After playing Krall in the “Star Trek Beyond” movie scheduled to release on July 22, along with his handful of roles in recently released movies including “Jungle Book,” “Zootopia” and “Finding Dory,” award-winning British actor Idris Elba should be a household name.
Elba’s acting has ranged from historical figures such as Nelson Mandela to mythological characters such as Heimdall, the gatekeeper of Asgard in the “Thor” series. However, despite his list of roles and accomplishments Elba isn’t hardly as recognized as many of the actors in the limelight.
Since 2002, Elba has been climbing his way to the top of the nominations charts for his powerful performances. From 2002 to 2004, Elba had his breakthrough performance in “The Wire,” when he played a drug kingpin. Since then, he has won 21 awards, including a Golden Globe. Elba’s awards and nominations aren’t the only reasons he should be more recognized.
His ability to act isn’t affected by which accent he uses. Elba originates from East London and is able to speak in both his natural and American accents on and off set. During his performances in “Daddy’s Little Girls” and “Obsession,” Elba spoke in an American accent, while in the television series “Luther” he speaks in his natural voice, blending in with the other British actors.
Elba showed audiences his ability to speak in different accents wasn’t limited to American when he played in “Beasts of No Nation” and used a highly impressive West African accent.
Along with his ability to speak in different accents, Elba is an overall versatile figure. His roles, whether leading or supportive, American or British, big- (“Finding Dory”) or low-budget (“No Good Deed”) are always played with a 100 percent effort.
Elba takes his work seriously, and it’s apparent in his performances. While most of his roles use his size and demeanor to help create his character, in nearly every role he plays his sincerity shows through his eyes and his occasional smile.
His versatility is also displayed in his occupation. Elba is an actor, musician and disc jockey. He began DJ-ing before he started acting and goes by the name of “DJ Big Dris.” He performs internationally and also co-produced and performed the introduction of Jay Z’s 2007 album, “American Gangster.”
More recently, Elba’s name has been frequently mentioned in relation to the next “007” movie. Elba has been the “people’s choice” to play the iconic role of James Bond. However there has been a stir of controversy around Elba being the first black James Bond and being too “street” for the character.
If casted for James Bond, Elba would provide the perfect combination of cool, calm and collected. His commanding yet comforting voice, tall stature and self-confidence reek James Bond. In 2013 Elba was named “Sexiest Man of the Year” by “Essence” magazine, so he has proven to have the sexy persona of the suave James Bond.
Despite his lack of recognition from the public, Elba provides unforgettable performances for his international audience to enjoy. Elba doesn’t just act but he becomes and fully embodies his characters while speaking in whatever accent he is challenged with.
Exploring the arts, Elba showcases his talents in many forms that aren’t acting. With all of the projects Elba has in store for this year and the following, TV and movie screens everywhere will be seeing a lot more of him.
Cynthea Corfah is a 21-year-old mass communications senior from Washington, D.C.
