Damson Idris Is Here to Stay

Most UK stars make their name at home, with hopes of taking the U.S. – and Hollywood – by storm later in their careers. For Damson Idris, though, things are a little different. His story, weirdly, was quite the reverse. America came first, with a seemingly endless stream of plaudits, fans and suitors flocking his way.

As the star of the hit show Snowfall, Idris is widely recognised and loved on the other side of the Atlantic, with the City of Angels now much less of a challenge to meet and more of a playground for the young star. And his appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Good Morning America and Buzzfeed News, too, have helped cement his place as one of Hollywood’s coolest stars.

But with America well and truly bagged, you may think the UK would prove a fairly easy transition, with posters on every street and billboards across London, sort of thing. But, surprisingly, this side of the ocean was a much harder nut to crack. For all his success across the pond, he was, by his own confession, fairly unrecognised in his own land. And who knows, he might have enjoyed the ability to switch between the two modes – stardom and relative anonymity – with ease. But with the release of Farming, a touching drama about a young Nigerian boy, his reach became universal – and more importantly, he earned the moniker ‘Mr Cool.’

At 29, the world’s his oyster. His acting talent, dare we say it, is on par with the best in the industry. And his style? As suave as can be. It helps, too, if you can carry a smile with the ease Idris does.

He may have many enviable traits, but it’s his on-screen talent, for which he’s widely known, that stands out. In fact, in Snowfall, he’s so good as the streetwise Franklin Saint that Jay-Z, amongst others, struggled to believe he was actually British. But by his own confession, landing a role in Snowfall was, at first, quite challenging. He is human, after all…

In interviews, Idris talks of the nerves he felt during his final audition for Snowfall and the advice John Singleton, the late, renowned director, gave him: “Be in character. Don’t be British. Be American”, Damson remembered in a chat with the Gentleman’s Journal. And that he was. He was so American that, as with Jay-Z, he’s had a hard time convincing people he’s a lad from Peckham. Idris got the part – and the rest, as they say, is history.

Now, he counts some of the world’s biggest stars – from Diddy to Burna Boy – as personal friends. Not bad, given he was relatively unknown in his home country a few years ago.

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At times, Hollywood – and the entertainment industry at large – changes people. Stars morph their personalities or gain new ones depending on what behaviour sells at any given moment.

Not Damson Idris, though. Whether wooing the crowd on Jimmy Kimmel’s sofa or charming his way through the red carpet, he remains his outgoing, authentic self. On style, he’s just at home in a tuxedo as he is in a tracksuit – a versatility most struggle with. A quick examination at some of your favourite stars’ wardrobes and you’ll know this to be true. And on the subject of talk shows, Idris is no bore either. Quite the opposite. At conversations, he’s a natural. At charming an audience, he’s the king.

With filming of the new season of Snowfall well underway, Idris’ charm offensive looks set to continue. For now, though, he’s got the U.S. and UK firmly under his spell. We all can’t get enough of the boy from Peckham.

As he sets his sights on world domination, new fans will come to learn, just as many have already, that Damson Idris is the coolest young star in Hollywood (sorry, Timothée Chalamet…).

Talking of cool, here’s how Andrea Pirlo just became football’s most stylish manager.

The Urban Journal