Idris Elba has officially been knighted by King Charles III in the 2026 New Year Honours list.
That’s right, you can now address him as Sir Idris Elba!
While we all adore him for his mesmerizing performances as Stringer Bell in “The Wire”, the gritty detective John Luther, or even his turn as Heimdall in the Marvel Universe, this knighthood isn’t just about his acting roles.
Sir Idris was specifically honoured for his outstanding services to young people.
An only child, Idrissa Akuna Elba is an English actor who was born and raised in London, England. His father, Winston, is from Sierra Leone and worked at Ford Dagenham; his mother, Eve, is from Ghana and had a clerical duty. Idris attended school in Canning Town, where he first became involved in acting, before he dropped out. He gained a place in the National Youth Music Theatre – thanks to a £1,500 Prince’s Trust grant. To support himself between acting roles, he worked in jobs such as tyre-fitting, cold call advertising sales, and working night shifts at Ford Dagenham. He worked in nightclubs under the nickname DJ Big Driis at age 19, but began auditioning for television roles in his early-twenties.
His first acting roles were on the soap opera Family Affairs (1997), the television serial Ultraviolet (1998), and the medical drama Dangerfield (1995). His best known roles are as drug baron Russell “Stringer” Bell on the HBO series The Wire (2002), as DCI John Luther on the BBC One series Luther (2010), and as Heimdall in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He later starred in the films Daddy’s Little Girls (2007), Prom Night (2008), RocknRolla (2008), The Unborn (2009) and Obsessed (2009). He also appeared in the films American Gangster (2007), Takers (2010), Thor (2011), Prometheus (2012), Pacific Rim (2013), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Beasts of No Nation (2015) and Star Trek Beyond (2016). He voiced Chief Bogo in Zootopia (2016), Shere Khan in The Jungle Book (2016), and Fluke in Finding Dory (2016).
Idris Elba was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II at the 2016 New Year’s Honours for his services to drama.
For years, Elba, alongside his wife Sabrina, has been a vocal advocate against knife crime and a champion for youth empowerment.
Their Elba Hope Foundation has been doing incredible work, providing opportunities and a beacon of hope for young individuals. It’s a truly full circle moment for the star, who himself received a £1,500 grant from The King’s Trust (then The Prince’s Trust) in his youth, helping him kick start his acting dreams. Now, he’s being recognized by the very institution that once offered him a hand up.
“I hope we can do more to draw attention to the importance of sustained, practical support for young people and to the responsibility we all share to help them find an alternative to violence,” said Elba, who becomes a sir.
The news, announced at the end of 2025, has sent ripples of excitement across social media.
Fans are already having a field day imagining new lines for “The Wire”, where everyone would have to address Stringer Bell with his new, regal title.
Of course, Sir Idris isn’t the only talent recognized in this prestigious list.
The multi-talented Cynthia Erivo also received a well-deserved MBE, celebrating her contributions to music, film, and theatre.
Additional Source: IOL South Africa, Imdb
