Sir Idris Elba OBE

Sir Idris Elba, OBE, is a Golden Globe, SAG, and BAFTA Award-winning actor, director, producer, and musician. Idris studied for a BTEC in Performing Arts at Barking & Dagenham College in the early 1990s. In 2016, he made history as the first male actor to win two Actor Awards in a single evening, taking home honors for both Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role and Outstanding Performance in a TV Movie or Miniseries. In 2026, he was officially knighted by King Charles III in recognition of his services to young people and his dedicated advocacy work and tireless anti knife crime campaigning.

Known for iconic roles in The Wire, Luther, and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Elba continues to build an extensive body of work on screen and behind the scenes through his production company, 22Summers.

Looking ahead, Elba co-directs and stars in Lionsgate's survival thriller Above the Below out Dec 2026 and executive produces a Netflix documentary celebrating The King's Trust. His upcoming slate also includes Paramount's Children of Blood and Bone, Apple Originals' feature Bola which he directed, produced and stars in opposite Wunmi Mosaku and Charlie Cox, Extraction 3, the next feature film installment of Luther and Sonic the Hedgehog 4.