From starring as the ruthlessly ingenious drug lord 'Stringer' Bell in
the iconic HBO series The Wire, to playing Madiba himself in the
long-awaited biopic of Nelson Mandela, it has been some journey for
Idris Elba. From humble beginnings, a second generation immigrant born
in Hackney, London, Elba set up his own wedding DJ business at the age
of 14 but, encouraged by his drama teacher to pursue his natural talent,
won a place at the National Youth Music Theatre. Although possessed of a
brooding screen presence which served him so well as DCI John Luther in
the BBC's terrifying crime drama series Luther, 2016 will show a whole
new side to Idris as he forays into the voice acting world as villainous
tiger Shere Khan in The Jungle Book remake and even a role in Pixar
centrepiece Finding Dory. He inhabits each role as if he were born to
play it. But what of the man himself? In this, the only biography of the
onscreen legend, Nadia Cohen reveals Elba's life behind the lens,
exploring what makes him so ambitious, adaptable and endlessly
watchable. His charisma has won him admirers on both sides of the
Atlantic, and the role of Bond may yet beckon.
