Idris Akuna Elba (born 6 September 1972) 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 the soap opera Family Affairs. He has worked in a variety of TV roles including Ultraviolet and The Inspector Lynley Mysteries. He is also known for playing 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, Elba 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. In 2010 he will be seen in Dark Castle Entertainment's adaptation of DC/Vertigo’s The Losers 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 as well as the thriller Takers starring Hayden Christensen, T.I., and Paul Walker. In September 2009, Elba inked a deal to star as the lead role in a 6-part BBC television show called Luther to air sometime in 2010. (via Wikipedia)