Idris Elba, born as Irissa Akuna Elba celebrates his 47th birthday today. The British actor was born in London to immigrant working-class parents. He became interested in drama while attending school and was awarded a grant by the Prince’s Trust to join (1990) the National Youth Music Theatre. In his late teens, he worked as a disc jockey under the name DJ Big Driis while auditioning for acting roles. From the mid-1990s he appeared often on British TV, his roles including recurring characters on Insiders (1997), Family Affairs (1997), and Dangerfield (1999). Elba’s career break came with the HBO crime drama The Wire, in which for three seasons (2002–04) he played the financially savvy drug kingpin Russell Bell. Watch the video to find out more about the British actor.