From walking the mean streets of London as Luther to guarding the gates of Asgard in the Thor marvel series, actor Idris Elba has played more than a fair share of mean, moody and sexy characters throughout his acting career. He's played a tough guy (Russell "Stringer" Bell on The Wire), a corporate suit guy (on The Office), and a bank robber in the movie Takers. What's consistent in all of these roles is his commitment to give it all on screen.
Recently, the actor had pictures that were taken while on set that looked as though he was showing his "all" including his--um--"package." But Idris tweeted that it was just his mic attached to the inside of his pants. Either way, the ladies love the British-born actor.
But there's another secret: the stars real name. The 6’2, 195-pound 50-year-old British actor admitted in a revealing interview, "My name was Idrissa," Elba admitted. "I was not getting away with that. There was a kid who used to laugh every time my name was called out at registration. That's why I changed it."
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No wonder.
“I’m not afraid to fail, I’m not afraid to fall over, make a mistake," Elba says. "That often times cripples people on the onset of getting into anything. The first time I ever picked up a DJ decks I was horrible, horrible now, but I’m not afraid of that. I’m not afraid of that feeling of being laughed at. It actually propels me."
He doesn't get laughed at anymore, especially when it comes to his body. Idris fits in workouts whenever he can, to keep his body up, but it doesn't take him long. His "everyday" workout consists of:
- 45 minutes of jogging in the morning
- Pushups (100 reps)
- Sit ups (100 reps)
- Swimming
Idris has also been into kickboxing for six years. When he can, he hits the dojo two or three times a week.
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"I'm not really allowed to do it while I'm working because it's considered too dangerous," he says. "Film producers get very nervous. But when I'm out of shape, I'm emotionally lazy."
The Dark Tower star prefers kickboxing to marathon running, declaring that his ultimate fitness goal is to be “fight-ready”. “I want to know that if I’m being wrestled to the ground, I’ve got the strength to fight a man off,” he explains. “Kickboxing is rugged—it’s all core strength. But when you’re fight-ready, you feel like you can last forever.”
The handsome actor reveals that his spontaneity fuels his masculinity. “If I want to do something, I’ll do it—breakdancing at the end of a movie trailer, adding a verse on a rap song, racing rally cars. Why not?” he asks. “If that’s a man’s man, cool.”
Idris focuses on drills broken down into three-minute rounds, where he works through high and...
... low kicks, combos, and light sparring. After that, he does leg raises for his core.
"That's ab work like you've never had it," he says. "It's rough."
READ: If You Really Want Gabrielle Union's Sexy Abs
From His Body To His Roots...
Another connection to health extends outside of his body, but closer to his roots. Idris was raised in East London by his mother, who was from Ghana, and his father, who was from Sierra Leone. In a recent interview, the star admitted that he's a little ashamed that he's never visited either country.
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"It's embarrassing. I have to go. There are plans, serious plans! I can't wait."
Among those plans include partnering with his cousin, who is a nurse, and opening a healthcare facility for sick families in Sierra Leone, the country where his parents met. He's excited about the opportunity to give back and work with family at the same time.
