The Bookish Life of Idris Elba

Idrissa Akuna Elba was calved connected September 6, 1972, to Sierra Leone Creole Winston and Ghanaian Eve, who joined successful Sierra Leone and moved to London, wherever helium grew up. Although helium archetypal became known to U.S. American audiences for his portrayal of Stringer Bell connected the 2002 bid The Wire, helium had by past been a moving histrion — mostly connected TV — for astir a decade. In summation to acting, helium has worked arsenic a DJ since 1986. 

The much-beloved histrion (and DJ, and director) has been moving seemingly nonstop for the past 30 years. Let’s instrumentality a look astatine the astir bookish of his roles.

In what seems similar a dilatory start, compared to his aboriginal output, helium was successful 4 bookish properties successful the archetypal decennary of this century. In 2001 helium appeared successful the Joaquin Phoenix–starring Buffalo Soldiers, based connected Buffalo Soldiers by Robert O’Connor. In 2005, helium starred successful The Gospel, based connected the parable of the Prodigal Son. In 2007, helium was successful Ridley Scott’s American Gangster, starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe and based connected a New York Magazine article, “The Return of Superfly” by Mark Jacobson. And successful 2008 helium appeared successful the aviator occurrence of The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, based connected The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith.

Then things picked up a spot arsenic helium had his archetypal (and 2nd and third) crook successful a comic publication adaptation. In 2010 helium was successful The Losers, based connected the Vertigo comic. In 2011, helium portrayed Heimdall successful Thor, based connected the Marvel comic; helium would spell connected to reprise the relation successful 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok, 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War, and 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder. Also, successful 2011 helium was successful Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, based connected the Marvel comic but unrelated to Thor continuity. And successful 2021, helium was successful The Suicide Squad, based connected the DC comic.

While not based connected a book, I deliberation his quality successful 2012’s Prometheus counts arsenic bookish due to the fact that — as Jessica Avery explains elegantly — a literate franchise has been built astir the Alien movie franchise. And Jessica was generous capable to constitute an Alien publication list successful 2019, though it is surely somewhat outdated 4 years later.

He portrayed Nelson Mandela successful 2013’s Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, based connected Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom. In 2015 helium starred successful The Gunman, based connected The Prone Gunman by Jean-Patrick Manchette, In 2016, helium voiced Shere Khan successful The Jungle Book, based connected The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling.

Like Prometheus, 2016’s Star Trek Beyond was not based connected a book, but the franchise includes galore books and comics. We person lists of the champion Star Trek Books oregon books to work based connected your favourite Star Trek character.

Also successful 2016, helium voiced the televised advertisements successful Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege 2016, the video crippled based — perhaps evidently — connected Rainbow Six by Tom Clancy.

In 2017, helium starred successful 3 movies based connected books: Molly’s Game was based connected the poker memoir Molly’s Game by Molly Bloom; The Mountain Between Us was based connected The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin; and The Dark Tower was based connected The Dark Tower by Stephen King.

The pursuing year, helium made his directorial debut with Yardie, based connected Yardie by Victor Headley. The movie received mixed reviews.

I hardly request to notation his astir notable bookish role: Macavity successful Cats, which is of people based connected the signifier musical, which was based connected Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot. Since then, helium has appeared successful 2020’s Concrete Cowboy, based connected Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri; 2022’s Three Thousand Years of Longing, based connected “The Djinn successful the Nightingale’s Eye” by A.S. Byatt; and 2022’s The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse based connected The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy.

In summation to his galore bookish roles, Elba has been the recipient of respective awards and distinctions: helium was the Essence Sexiest Man of the Year successful 2013, People’s Sexiest Man Alive successful 2018, and 1 of Powerlist’s “top 100 astir influential radical successful the UK of African/African-Caribbean descent.” He has besides been nominated for galore acting awards and won a handful, including BET’s Best Actor grant for The Losers.