Idrissa Akuna Elba OBE (/ˈɪdrɪs/; born 6 September 1972) is an English actor. An alumnus of the National Youth Theatre in London, he is known for roles including Stringer Bell in the HBO series The Wire, DCI John Luther in the BBC One series Luther, and Nelson Mandela in the biographical film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013). He has been nominated four times for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film, winning one, and has been nominated five times for a Primetime Emmy Award.