Idris Elba was born on September 6, 1972, in London, England. His full name is Idrissa Akuna Elba. His mother is Ghanaian and his father is from Sierra Leone. Raised in London, Elba began his primary education at a school in Canning Town, where he first developed an interest in acting. During his youth, he worked as a DJ in bars and nightclubs. In his early twenties, he began appearing in British and American film and television productions. He never received formal acting training. Alongside his acting career, he performs as a hip hop DJ under the name DJ Big Driis.

In 1986, Elba began assisting with DJ work at his uncle’s wedding, and one year later he established his own DJ company. Performing under the name DJ Big Driis, he played in nightclubs and gradually began auditioning for television roles. He landed his first notable role in 1995 in the television series Bramwell. Until moving to New York, he continued to appear in numerous British television productions, taking on both minor and supporting roles.

Elba achieved major international recognition in 2002 with his portrayal of drug lord “Stringer Bell” in the television series The Wire. He further cemented his fame in 2010 by starring as DCI John Luther in the television series Luther. His film career includes major productions such as American Gangster (2007), The Losers (2010), Thor (2011), Prometheus (2012), Pacific Rim (2013), and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013).

In 2015, Elba received widespread critical acclaim for his role as the Commandant in Beasts of No Nation, earning multiple nominations, including Best Supporting Actor at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards and the 69th BAFTA Awards. One year later, he appeared in high-profile productions such as Star Trek Beyond and Thor: Ragnarok.

Elba lives in Los Angeles, California. On March 17, 2020, he announced that he had tested positive for the coronavirus and was placed in quarantine. In 2022, he starred opposite Tilda Swinton in Three Thousand Years of Longing, directed by George Miller, who also wrote and produced the film.

Marriages:
1) He married Hanne “Kim” Norgaard in June 1999; they divorced in 2003. They have a daughter, Isan Elba (born 2002).
2) He married Sonya Nicole Hamlin on April 9, 2006; they separated after six weeks and divorced on August 11, 2006.
3) From his relationship with makeup artist Naiyana Garth (2013–2016), he has a son, Winston Elba (born 2014).

Awards:
2012 – 69th Golden Globe Awards – Best Actor in a Television Series (Drama) for Luther

Albums:
2006 – Big Man
2009 – Kings Among Kings
2010 – High Class Problems Vol. 1

Filmography

Director:
2018 – Yardie (Feature Film)

Producer:
2016 – A Hundred Streets (Feature Film)

Actor:
2022 – Beast (Dr. Nate Samuels) (Feature Film)
2022 – Thor: Love and Thunder (Heimdall) (Feature Film)
2022 – Three Thousand Years of Longing (Feature Film)
2019 – Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (Brixton) (Feature Film)
2018 – Avengers: Infinity War (Heimdall) (Feature Film)
2018 – The Mountain Between Us (Ben Payne) (Feature Film)
2017 – Thor: Ragnarok (Heimdall) (Feature Film)
2017 – Molly’s Game (Feature Film)
2017 – The Dark Tower (Roland Deschain / The Gunslinger) (Feature Film)
2016 – Zootopia (Chief Bogo) (Feature Film)
2016 – Star Trek Beyond (Krall) (Feature Film)
2016 – The Jungle Book (Shere Khan) (Feature Film)
2016 – Finding Dory (Feature Film)
2016 – Bastille Day (Sean Briar) (Feature Film)
2016 – A Hundred Streets (Max) (Feature Film)
2015 – Avengers: Age of Ultron (Heimdall) (Feature Film)
2015 – Beasts of No Nation (Commandant) (Feature Film)
2014 – The Gunman (DuPont) (Feature Film)
2014 – Second Coming (Mark) (Feature Film)
2014 – No Good Deed (Colin) (Feature Film)
2013 – Thor: The Dark World (Heimdall) (Feature Film)
2013 – Pacific Rim (Stacker Pentecost) (Feature Film)
2013 – Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (Nelson Mandela) (Feature Film)
2013 – Enchanted Kingdom (Narrator) (Feature Film)
2012 – Prometheus (Captain Janek) (Feature Film)
2012 – Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (Moreau) (Feature Film)
2011 – Thor (Heimdall) (Feature Film)
2010 – The Losers (Roque) (Feature Film)
2010 – Luther (DCI John Luther) (TV Series)
2010 – Takers (Gordon Cozier) (Feature Film)
2009 – Obsessed (Derek Charles) (Feature Film)
2009 – The Unborn (Arthur Wyndham) (Feature Film)
2008 – The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Charlie Gotso) (TV Series)
2008 – RocknRolla (Mumbles) (Feature Film)
2007 – American Gangster (Tango) (Feature Film)
2005 – The Office (Charles Miner) (TV Series)
2002 – The Wire (TV Series)
1995 – Bramwell (TV Series)
1988 – The Ruth Rendell Mysteries (TV Series)

Source: Biyografiler.com