Idris Elba: Handsome Star Rising

Born in 1972 in the Hackney section of east London, England, this up-and-coming actor, rapper, racecar driver and singer has been touted as an "all around badass" by Maxim Magazine, whose cover for September is adorned with his striking manly grace. The talented and only child of Sierra Leonian and Ghanian parents, his father worked in a Ford car factory and his mother as a clerical worker

He left school at the age of 16 to join the National Youth Music Theater training programs armed with a grant he received from the Prince's Trust. There he worked in British television before making his way to America. His first role in 1995, on a series called Bramwell, a medical drama set in 1890s England The road to success was rocky. He settled in Brooklyn, New York, struggling to make ends meet by working as a doorman in Caroline's, a comedy club, and as a DJ.

He gained both experience and acclaim in Great Britain for his breakthrough performance as Stringer Bell, a crime boss, in the highly regarded HBO drama, The Wire (2002), and in a mix of both leading and supporting roles in Daddy's Little Girls (2007), Marvel Comics' Thor (2011) and as ship captain, Janek, in Ridley Scott's Prometheus (2012), which granted him some respite from being typecast as a gangster. His crowning achievement has been a Golden Globe Award for his role in the television series, Luther, and his excellent and riveting portrayal of Nelson Mandela in the acclaimed biopic, Long Walk to Freedom.

The tall, manly star soon burst like a comet across the silver screen with film roles in a variety of genres. He played a general in the zombie flick, 28 Weeks Later in 2007 and a husband being stalked by an obsessed coworker opposite Beyoncé Knowles in Obsession in 2009. Other films to his credit include: This Christmas (2007) and RocknRolla (2008). In the summer of 2013, he appeared in the robotics-monster movie, Pacific Rim and his latest work is the up and coming thriller, No Good Deed, which was directed by Sam Miller and the imminent Beast of No Nations.

In addition to his incredible acting success, Idris continues to spin as a DJ internationally and has performed as a singer and rapper under the moniker, Big Driis. He has one child, a son named Winston, with his beloved girl friend, makeup artist, Nayiana Garth, and an 11-year-old daughter named Isan from a previous relationship.

There's only direction for this dashing, talented and handsome star of stage, screen and television and that's up.