Idrissa Akuna “Idris” Elba better known as Idris Elba, is an English actor, musician, and producer. He has appeared in many television shows and films throughout his career.
What Is the Net Worth of Idris Elba?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Idris Elba has an estimated net worth of $30 million. He has received many awards and accolades throughout his career for his tremendous performance.
He is among one of the highest-earning actors in the industry since his films have collectively grossed nearly $10 billion as of 2019 (among which $3.9 billion alone came from the U.S).
Early Life
Elba was born in London, England on September 6, 1972. He is the child of Eve and Winston Elba who worked at the Ford Dagenham plant. He was brought up in Hackney and East Ham, and when he was attending school in Canning Town where he was incorporated in acting for the first time, he chose to shorten his first name to “Idris”.
He acclaims The Stage for providing him with his first breakthrough, having seen an advertisement for a play in it; he gave an audition and met his first agent when he was performing for the role.
He started assisting an uncle with his wedding DJ business in 1986 and just within a year, he had begun his own DJ company involving a few of his friends.
In 1988, Elba dropped out of school and managed to win a place in the National Youth Music Theatre following a £1,500 Prince’s Trust grant. During his early career, he worked many odd jobs like tire-fitting, cold-calling, and night shifts at Ford Dagenham in order to support himself financially.
During his teenage years, he also worked in nightclubs under the DJ nickname “Big Driis”, however, in his early twenties, he started auditioning for television roles.
Personal Life
In 1999, Elba got married to his first wife Hanne “Kim” Nørgaard and the couple has a child together, a daughter. They separated in 2003. In 2006, Elba got married to Sonya Nicole Hamlin and the duo separated just after four months of marriage.
He also has a son with his former girlfriend, Naiyana Garth. In early 2017, he was in a relationship with model Sabrina Dhowre and later in 2018, they got engaged at an East London cinema during a screening of his film Yardie. In 2019, the couple got married in Marrakesh.
He has mentioned that he is spiritual but not at all religious. In 2015, Elba broke the land speed record for the Pendine Sands “Flying Mile” course as part of his Discovery Channel miniseries titled Idris Elba: No Limits.
He stood in support of a vote to be in the European Union for the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum.
In 2020, he confirmed that he tested positive for coronavirus during the pandemic along with his wife. When he was in isolation, he confirmed that he has struggled with asthma throughout his life, and hence he was even at higher risk due to the disease.
Career
In 1994, Elba made his acting debut, with British television series like Absolutely Fabulous, Crimewatch, Bramwell, The Bill, and Family Affairs. Following his appearances in Ultraviolet and Dangerfield, he later moved to New York City.
In the U.S., he established himself with a theater role in a production of Troilus and Cressida. Following it, he landed a supporting role on the show titled Law & Order prior to landing one of his most popular roles in The Wire.
During the period 2002 to 2004, he played the role of Russell “Stringer” Bell which brought him popularity in the U.S.
After The Wire, Elba landed a significant role in the 2005 film titled Sometimes in April which is about the Rwandan genocide. Later, he landed a role in the film titled The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, which was shot in Botswana.
He booked a supporting role in 2009 The Office in a six-episode arc, later appearing in the season finale as well. Also in 2009, he booked the lead role in Luther, a psychological crime drama series and his performance on the show brought him a Golden Globe Award.
Elba landed the role in 2010 The Big C and later he got the lead role of Charlie in the Netflix series titled Turn Up Charlie, though the series got canceled following just one season.
Apart from television, he also has a long list of film credits to his name. The 2007 romantic comedy film titled Daddy’s Little Girls was one of his first major roles. He later appeared in films such as 28 Days Later and This Christmas as well in the same year.
The next year he was seen in Prom Night and Guy Ritchie’s RocknRolla. Elba then appeared in 2009’s The Unborn and also in the Obsessed which became a massive hit.
In the film Obsessed, he starred alongside Beyonce and the project grossed $29 million alone during its opening weekend and then earned over $73 million at the box office.
Elba also gained popularity with his role as a military figure in action-packed films, like the 2010 film titled Legacy and The Losers. Furthermore, he also earned further fame with the portrayal of Heimdall in the Thor films and other movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
He gained popularity with some other films like Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Pacific Rim, Prometheus, Beasts of No Nation, No Good Deed, The Dark Tower, Star Trek Beyond, and Molly’s Game, and Cats.
He has also lent his voice to many projects. In 2016, he got a breakthrough when it comes to voice acting since he booked for many mainstream roles. In the same year, he lent his voice to the character of Chief Bogo in the film titled Shere Khan in The Jungle Book, Zootopia, and Fluke the sea lion in Finding Dory.
However, it was quite apparent that acting was his priority and he persistently pursued a career in music as well. During his early music career, he has DJd at several events, along with renowned celebrity parties. Furthermore, Elba also worked as the DJ for the BET series titled Rising Icons.
He rolled out a four-track EP in 2006 and also released a six-track EP in 2009, which had the single titled “Please Be True.” Elba served as the producer alongside artists like Jay-Z, Mr. Hudson, K. Michelle, and more. He introduced his own music label named 7Wallace in 2018.
As a musician, Elba has partnered with artists like Jay-Z, Phyno, Pharoahe Monch, Skepta, Loose Tapestries, D’banj, Madonna, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Taylor Swift, Wiley, and Jay Robinson. He frequently features music videos for other artists, and he sometimes also helms them.
According to reports, Elba “enraged” his neighbors in 2017, following incorporating an extensive basement studio into his 2.5-million-pound Hackney home.
During that time, he intended to launch the studio for fifteen hours a day, allowing him to work with several artists. Neighbors raised issues as the former owner was remarkably quieter as compared to Elba.
Awards and Accolades
Elba was named Essence’s annual Sexiest Man of the Year and, in 2018, he was named People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive. In October 2014, Elba was presented with a MOBO Inspiration Award.
In 2013, Elba was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to drama. In 2017, Elba received the male title for the “Rear of the Year” award in Britain.
In 2018, he was among 50 people titled for “making London awesome” and aiding to shape London’s cultural landscape who appeared in Time Out to celebrate the magazine’s 50th anniversary. In the 2020 and 2021 versions of the Powerlist, he was listed among the Top 100 of the most influential people in the UK of African/African-Caribbean descent.
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