- Idris Elba recently starred as the villain in the “Fast and Furious” spin-off called “Hobbs and Shaw” and reprised his role as DCI John Luther on season five of the drama series “Luther.”
- In addition to being a decorated actor, Elba is also a DJ.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
2019 is proving to be a big year for Idris Elba.
After being named People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” in late 2018, Elba hosted “Saturday Night Live” in March 2019. He also directed a thriller called “Yardie” and is reportedly in talks to replace Will Smith as Deadshot in the next “Suicide Squad” movie. You may have also seen him as the villain in the “Fast and Furious” spin-off called “Hobbs and Shaw” and as the titular character on the British drama “Luther,” which returned for a fifth season in June.
In addition, Elba, who’s also a real-life DJ, performed at Coachella in April and showed off his DJing skills on a new Netflix series titled “Turn Up Charlie.” Next, he’ll star in a movie adaptation of the Broadway show “Cats.”
Elba has appeared in several franchises, like “Avengers” and “Star Trek,” but there are some people who might not be familiar with the British actor.
Here are seven things to know about him.
He married Sabrina Dhowre in a stunning three-day Moroccan ceremony.
Dhowre is a model and former Miss Vancouver, who met Elba when he filmed "The Mountain Between Us" in Canada.
"Falling in love while making a movie about falling in love is pretty special," Elba told People.
The pair's engagement was revealed in February 2018 and they tied the knot in April 2019. According to British Vogue, Elba wore a bespoke suit by Ozwald Boateng while Dhowrewore two custom dresses designed by Vera Wang for their wedding day.
Previously, Elba welcomed a son (named Winston) with makeup artist Naiyana Garth in 2014. He also has a daughter, Isan, with ex-wife Hanne Norgaard. The pair were married from 1999 to 2003. Following the split, Elba had a brief marriage with lawyer Sonya Hamlin in 2006.
He's a highly decorated actor.
At the 2012 Golden Globes, Elba took home the award for best performance by an actor in a mini-series or a motion picture made for television. He was recognized for his work as peacoat-wearing detective chief inspector John Luther on BBC's "Luther."
In addition, Elba has received two SAG awards in 2016 for "Luther" and "Beasts of No Nation." His "Luther" role also landed him a Critics' Choice TV award in 2016 and a BET award in 2011.
His DJ name is Big Driis the Londoner.
When Elba was 14 or 15 years old, he followed in the footsteps of his uncle and became a wedding DJ.
He also told Jimmy Fallon that he wanted to be a radio DJ when he was younger. You can listen to one of Elba's full DJ sets here.
Read more: 10 celebrities you didn't know are also DJs
One of his earliest roles was playing a pizza delivery man, in space.
He appeared on season one of the sci-fi series "Space Precinct," which originally aired in the UK and then later syndicated in the US and other countries.
Elba recently joined the "Fast and Furious" franchise, but it's not the first time he's been part of a blockbuster film.
Elba starred as Brixton in the "Fast and Furious" spin-off titled "Hobbs and Shaw." The movie was led by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Jason Statham.
Fans might also recognize Elba from his role as Heimdall in various Marvel movies, from "Thor" to "Avengers: Infinity War."
Prior to joining the MCU, the actor played an alien reptile named Krall in "Star Trek: Beyond" and Stacker Pentecost in "Pacific Rim."
Read more: THEN AND NOW: The 'Avengers' stars before they were famous
He's trained in kick-boxing and mixed martial arts.
Elba trained for a year in preparation for a professional match that was documented for the Discovery Channel.
"I was having a midlife crisis," he told Jimmy Kimmel during an interview.
He won the fight and showed up to work the next day, starring in the Aaron Sorkin movie "Molly's Game."
He's friends with Prince Harry, which explains how he got an invite to the royal wedding.
Elba attended the event of the year with Dhowre.
"I try not to talk too much about it, because it was a private day, but it remains one of the highlights of my life, for sure," he explained to The Guardian.
He also added that he considers Harry "a neighborhood lad."