 13 November 2020, celebrating the “Star Trek” television and film franchise. Stamps were issued as 12 individual stamps, honoring captains and crew members; and 6 stamps in a single souvenir sheet, highlighting heroes and villains. All stamps were nondenominated and marked first class (76p on day of issue). Others honored by this set are William Shatner, Patrick Stewart, Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew, Scott Bakula, Jason Isaacs, Leonard Nimoy, Marina Sirtis, Alexander Siddig, Dominic Keating, Sonequa Martin-Green, Shazad Latif, Simon Pegg, Tom Hardy, Malcolm McDowell, David Warner, and Alice Eve.
32. Is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since 2016.
33. Named one of People magazine’s 100 Most Beautiful People in the World. [May 2007]
34. Named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. [April 2016]
35. Is the only male that has ever appeared on the cover of Maxim magazine.
36. Chosen by People magazine as the Sexiest Man Alive (2018).
37. His films have grossed over $9.8 billion at the global box office.
38. Born on the same date as Justina Machado and Anika Noni Rose.
39. Admires actors Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep.
40. Friends with Jamie Foxx and Chiwetel Ejiofor.