Idris Elba

Idris Elba is a Golden Globe-winning actor who has been recognized for his performances in a wide range of film and television roles, both in the U.S. and in his native England. He starred in Ridley Scott's sci-fi thriller "Prometheus," with Charlize Theron; "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance," with Nicolas Cage; and as Heimdall in the superhero action hit "Thor," directed by Kenneth Branagh. He also stars in Justin Chadwick's "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom," in which Elba portrays the heroic anti-apartheid freedom fighter who became South Africa's first black president.

On television, Elba stars in the Golden Globe-nominated BBC series "Luther," playing the title role of Detective Chief Inspector John Luther. For his work on the show, he has won a Golden Globe, a BET Award and an NAACP Image Award, and earned two Emmy Award nominations, an additional Golden Globe nomination and another Image Award nod.

Elba previously shared in a Screen Actors Guild Award® nomination as a member of the cast of Ridley Scott's 2007 true-life feature "American Gangster," with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. He also received an Image Award nomination for his performance in the 2009 thriller "Obsessed," opposite Beyoncé Knowles. His additional film credits include "Takers," with Matt Dillon; "The Losers," with Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana and Chris Evans; "Legacy," which he also executive produced; "The Unborn"; Guy Ritchie's "RocknRolla," joining an ensemble cast that also included Gerard Butler, Tom Hardy and Thandie Newton; "28 Weeks Later"; "The Reaping," with Hilary Swank; and Tyler Perry's drama "Daddy's Little Girls."

Elba was already a familiar face to television audiences when he landed his breakthrough role on HBO's critically acclaimed series "The Wire." He received an Image Award nomination for his performance as Stringer Bell, the lieutenant of a Baltimore drug cartel on the cult hit show. In 2009, he demonstrated his comic chops when he joined the cast of NBC's hit series "The Office." He later appeared as Laura Linney's character's love interest in Showtime's "The Big C," earning an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. Elba also starred in the HBO movie "Sometimes in April."

Warner Bros.