WENN.com

Goodbye Idris Elba, hello DJ Driis.

That’s right, Idris Elba is officially taking a break from Hollywood. The Luther actor told The Daily Mirror, a UK newspaper, that he’s taking a break from acting to focus on his other baby: music. According to Black America Web, he told them:

“This year I’m not going to work as an actor so I can concentrate on music. I do it from the heart, not for the money.”

Well great, good for him.  But what about those who love to see him on the big and small screens?  One one hand, you’ve got to respect that the man is going to use his fame and opportunities to do things that are important to him. But on the other hand, we like his look- excuse me, his acting.

If you’re not familiar with “DJ Driis,” you might avtually be in for a treat. He’s compiled mixtapes in the past, hosts others’ mixtapes and he, obviously, deejays.  Right now, he’s in London doing a seven week residency at one of their popular clubs.  He also directed Mumford & Sons’ “Love of the Light” video. Elba also made his own musical debut in his own video for “Private Garden” back in 2011.

So yes, his track record in the music industry has been pretty good and steady so we’ll see what he does next.

But don’t worry, according to IMDB, we might get to see him on the screen after-all: he has three movies in post-production that should hit the screen. So maybe he’s just not filming anything new – we can accept that. Maybe once he’s ready to get back to work, that James Bond role will be waiting for him.

Are you going to be checking for DJ Driis?

When we hear his name, we swoon, and when we see him on the screen, big or small, we pay close attention. Since the mid-nineties, Idris Elba has been making appearances on dozens of television shows, taking on the role of gigolos, bar hoppers and forensic scientists, and also the notable role of a cunning drug lord and an aspiring businessman on the critically-acclaimed show, The Wire. A few years later, he earned reoccurring roles on The Big C and The Office, and presently, he’s headed into the third season of his hit British crime series, Luther, which has earned him a Golden Globe.

The Sierra Leonean/Ghanaian West Londoner’s contribution to the film world has been just as significant. Starting off small, he’s played a lowly mechanic in Tyler Perry’s Daddy’s Little Girls, a troubled and harassed husband in the thriller Obsessed, and a valiant spaceship captain in Ridley Scott’s Prometheus. He’s been in more than 20 movies to date, and he’s currently filming two more as we speak, one of those movies being a biopic about Nelson Mandela’s life, in a film entitled, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and the other movie is a sequel to Thor, where he will be reprising his role of the all-knowing guardian, Heimdall. And, word around the web is that Idris may be in line to become the next James Bond once Daniel Craig’s contract is fulfilled. One can only hope, as it’s time they bring some color to that role.

Booming film and television career aside, we respect Elba’s hustle, because he tries his hand at everything and has a plethora of other ventures in the works. We’ve spotted him on dozens of print and online Tanqueray ads, holding ice glasses of gin and wearing a gamesome expression. And, as of 2011, he became the face of a new Smartwater campaign.  He’s also been seen in the music videos of Fat Joe, Angie Stone and UK artist Gigs. Elba co-produced and performed on Jay’s American Gangster album, and he starred in and directed a moving Mumford & Sons music video, called “Lover Of The Light.” And, he’s released two EPs, and performed all over as a DJ with the stage name DJ Big Driis the Londoner. And, by no means is he an amateur in the music department. He’s been DJing since the late 80s, having once owned a DJ company with a group of close friends.

In terms of his personal life, the once divorced transatlantic stud has one daughter, Isan Elba, for whom he bought a home in Atlanta to be closer to; and he has one son, by the name of Ortega. Elba shares time between Atlanta, London and Los Angeles, considering U.S. his home, though he still prides himself on being a ‘London boy.’ And, forever discreet about his love life and presumed single, it was rumored that Elba has excluded black women from his net of dating hopefuls, BUT, he enthusiastically denied those claims on Twitter. And we can’t help but be enamored by a guy who isn’t vain, and actually claims to not know what the hype surrounding his beauty is all about. I mean really!? Has he looked in the mirror!? That skin? That smile? That body? That accent? He could be our Valentine anytime, but we’ll just have to dream about that happening…for now…

Source: Yu Tsai for Esquire

Idris, aka, Idrissa, has clearly made it. If the Golden Globe Award, his own show on BBC (“Luther”), guest appearances on some huge shows (“The Office,” “The Big C”) and the lead acting roles weren’t proof enough for you, he’s now been pegged as part of the next generation of Hollywood stars for Esquire, flashing his bright whites on one of three covers, alongside actor Taylor Kitsch (who was very crunk). At 39, it’s a little random that they call him the “Next Generation,” but he’s blowing up big time either way, and I’m sure he appreciates the cover love. He also had his share of hot and swaggerific photos solo in the spread, and we knew you would love them, so check ‘em out below…

Source: Yu Tsai for Esquire

Source: Yu Tsai for Esquire

Source: Yu Tsai by Esquire

Elba also had the opportunity to introduce himself to those who don’t know him like that (travesty!) through a short video. Per the usual, with the accent, jazzy dress and personality, he was delicious:

Nice to finally see this hunk-of-burning-man getting his just dues, and with Esquire of all people! I smell Oscars in the near future…

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Source: popculturezoo.com

If BET does nothing else right, they will be much appreciated for this latest move. The network that many thought could only do wrong is bringing Idris Elba’s Golden Globe-winning series “Luther” to its viewers, and before some of you get worked up, they’re just airing episodes not remaking the series or taking over it.

On Saturday morning beginning promptly at 8:30 am, BET will begin airing an all-day Luther marathon, giving many their first chance to catch the BBC series everyone has been raving about. The show follows John Luther (Idris) who is a genius police detective in the Serious Crime Unit with unmatched dedication that he often pays a heavy price for but never gets the best of him.

