Idris Elba has built a legacy as a world-renowned actor, but many of his television roles are criminally overlooked. From Beasts of No Nation to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the Zootopia franchise, Elba’s best movies have earned critical acclaim for decades. In stark contrast, only a handful of his roles on the small screen have garnered widespread attention.
Nevertheless, Elba is one of the most iconic actors of modern history, and his talent is the driving force behind many TV series. Whether he’s playing supporting characters who completely steal the show or complex protagonists at the heart of the action, Elba’s television career is full of hidden gems that deserve to be properly celebrated.
10
Ultraviolet
Vaughan Rice
Before the 2000s brought a full-blown renaissance of vampire shows like True Blood and The Vampire Diaries, Idris Elba played Vaughan Rice in the British miniseries Ultraviolet. The sci-fi drama took place in a near-future dystopia where ecological collapse propagated a vampiric race that lusted for blood— and total dominion over the planet. Consequently, rogue militias became humanity’s only hope.
At the helm of Ultraviolet’s central anti-vampire organization was Vaughan, a former soldier who, as a result of his untreated PTSD, neutralized vampires with a stony demeanor. The speculative drama was way ahead of its time, but Elba has far more range than Vaughan’s character allowed, making it one of his least emotive — and, ergo, least memorable — TV roles to date.
9
The Big C
Lenny
Over a decade after its 2010 premiere, The Big C remains one of the most influential Showtime original series. The dramedy follows high school teacher Cathy Jamison (Laura Linney), whose quiet life in the suburbs is disrupted by an unexpected cancer diagnosis. The shock, paired with her estrangement from husband Paul (Oliver Platt), leads Cathy to pursue an extramarital affair.
Cathy’s paramour — Idris Elba’s Lenny — only appeared throughout The Big C’s first season, but he made the most of his limited run. Elba even earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, proving Lenny’s character packed a punch. The Big C realistically needed to let him go, but Lenny’s absence from season 2 onward was palpable.
8
Knuckles
Knuckles The Echidna
The Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has grown exponentially in the past decade, with multiple live-action films introducing the characters to an entirely new audience. When a spinoff series focused on Knuckles the Echidna was announced, it was no surprise to Sonic fans both new and old. Unlike his typical on-screen performances, Idris Elba was the best version of Knuckles’ voice actor.
The red echidna’s solo series was action-packed and entertaining for all ages, finding immense streaming success on Paramount+. The six-episode miniseries, however, had a much smaller demographic than most of Elba’s projects. If the viewer isn’t already interested in the Sonic the Hedgehog video games or film series, chances are they’d pass on Knuckles for something more broadly appealing.
7
Guerrilla
Kentoro “Kent” Abbasi
Mostly penned by esteemed screenwriter John Ridley, Guerrilla was an unapologetically political period piece TV show inspired by real events. Idris Elba played Kentoro “Kent” Abbasi, a staunch activist working in the British Black Panther movement. The fight for civil rights ran parallel to the trying love story between fellow advocates Jas Mitra (Freida Pinto) and Marcus Hill (Babou Ceesay).
Guerrilla is a feast for the eyes, with the highly stylized costuming and direction transporting the viewer to 1970s London. The plot itself has proven contentious for critics and audiences alike, but it’s impossible to fault the ensemble cast’s performance, especially Elba, who strikes the perfect chord throughout the show’s six-episode run.
6
Turn Up Charlie
Charlie Ayo
Some British comedy shows become cult classics overseas and rise to international acclaim, but Turn Up Charlie was sadly canceled before its time. In the underrated sitcom, Idris Elba plays the eponymous Charlie, a middling DJ who gets the opportunity to turn his life around by becoming the caretaker for his friend’s troublesome child.
The relationship between Charlie and Gabrielle (Frankie Hervey) is wholesome at its best, and a comedy of errors at its worst, but Elba’s protagonist is an intriguingly flawed character. Charlie isn’t necessarily an underdog — much less a straightforward hero — but it’s impossible not to root for him, which is a credit to Elba’s uncanny ability to evoke the viewer’s sympathy.
5
The Office
Charles Miner
The Office is primarily known as a touchstone of millennial culture, fueled by the comedy of Steve Carell’s Michael Scott. Yet, Idris Elba played one of the funniest characters in The Office for seven unforgettable episodes: Charles Miner. Introduced as Dunder Mifflin’s Vice President of the Northeast Region, Charles was Michael’s foil and season 5’s main antagonist.
Elba’s stint on The Office showed an entirely new side to his acting, and Charles undoubtedly made the beloved mockumentary better. Until Charles’ arrival, nobody had gone against resident straight man Jim Halpert (John Krasinski). By casting Charles as an enemy rather than an ally, The Office recontextualized its most popular character, adding a shocking amount of depth to its worldbuilding.
4
In The Long Run
Walter Easmon
Set in 1980s East London, In the Long Run is a semi-autobiographical series loosely inspired by Idris Elba’s own upbringing. The comedy-drama centers on the Easmon family, composed of patriarch Walter (Elba), wife Agnes (Madeline Appiah), and their teen son, Kobna (Sammy Kamara).
In the Long Run strikes the perfect balance between realism and lighthearted comedy, similar to titles like Derry Girls. Elba’s TV show based on his life incorporated conflicts grounded in reality, from Walter’s family in Sierra Leone to the neighborhood’s raging debate over redevelopment. The slice-of-life drama was full of pith, but it remains one of Elba’s most underrated projects.
3
Hijack
Sam Nelson
Hijack is one of Idris Elba’s most recent television roles, but the Apple TV original is already making waves. Elba plays Sam Nelson, a skilled corporate negotiator who’s forced to use his skills on a much grander scale when he finds himself on a hijacked plane. Throughout the first season, Hijack threads the needle of high-octane action and captivating storytelling.
The premiere of Hijack season 2 has been more divisive, but the thriller retains its biggest strengths. The drama isn’t necessarily groundbreaking or genre-defining, but it doesn’t have to be. Hijack is a successful mystery that entertains as much as it confounds, and Elba’s stellar acting is the anchor for the series at large.
2
Luther
John Luther
Without question, Luther is a masterpiece detective show and some of Idris Elba’s best work. Since 2010, Elba has played the titular DCI John Luther, an intense investigator from the Serious and Serial Crime Unit. Unlike most TV detectives, however, Luther finds himself inextricably entangled with his work, best reflected by his serial killer love interest, Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson).
Luther’s character toes the line between good and evil, just and unjust, hero and villain, making it an incredibly demanding role that Elba pulls off effortlessly. Luckily, while the series officially ended in 2019, Luther himself lives on. Elba reprised his role for a 2023 film sequel and has been confirmed to return for another Netflix original title.
1
The Wire
Role: Russell “Stringer” Bell
Despite its lukewarm reception in the early 2000s, The Wire has aged like fine wine and become universally recognized as one of the greatest TV shows of all time. At first glance, Idris Elba merely plays a high-powered member of a drug syndicate named Russell “Stringer” Bell.
Nonetheless, what sets The Wire apart from the crowd is how it refuses to deal in absolutes. Stringer is a nuanced character with ambition, wit, and a genius mind for business. Likewise, his foes aren’t selfless purveyors of justice with blood-free hands. In many ways, The Wire helped legitimize Idris Elba’s entire career, and the innovative crime drama remains unparalleled.
- Birthdate
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September 6, 1972
- Birthplace
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London, England, United Kingdom
- Height
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6 feet 2 inches
- Professions
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Actor, Producer, DJ, Rapper
