Idris Elba is a British television, theatre, and film actor who has starred in both British and American productions. Idris Elba grew up in Hackney, East London. One of his first acting roles was in a British soap opera, Family Affairs.

He has worked in a variety of TV roles including Ultraviolet and The Inspector Lynley Mysteries. He is best known as Russell "Stringer" Bell, the drug dealer who aspired to become a high powered businessman, in HBO's The Wire. Elba is also a DJ under the moniker DJ Big Driis / Big Driis the Londoner, and a hip-hop soul recording artist.

In 2009, Idris began playing a character in NBC's television hit series The Office. He was in six episodes playing Charles Miner, Michael Scott's new boss. Elba is currently in talks for a starring role in Dark Castle Entertainment's adaptation of DC/Vertigo’s The Losers. He will be under the direction of Sylvain White in the role of Roque, the second-in-command of a black-ops team out for revenge against a government that did them wrong.

He can currently be seen in the thriller Obsessed with Beyoncé Knowles and Ali Larterand will appear in the 2010 thriller Takers starring Hayden Christensen T.I., and Paul Walker.