Born Idrissa Akuna Elba, more popularly known as Idris Elba, is a highly talented and skilled actor and producer. Though he has been listed as one of the most influential actors on the American Hollywood movie screen, he is actually a native of the Borough of Hackney in London, United Kingdom. What may come as a surprise to many of his adoring fans is the fact that Elba is also a renowned musician and DJ. Early followers of the gripping character of Elba may recognize him from his portrayal as the ambitious businessman and drug lord Russell Stringer Bell from the HBO drama series, The Wire. In this write-up, we'll take a deeper look at the life of Idris Elba and how he became the versatile, in-demand actor he has become today.
A Star Is Born
Elba was born on September 6, 1972, and was first introduced to acting while attending school in Canning Town, East Ham, London. However, this encounter would only be the spark that ignited his passion for the big screen. Before landing any ground-breaking roles, he endured a treacherous uphill climb like any other aspiring actor. His first real acting gig came about after he applied for a role in a live play called The Stage. After auditioning for the performance, which was advertised in the British entertainment magazine, The Play, he was then recognized by his agent and launched into his acting career. His story is similar to a slew of other celebrities, such as Morgan Freeman, Tyler Perry, Meryl Streep, Daine Keaton, and Sarah Jessica Parker, who all found their footing in acting from live stage performances.
Idris And His Music Passion
The multitalented star also dabbled in music, founding his own DJ band with his friends while still in school. His music ability was so promising that when he graduated in 1988, he won a place at the National Youth Music Theatre with 1,500 worth Prince' Trust grant. His knowledge as a DJ would come in handy, as his music personality, DJ Big Driis, would come to the fore as one of the various jobs he tried while in the beginning stages of his acting career. Such jobs included sales and tire-fitting at the London automotive factory, Ford Dagenham.
But his music career didn't stop there. In fact, he was in the position that most rappers today would pay to be in - on an album with Jay Z. That's right! In 2007, Elba co-produced the album for Denzel Washington's American Gangster film with Jay Z and was even featured on the intro. So he earned a double-win with America Gangster by being cast in the movie alongside one of Hollywood's most elite African-American actors and being featured on the movie's soundtrack with one of the greatest rappers of all time.
Superstar DJ Big Driis also for Madonna's performance while she was on her Berlin tour. He was also featured on Macklemore and Ryan Lewis's album, This Unruly Mess I've Made, which sold 60,000 copies in just its first week of being released. Then in 2019, one year after electrifying Coachella with his newly launched record label called 7Wallace Music, he made a minor appearance in Taylor Swift's song London Boy. The British star seems to be playing his cards right on both sides of the entertainment industry.
