Idris Elba is a great actor who, in my opinion, doesn't get as many roles as he deserves. I was one of the lazy people who took forever to watch "The Wire" and to put it simply, I really enjoyed the character of Stringer Bell. As a regular viewer of "The Office," I also liked Elba as Charles Miner for his small arc of episodes, even though his character was just a really big jackass to everyone. In both of these shows, a certain facial expression Elba made stuck with me, because he uses it a lot. When someone says something dumb, Elba normally dishes this face out. It's like saying "you stupid motherf*cker" without saying it at all. To avoid complexity, I call this phenomenon the Idris Elba Face, and of course, I have brought examples to help you learn what I'm talking about.
An average example of the Idris Elba Face. Note the slight tilt of the head as the eyebrows raise. While the Idris Elba Face is basic, there are nuances that make each one unique.
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When the Idris Elba Face utilizes the eyebrows, it’s a game-changer. It really drives home the incredulity of what was just said.
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When he’s got the glasses on, the Idris Elba Face is amplified by looking over them. It’s like he’s saying “Excuse me, you made me stop looking intellectual so I can let my ears be violated with the dumb sh-t that just passed out of your mouth?”
The top right box is fantastic. It turns out the Idris Elba Face existed since the very beginning of "The Wire."
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Threw a curveball in here to keep you on your toes. This isn't the Idris Elba Face, but just Elba posing for some photoshoot. The audience attracted to males will probably appreciate this one more.
This is some ideal Idris Elba Face right here. My goal is to get successful, have people work for me, then perfect this face so I can use it when they ask for things like “competitive wages” and “hazard-free working conditions.”
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There were plenty opportunities for the Idris Elba Face on "The Office." This one involves a half-smirk, half-squint situation.
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Charles Minor hated dumb sh-t. Michael Scott was the main producer of dumb sh-t. That was basically the whole story arc involving Elba, and it provided many opportunities for the Idris Elba Face.
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Let's just run through some of the emotions in this column of Idris Elba Faces from "The Office": desperation, confusion, apathy, impatience, shock, disgust, aaaand contempt.
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I will end this post not with one last Idris Elba Face, but with Elba holding a dog because this picture is too funny to leave out. Actually, it looks like this dog has its own Idris Elba Face going on. He must have learned from the best.
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Samer Kalaf is a writer living in New Hampshire. You can follow him on Twitter at @samer_k.
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Oh…Mr. Elba. He makes me think thoughts that might force me to go take a dip in the girl version of Lake Goon.
Didn’t understand your reference so I Googled Lake Goon; he is apparently a fine fellow, very professional, and a member of Linkedin.
“The audience attracted to males will probably appreciate this one more.”
the gap is smaller than you would think.
What is the Wire? Is that like Girls?
“The Wire” is kinda like “Girls: Baltimore.”
Girls:Baltimore “Where the Devil is, indeed, kept way down in a hole.”
I got yellow tops
Hell yeah thanks for including the “40 Degree Day” clip. You saved me from having to look it up because as soon as I saw the post its the first thing that came to mind.
Idris Elba is my favorite blactor.
I just started watching Luther on Netflix. That first episode is intense. This post is a nice coincidence.
Shit not coincidence, what’s that word for a life-synergy?
Maybe it is just me, but in the last photo it is the dog who has Idris Elba Face impatience, unease, and WTF are you doing? A little paranoia mixed in. He may also feel that outside the doggy door is a dystopian, dangerous, and depressing world.
If we have a son next, I’m pushing for Idris as a name. Of course, I’m white AND French, so we’ll see how that goes.