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Idris Elba

Acting

Born September 6, 1972 · Hackney, London, England, UK

Also known as Idrissa Akuna Elba · Sir Idris Elba · Sir Idrissa Akuna Elba

Biography

Sir Idrissa Akuna Elba is an English actor, DJ, rapper, and producer. He has received a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for three BAFTA Awards and eight Primetime Emmy Awards. He was named in the Time 100 list of the Most Influential People in the World in 2016. His films have grossed over US$9.8 billion at the global box office, making him one of the top 20 highest-grossing actors. In 2025, Elba was named as the UK's ninth-most influential Black person in the 2026 Powerlist.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA

Awards & recognition

  • Knight Bachelor · 2026
  • honorary doctorate · 2022
  • Officer of the Order of the British Empire · 2016
  • The King's Trust · 1988
  • The Game Awards − Best Performance · 2023 · nominated
Show all 6 awards →
  • British Academy Television Award — Best Actor · 2016 · nominated

Filmography50+ titles

The Office

2005as Charles Miner

The Wire

2002as Stringer Bell

Chicken Shop Date

2014as Self - Guest

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

2022as The Fox (voice)

Avengers: Infinity War

2018as Heimdall

What If...?

2021as Heimdall (voice)

The Simpsons

1989as Devil (voice)

Luther

2010as John Luther

Cut from a Different Cloth

2017

Zootopia

2016as Chief Bogo (voice)

Zootopia 2

2025as Chief Bogo (voice)

CSI: Miami

2002as Angelo Sedaris

London's Burning

1988as L Cpl Frost

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

2024as Knuckles (voice)

Thor: Ragnarok

2017as Heimdall

Beasts of No Nation

2015as Commandant

American Gangster

2007as Tango

Silent Witness

1996as Charlie

Absolutely Fabulous

1992as Hilton

Hijack

2023as Sam Nelson

Aqua Teen Hunger Force

2000as Police Officer (voice)

Extraction II

2023as Alcott

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

2022as Knuckles (voice)

The Suicide Squad

2021as Bloodsport

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries

2001as Robert Gabriel

2point4 Children

1991as Parachute Instructor

Knuckles

2024as Knuckles the Echidna (voice)

Madonna: Rebel Heart Tour

2016as Self

Avengers: Age of Ultron

2015as Heimdall

The Big C

2010as Lenny

Girlfriends

2000as Paul Raymond

Law & Order

1990as Lonnie Liston

Molly's Game

2017as Charlie Jaffey

The Graham Norton Show

2007as Self

Ultraviolet

1998as Vaughan Rice

Masters of the Universe

2026as Duncan

Zootopia+

2022as Chief Bogo (voice)

Hot Ones

2015as Self

Sometimes in April

2005as Augustin

Erased: WW2's Heroes of Color

2024as Self - Narrator (voice)

Coronavirus, Explained

2020as Self - Narrator

Finding Dory

2016as Fluke (voice)

Pacific Rim

2013as Stacker Pentecost

RocknRolla

2008as Mumbles

Human Playground

2022as Self - Host

Three Thousand Years of Longing

2022as The Djinn

The Jungle Book

2016as Shere Khan (voice)

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

2013as Nelson Mandela

Daddy's Little Girls

2007as Monty James

Saturday Night Live

1975as Self - Host