Idris splashes out on gym for kids in jam
JAMES INGHAM IDRIS Elba is paying for 150 kids’ gym memberships to keep them off the streets. The Luther actor has secretly spent thousands helping hard-up teenagers in the UK and the US. According to sources, the Golden Globe winner, 44, has also been paying school fees for children in Africa. A pal said: “Idris is incredibly passionate about supporting disadvantaged kids. “He secretly does a lot for children, not only in the UK but also in America and Africa. “One of the things he’s been doing is paying for the gym memberships for over 150 teens in London and the USA so that they stay off the streets and in a productive place when their parents aren’t home. “Idris knows that kids can really make something of their lives when they are provided with opportunities.”
Idris found fame playing crack dealer Russell “Stringer” Bell in The Wire.
He was born in Hackney, east London and has openly spoken about his struggles growing up.
The sex symbol, who was once homeless for three months, also sold weed in the past to make ends meet.
Our source said: “Idris knows first hand how hard it can be to keep on the straight and narrow.
“He has a very privileged life now but that wasn’t always the case.
“Idris is also a keen fitness fanatic and he has seen himself how fitness builds confidence and character. “He’s been paying for these kids to use gyms so they can learn discipline and have a focus. It means they have somewhere healthy to socialise, stay off the streets and stay out of trouble.” Idris has been nominated for four Golden Globes and five Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2016 he made the Times 100 list of the Most Influential People in the World. The actor is next on our screens in Sky Atlantic’s big drama Guerrilla, inset. The series is by Oscar-winning writer John Ridley and also stars Freida Pinto and Babou Ceesay.