He's been in the running to play James Bond for so long that there's now absolutely no chance he'll get to play him, alas (he's two years older than Daniel Craig, who aged out of the role five years ago). But, still, the world loves newly minted knight Sir Idris Elba and wants nice things for him. As do we.
As his airborne thriller series Hijack returns for a second series (you can see it on Apple TV today), we thought we'd settle down with a nice chunky list of reasons to celebrate Mr Elba.
1. He's not a nepo baby - he made it his own way
He grew up in Hackney and Canning Town in London's East End. A grant from The King’s Trust (then known as the Prince's Trust) enabled him to get into the National Youth Music Theatre — and the rest is history. He worked as a tyre-fitter and cold-caller to make ends meet, but the roles eventually started to come in.
2. His first role was in AbFab
In series three, episode three – 'Sex' – watch out for Idris playing a character listed merely as 'gigolo'. It had not gone unnoticed that this strapping 6'2" young man was something of a looker.
3. He doesn't shy away from politics
Many celebs keep their mouths shut where political issues are concerned for fear of alienating fans. Not Idris. On the issue of housing benefit for young people under the last government, he said: "The government is trying to take away housing allowances from 18-21 year-olds… Seriously man. No one should be homeless it’s f**king bullshit. No one should be hungry."
He's a vocal activist on diversity in the entertainment industry, and was also made Anti-Crime Ambassador by the Prince's Trust thanks to his campaigns against knife crime.
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4. He's a proficient and talented DJ
There's no shortage of celebrities who fancy themselves behind the decks. Most of them are swiftly reminded where their true talents lie. Idris, on the other hand, has a whole double life as DJ Big Driis. He's released singles and EPs – he even had a Billboard Music Awards nomination – and has collaborated with Paul McCartney. He launched his own record label in 2024.
5. He cares. No, he really cares.
Idris doesn't just pay lip service to his causes, he gets stuck in. As a late-diagnosed dyslexic, he collaborated on designing the Talking Scripts app to help dyslexic people read scripts. His interest in Africa led him to found the Akuna Group, a media company that focuses on developing African stories and technology.
6. The important awards bodies all recognise the talent
Essence magazine's Sexiest Man of the Year 2013. People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive 2018. Rear of the Year 2017. And those are just the important ones, let alone his BAFTAs, Emmys, Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild awards.
7. He's building a film studio in Zanzibar
This one deserves its own paragraph just because it involves Zanzibar, and we wanted the opportunity to write the word 'Zanzibar'.
The Tanzanian government granted him permission to build a film studio in the Zanzibar archipelago (also known as the birthplace of Freddie Mercury). As we noted above, he's keen to improve filmmaking infrastructure across Africa, and this project is at the heart of that mission.
Season two, episode one of Hijack is available to stream on Apple TV now.
The new edition of Living Legends, celebrating music icon Dolly Parton, is here! Buy Dolly at 80 in newsagents or online, priced at just £8.99.
Editor, Digital Spy Chris has over 25 years' experience as a writer and editor, having worked as a journalist covering TV and movies since the '90s. Starting out as a TV listings editor at the Press Association, he was quickly hired by the nascent Heat magazine, where he rose to become Senior Editor, interviewing the likes of Simon Cowell, Boris Johnson and Paris Hilton. Over the years he has written about entertainment with clarity and wit for Heat, Elle, Q, The Telegraph and of course Digital Spy, and has served many times as a judge in the Royal Television Society awards. He has written and recorded a novelty single with Lord Lloyd-Webber, written scripts for the National TV Awards, made Noel Edmonds cry, accidentally punched an Inbetweener and stolen a small piece of rubble from the Battle of Hogwarts movie set. (They can't have it back.) LinkedIn