There were only six episodes in the first season of the series and four in the next so catching up on the shows won’t take up your whole day, just a substantial part of it. From everything I’ve read about the series it seems it would be well worth it.

Will you tune in?

Brande Victorian is the news and operations editor for madamenoire.com. Follow her on twitter @Be_Vic.

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Last night was a good night for Black Hollywood. At the Golden Globes award ceremony in LA, Idris Elba and Octavia Spencer took home awards for their acting roles this past year.

Octavia Spencer won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the feisty maid Minny Jackson in “The Help,” putting her in a good position to earn an Academy Award at the Oscars next month.

Idris Elba was also noticeably ecstatic about his win in the Best Actor in a Miniseries category. The handsome British actor was honored for his role in the BBC show “Luther”—solidifying his place as a standout actor in Hollywood.

Viola Davis was beat out by Meryl Streep in the Best Actress category, but has already received tons of honors for her role as Aibileen Clark in “The Help.” We’ll have to wait and see who’s entered in the running for Academy Awards when nominations are announced Jan. 24.

Did you watch the Golden Globes last night? What was your favorite moment?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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“The Help” is swimming in award nominations right now. On top of the four Screen Actors Guild Awards announced yesterday, the movie has picked up an additional five Golden Globe nominations.

Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain will once again compete for Best Supporting actress, with Viola Davis picking up a nomination for Best Actress. The film could also take home Best Motion Picture Drama and Mary J. Blige may win for Best Original Song for “Living Proof.”

British fav Idris Elba, was also nominated for Best Actor in a miniseries or TV movie for his role as Det. John Luther in the BBC miniseries “Luther.” I may need to tune in for this.

The Golden Globes will be broadcast Jan. 15, 2012, do you plan on watching?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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A movie about the life of Nelson Mandela is rumored to be in the works, and Idris Elba is expected to sign on to take the lead role as the South African leader.

According to FlickeringMyth.com, the film, set to begin production in 2012, will be the “official” biopic of Nelson Mandela’s life. Will Smith and Denzel Washington were previously linked to the role, but it looks like Idris, who’s gaining much attention for his role in the BBC crime thriller “Luther,” has snagged the part.

It will be interesting to see how he stacks up against Morgan Freeman’s portrayal of Mandela in “Invictus” and Terrence Howard in “Winnie.” What do you think about Idris playing this iconic role? Is he a good choice?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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Pop quiz. Name me five widely-released movies that starred a black woman in the past year.  I’m not talking about as the sassy friend or some small featured part. I’m talking about the lead in the movie. Could you do it? If you could, it probably took you a good minute, right? The current television landscape also has few Black female characters and most of these talented black actresses must shine in smaller, secondary roles especially on the big four networks ABC, CW, CBS, and NBC. There are notable exceptions like ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice, and the upcoming ABC show Scandal (I love Shonda Rhimes) that show black female characters we love. I also love Maya Rudolph as Ava on Up All Night. And smaller recent movies like Pariah by Dee Rees (premiering in December) and 2008′s Medicine for Melancholy by Barry Jenkins still offer black actresses headlining roles. Say what you want to say about Tyler Perry, but the man offers black actresses top billing as well.  However, I find it disturbing that there are not a greater number of juicy, complex roles available for black women anymore. 

I grew up in the 90s when black television and movies were at a high point in both quality and quantity. Shows like A Different World, The Cosby Show, Girlfriends, Living Single and Soul Food (well early 2000s too) all had meaty, funny, and touching roles for black women. Movies like Love Jones, Love and Basketball, Menace to Society, Girl 6, Higher Learning, Eve’s Bayou, What’s Love Got to Do With It and Boomerang gave Black actresses complex characters to show off their acting chops. As a little girl, these shows and films inspired me to want to act, then eventually to write and direct for TV and film. These were stories I could relate to and that reflected my life as a black woman in this country. These films and shows gave us talented and beautiful black actresses like Halle Berry, Angela Bassett, Nia Long, Sanaa Lathan, Jurnee Smollett, Lynn Whitfield, Phylicia Rashad, and Tracee Ellis Ross; women I still look up to as a black artist.  However, the landscape has changed. The black sitcom has all but disappeared and of those that exist how many are good? I know what my answer is, but I’ll leave you to ponder that one. Where does a little Black girl who dreams of a life in the arts look to inspire her these days? Where can she go to see quality television and film that feature faces that look like hers? If she flips on television she doesn’t see much that resembles her unless you count the shouting and fighting women of reality television. This makes me very sad.

Playing the “girlfriend or wife” of a black male star like Idris Elba and Will Smith in television and movies is not exactly a meaty role, but it used to be a role reserved for black women. Now, these roles are often cast with non-black women. Shadow and Act’s blog explores this trend in a great article that focuses on interracial coupling on television. While I am not one to hate on interracial anything, it troubles me that this trend is taking roles away from black actresses and that it’s so rare to see two black people coupled up on the small or big screens anymore.

What can you do to help the situation? Make an effort to find out about the smaller independent films that feature black women in substantial roles and support them with your presence and your dollars. For a  great blog to keep you up on the indie scene, visit  Shadow and Act. Also check out AFFRM, better known as the African American Film Releasing Movement. This organization provides distribution and promotion for quality black films. As for television, support quality online artists like the Awkward Black Girl. Hopefully once the networks see that there is an audience for shows like this, they will offer to put them on the airwaves, but only time will tell.

Do you miss the television and film of the 90s?

Grace Edwards is a writer living in New York city. Check out her blog or follow her on Twitter @gracyact.

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