How Idris Elba escaped from Hackney's gang-infested council estate, where people he grew up with turned to a life of crime working at the Ford car factory before breaking through as a gangster in The Wire – and now campaigning against knife crime

Idris Elba did not live the luxurious life during his youth that many Hollywood stars are now used to.

The Luther star grew up on an estate in the gang-ridden borough of Hackney and has often spoken openly about his early life, where crime and poverty were rampant.

He dreamed of becoming an actor while working the dreaded night shift on the assembly line of a Ford factory in Dagenham for two years before getting his first big break as a gangster in the hit HBO TV show The Wire.

Since then, the actor has starred in some of Hollywood's biggest blockbusters, including Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War, Fast and Furious: Hobbs and Shaw and The Suicide Squad.

And now the 51-year-old is using his self-made status to campaign to halt the spread of knife crime in Britain, an issue close to his heart.

He dreamed of becoming an actor while working the dreaded night shift on the assembly line of a Ford factory in Dagenham for two years before getting his first big break as a gangster in the hit HBO TV show The Wire

Elba was born on September 6, 1972 as the only child of Sierra Leonean father Winston (photo) and Ghanaian mother Eva.

Elba was born on September 6, 1972 as the only child of Sierra Leonean father Winston and Ghanaian mother Eva.

During his early school years as a ten-year-old, Elba was sent to Stormont House, a special school in Hackney Downs, because of his asthma.

He previously joked about how it was “a weird two years of my life” and despite being a “great” school, it was “full of kids with very severe disabilities, and kids who were just plain bad.”

The actor later attended a local high school in Kingsland, but only stayed there for one semester before his parents moved to Canning Town. He was later enrolled at Trinity boys' school in Croydon

Elba said he experienced violence as a teenager, but explained it is different from the types of crimes people see today. He said: 'When you're an exploding teenager your emotions run wild and yes, I have seen violence, I have avoided violence.

“But I saw the kind of violence that comes with going to an all-boys school and getting into a fight with another all-boys school or another school.

'It is a different office than what we see now. Carrying a pocket knife in those days is very different from carrying a zombie knife and a machete.

Idris soon followed in his father's footsteps by working on the assembly line of a Ford factory in Dagenham in the 1980s.

He told the Hollywood reporter: 'Most people don't know this, but I worked at Ford as a young guy. My father also worked at Ford. It's practically in my blood.

“I (worked) for Ford for two years. I worked on the assembly line in Dagenham, East London. Then I dreamed of becoming an actor.

“I worked the night shift – and I hated the night shift – but the reason I worked there is because my father worked there for 25 years and I wanted to follow in his footsteps.

'My father didn't want me to be a broke actor. My father loved his job, he took it home with him; it was our community.”

Idris Elba attends the launch of the 2023 Rugby World Cup Defender campaign at Palais de Tokyo on September 7, 2023

Idris Elba poses on the champagne red carpet during the Oscars arrival at the 95th Academy Awards in Hollywood, 2023

Idris Elba at the WE Day UK, Show, The SSE Arena, at Wembley, London in 2020

Elba got his big break in acting when he got the role as crime boss 'Stringer' Bell in the critically acclaimed HBO drama The Wire. He later moved to the US to further pursue his acting career.

Since then, he has become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, alongside household names such as Anthony Hopkins, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Margot Robbie.

Despite being thrust into the spotlight, Elba previously reflected on his time in the capital, where life was very different.

He said: 'Luckily my normal. Yes, there was crime. Yes, there was poverty. Yes, there were gangs.

“Some of the people I grew up with, people I saw in the neighborhood, went down the wrong path and ended up doing the wrong thing.

'I was different. I was lucky, maybe. I wanted different things. I was an only child of immigrant parents from Sierra Leone, West Africa.

“And they worked hard for what they had. This way of life has taught me the importance of independence and trusting myself for my own success.”

Idris continued: “You all have the power to make an impact, so speak out about what matters – whether that's the fight against knife crime, world hunger, housing, education, sexism or fighting racism.

“We all need to be aware of the world we live in because it is our responsibility to make things better together.”

Elba got his big acting break when he landed the role of crime boss 'Stringer' Bell in the critically acclaimed HBO drama The Wire

Idris Elba attends the National Film Awards at Porchester Hall on March 27, 2019

Idris Elba attends the photocall for Three Thousand Years Of Longing during the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival in 2022

Elba's father Winston tragically passed away from lung cancer a few years ago and the actor revealed that his passing encouraged him to get the words 'one life' tattooed on his arm so he remembers to seize every opportunity presented to him.

The 46-year-old actor told the Hollywood Reporter that he was devastated that the plans he made with his late father never came to fruition and that he couldn't show him “the fruits of his labor.”

Discussing the meaning behind tattoo: 'That's it. That's all we have. I saw my father die, and he and I had big plans.

'I never got to show him the fruits of my labor. We were talking about the things he might get if I made it, and then he got sick.”

“It was heartbreaking, but it also devastated me.”

Today he launched a campaign calling for a ban on machetes and zombie knives, following the recent spate of horrific attacks.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today program this morning, Elba said that 'as a parent' he is raising awareness of the issue and argued that 'very little' is being done following the recent spate of horrific attacks.

He added that the “country is at a boiling point” and that there needs to be a “voice or a focal point” that people can rally around to address the issue.

Idris Elba warned on BBC Radio 4's Today program this morning that the country is at a 'boiling point' due to the rise in knife crime

CEO of The Ben Kinsella Trust Patrick Green, Idris Elba, Yemi Hughes, mother of Andre Aderemi, and Bishop Mark Nicholson pose in Parliament Square today

Elba said that “as a parent” he is raising awareness about the issue and argued that “very little” is being done following the recent wave of horrific attacks

Speaking about the campaign, Elba said: “I cannot remain silent as more and more young lives are lost to these brutal and heartless crimes.

“When school returns, too many young people will not join their classmates and too many grieving families have lost a young person they love in recent years.

'Young people are our future, their potential deserves to be used, not taken away by violence.

“Parliament has repeatedly failed to give this issue the attention it deserves, and our political leaders must now make it a priority.

'In addition to an immediate ban on zombie knives and machetes, we need to give young people more reasons not to carry a gun in the first place.

'That means investing in services that tackle the root causes of violent crime.'