2023 NAACP Image Awards: 5 Things to Know About Damson Idris
Damson Idris left viewers in stitches during the 2023 NAACP Image Awards as he presented the “Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series” award alongside the very talented and handsome Method Man.
The British-Nigerian actor rose to fame thanks to his performance as a drug entrepreneur Franklin Saint in FX’s Snowfall, but he’s slowly becoming known as one of the hottest rising stars in Hollywood. So in honor of this year’s ceremony, which actress and producer Queen Latifah hosted, get to know this year’s Image Awards nominee with these five interesting facts.
He never wanted to be an actor
In a vintage interview, the rising star shared, “Growing up, I wanted to play football, and then I had a knee injury.” He added, “And when I say football, I mean soccer. [laughs] After my knee injury, I went to University, and there someone said, ‘Oh, you’re good at acting!’ And that’s how that cliché story goes, but I like to say it found me, so I want my roles to find me too.”
He grew watching ‘Def Comedy Jam’
While talking to the New York Times, the actor boldly admitted he used to steal Def Comedy Jam “tapes from my older siblings, wait for them to leave the house, and spend all day watching the likes of Martin Lawrence, Chris Tucker, Bernie Mac, Katt Williams, Dave Chappelle.”
He added, “I would impersonate their stand-ups word for word. It was a brilliant party trick for family gatherings, minus the cussing.”
One of his favorite genres of music is amapiano
The actor was once quoted in an interview stating, “If you’re not listening to amapiano music, you’re missing out on life.” He added, “There’s a new dance move on TikTok to it every single day. I probably wouldn’t ever do it publicly, but I do it in the house often.”
The actor’s favorite song is “Tanzania” from D.J. Uncle Waffles.
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He’s British-Nigerian
Idris was born and raised in Peckham, England, before moving to Elephant Castle when he was 12. However, his family is originally from Nigeria. He is the youngest of six children.
His biggest inspiration is Denzel Washington
What better figure to look up to than Academy Award winner Denzel Washington? Idris once told Interview Magazine, “My hero is Denzel Washington, and then I looked at someone around a similar age to me who was American who is also an idol, Michael B. Jordan.”
