Idris Elba Reveals How Terrifying It Was DJing At Meghan And Harry's Wedding
Idris Elba is not only something for the eye, but the man has been playing it by ear since the 1980s. "The Suicide Squad" actor discovered his love for laying down tracks while helping his DJing uncle with wedding gigs, per Mix Mag. His moniker Little Driis later became Big Driis, and Elba worked behind the decks in London and New York. Then, Elba was tapped for the role of Stringer Bell in "The Wire" in 2002. "Once 'The Wire' came in, I tried to DJ as much as I could," he told Rolling Stone. "My profile went up and the money went up along with it. It definitely fell second place to acting but then I got serious about it. I got myself an agent, a DJ manager, and it was like a second career, a side-hustle."
In May 2019, the star dished to Mix Mag, "I'm not here just taking a piss at it because I'm an actor. I enjoy the genre, I really admire the people that I play with and I treat it with as much respect and integrity as I do my acting." His hard work paid off. Nearly three decades after first getting hooked on the turntables, he got the ultimate gig, and nearly "passed out" at the news. Elba told People in March 2019, "I've worked my whole life to play at Coachella. I made it at 46!"
And back in 2018, Elba scored the job of a lifetime: the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Meghan and Prince Harry were hands-on during wedding planning
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle looked spectacular after changing into their wedding reception clothes. Per Town and Country, Meghan wore a Stella McCartney gown with a skirt made for dancing. After all, Harry had asked Renaissance man Idris Elba to DJ at their wedding. The "Luther" actor appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," dishing, "He was like 'Hey man, what are you doing on the day?'" After confirming that Elba was free, the prince asked, "'Would you DJ at my wedding ?' ... I was like, 'Is this a joke?'" Never been more serious, Elba.
The actor, who was People's Sexiest Man Alive in 2018, told People that Meghan had sent him a playlist with some "bare tunes" for the wedding reception. But, Elba would not reveal details about what he played. "I'm not gonna put their business out like that, that's not fair," Elba said of Meghan and Harry. However, Entertainment Tonight divulged that the Whitney Houston classic "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" made the final cut.
In late October 2021, Elba told Jimmy Fallon, per Insider, that he had all the feels before the wedding, saying, "This wasn't like my cousin's wedding." He added, "This wasn't at the community hall — the reception. This was, like a big, big deal." The actor felt a "lot of pressure," yet pulled it off. After all, Elba is just the guy you want around "when the night falls" and your "lonely heart calls."