Damson Idris

Damson Alade-Bo Idris, born 2 September 1991, is a Nigerian-English actor who achieved fame from starring in John Singleton's crime drama, Snowfall, which aired from 5 July 2017 on FX and concluded in 2023 with six successful seasons. Idris also played a crucial role in Netflix's 2021 sci-fi action film, Outside the Wire. Born in Peckham, South East London, into a Yoruba, Nigerian family, Idris was the youngest child among six siblings. He once aspired to be a footballer like Cristiano Ronaldo. In 2002, during Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee, he had the honor of shaking hands with her. Idris's older siblings pursued careers in corporate sectors like law, business, and IT consulting, and one of his sisters works as his PR agent. He studied drama at Brunel University London and received a BA Honours degree in Theatre, Film & Television studies. The university later honored him with an Alumni Award for Outstanding Contribution to Culture and Creativity in 2024.

He kickstarted his acting career when actress Cathy Tyson, whom he met at Brunel, introduced him to Ade Solanke which led to an audition for her play, Pandora's Box. This successful audition brought him his first agent. Idris trained rigorously at the Identity School of Acting and eventually made his way to the Royal National Theatre in London. He began performing on television and in films after a string of appearances on British series like Miranda, Doctors, and Casualty. His first major role was in Snowfall, where he was applauded for his portrayal of Franklin Saint, a young drug dealer navigating the early stages of the crack cocaine epidemic. Idris took his craft seriously, even working with rapper WC to perfect the American accent and mannerisms specific to South Central Los Angeles. He made his cinema debut in 2016 with the British thriller City of Tiny Lights, and later appeared in popular films like Megan Leavey and The Commuter. He also starred in Farming where he received the Best Actor in a British Film at the Edinburgh Film Festival in 2019.