Damson Idris

Idris was born in Peckham, South East London, to a Nigerian family of Yoruba descent.^[6] He is the youngest of six children. His mother Philippa is an entrepreneur.^[7] He was named Adamson after his grandfather, Adam Alade Idris.^[8] Idris played football and dreamed of being "the next Cristiano Ronaldo."^[9] He also played rugby,^[10] and in 2002, shook the hand of Queen Elizabeth II when his team took part in her Golden Jubilee.^{[citation needed][11]}

Idris studied drama at Brunel University London.^[9][10][12] He completed a BA Honours degree in Theatre, Film & Television studies.^[13] He later received an Alumni Award for Outstanding Contribution to Culture and Creativity from the university in 2024.^[14] After graduating, Idris continued his training at Identity School of Acting in London alongside John Boyega, Letitia Wright, and Malachi Kirby.^{[citation needed]}

At Brunel, Idris met actress Cathy Tyson, who encouraged him to meet Ade Solanke and audition for a part in her play, Pandora's Box. He got the role, signed with an agent and began performing in more plays.^[9] After performing at the Royal National Theatre in London, Idris decided to pursue television and film roles.^[10] He also had several parts on British series including Miranda (2013), Doctors (2015) and Casualty (2015).^{[citation needed]}

Idris's breakout role is Franklin Saint, an ambitious 19-year-old drug dealer in Los Angeles, in the FX crime drama Snowfall, which debuted in July 2017. The first season of Snowfall — set in 1983 as The United States is on the verge of the crack cocaine epidemic — weaves together the stories of several characters whose lives collide because of drugs.^[5] Idris auditioned through video in London before flying to Los Angeles, where he spent the day with John Singleton, who wanted to ensure Idris had mastery of the accent.^[15] To practice his American accent he worked with rapper WC, who tutored him on mannerisms specific to South Central Los Angeles.^[16] Idris earned strong reviews for his performance; Malcolm Venable of TV Guide called him "nothing short of captivating."^[17] The second series of Snowfall, set in 1984, premiered in July 2018.^[16]

Idris had his first film role in 2016 in the British thriller City of Tiny Lights, starring Riz Ahmed.^{[citation needed]} In 2017, he made his American film debut in Megan Leavey alongside Kate Mara, who plays the title character in the eponymous war film. Idris also plays an FBI agent in the 2018 film The Commuter with Liam Neeson; and starred in Farming, a semi-autobiographical story of Nigerian-British actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, who directed the film.^[18] Idris plays the character based on Akinnuoye-Agbaje, who, like many Nigerian people in the late 20th century, was "farmed out" to a white family in the UK in the hopes of a better life, while Kate Beckinsale portrays his strict foster mother. In 2019, Idris won the Award for Best Actor in a British Film at the Edinburgh Film Festival for his portrayal.^[19][20][21] He also appears in "Smithereens", the second episode of the fifth season of the anthology series Black Mirror.^[16]

In May 2017, Idris won the "Emerging Talent Award" at the 12th Screen Nation Film and Television Awards in London.^[22]

In 2021, Idris co-starred in Netflix's sci-fi action film Outside the Wire.^[23] In 2023, he became a brand ambassador for Tommy Hilfiger's menswear.^[24] Idris has featured in several brand campaigns for Prada as their brand ambassador^[25] In 2025, he starred in F1, a film related to Formula One racing.^[26] He was later appointed as the global brand ambassador for the sport in the following year.^[27] In January 2025, it was announced that Idris would be joining Thuso Mbedu, Amandla Stenberg, and Tosin Cole in the feature Children of Blood and Bone.^[28][29] On 12 May 2025, it was announced that Idris will star alongside Anamaria Vartolomei in the upcoming film Miles & Juliette, directed by Bill Pohlad.^[30]

In 2025, Idris launched DIDRIS, a fine jewelry brand. He debuted the line at the 2025 Met Gala and has said it was inspired by his mother, Silifat Idris.^[31][32]

Idris began dating Lori Harvey in 2022. News broke that the pair broke up in November 2023, but they were spotted frequently after reports surfaced, and as of 2026 they appear to still be dating.^[33][34]