Idris Elba Appreciation

Idrissa Akuna Elba

September 6, 1972 in Hackney, London, England, UK

"Wherever I go the real hard-core drug dealers come up to me and confide in me. I almost feel guilty turning around and saying: 'Ello, mate. My name's Idris and I'm from London.' I don't want to break the illusion."
- On why he uses his American accent when talking to fans of The Wire.

Ah, happy day. Today is the 40th birthday of a man so gorgeous I watched Prom Night and Unborn for him and so talented I nearly cried in the ending of The Wire, season 3. Golden Globe winner, Emmy nominee, actor, DJ and hotness personified - Idris Elba.

What I like about the choices he makes is that as I go through his films I have no idea what I will see - he was a cop, a gangster, Michael Scott's boss, painter romancing Laura Linney, a guy married to Beyonce who has to deal with crazy obsessed coworker and get that - an exorcism performing priest AND a Nordic god. Woah. I still haven't seen Ghost Rider 2. I only have wine over here, but if I get my hands on vodka, there finally will be enough liquor for me to endure that one.

Another thing worth mentioning is his accent in The Wire - I saw this one first and then Luther and I had no idea he was British. He was so good in The Wire pretending to be American during first few episodes of Luther his accent actually sounded odd to me.

Elba, an only child, was born Idrissa Akuna Elba, and shortened his first name at school in Canning Town, where he first became involved in acting. His father is Sierra Leonean and his mother is Ghanaian. Elba grew up in East Ham, and began helping an uncle with his wedding-DJ business in 1986, and within a year he had started his own DJ company with some friends. Elba left school in 1988 and won a place in the National Youth Music Theatre—thanks to a £1,500 Prince’s Trust grant – but then ended up having to do everything from tire-fitting to cold-call advertising sales to pay the rent between roles in Crimewatch murder reconstructions. Elba was working in nightclubs under the DJ nickname Big Driis in 1991, but began auditioning for television parts in his early twenties. After a stint in the National Youth Music Theatre, Elba worked the night shift at a Ford factory in Dagenham, London in 1989 and '90. He started his acting career while in high school with encouragement from his drama teacher.  (imdb.com)

He is obviously most well known for playing Stringer Bell in The Wire (Fuck you, Omar) but for me the best of the best is his portrayal of John Luther, troubled and tough detective in Luther, the role which brought him Golden Globe and has yet to bring him an Emmy (fingers crossed!). This year he appeared in Prometheus where he was romancing Charlize Theron and became my favorite space cowboy ever and next year we will see him in another big sci fi movie - Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo Del Toro. He is currently filming Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom where he will star as Nelson Mandela and he is going to reprise his role of Heimdall in the sequel to Thor.

Favorite films + TV series:

The Wire

Luther

Prometheus

Thor

Rockn'n'Rolla

Favorite performances:

Luther

The Wire

Prometheus

The Big C

Rock'n'Rolla

Favorite scenes:

• Every single moment from Luther could be my number 1 but the bridge scene with Alice from the first episode is clearly the highlight.That is also my first choice in next category.
• The scene where Stringer tells Avon that he has taken a life too from The Wire
• "That's good. That's like a 40-degree day. Ain't nobody got nothing to say about a 40-degree day. Fifty. Bring a smile to your face. Sixty, shit, niggas is damn near barbecuing on that motherfucker. Go down to 20, niggas get their bitch on. Get their blood complaining. But forty? Nobody give a fuck about 40. Nobody remember 40, and y'all niggas is giving me way too many 40-degree days! What the fuck?" from The Wire
• The whole apple situation from Luther 2x01 where he eats an apple in front of Alice and then throws it over the fence, allowing her to escape.
•  The ending of Luther 1x05 while Sia's Breathe Me played in the background.
  

5 hottest scenes:

• Him debating what to do when Alice gave him those three choices in Luther 1x01. Pretty much every single scene they share though - if the chemistry between them was a bomb and that bomb exploded the universe would end.
  
• I'm torn between the scene from The Big C in the pit and the one where he explains what bukkake means. Good God.
• I'm an XL from The Wire
• If you wanted to get laid...all you had to do is say so from Prometheus 
• Him wearing that tuxedo in The Wire 3x04. That's all I need.
  

3 things I'm waiting for

• The sex scene with him and Theron from Prometheus. Why did they thought it's a good idea to cut this thing out of movie is beyond me. Especially since it was in 3D. I mean...seriously, what the fuck?
• Pacific Rim trailer. Where is it?!
• Luther season 3 - hopefully Alice will return. I do not like that new girl.

A bunch of stuff I need to post:

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