At Brunel, Idris met actress
Cathy Tyson, who encouraged him to meet
Ade Solanke and audition for a part in her play, ''Pandora's Box
. He got the role, signed with an agent and began performing in more plays. To practice his American accent he worked with rapper WC, who tutored him on mannerisms specific to South Central Los Angeles. Idris earned strong reviews for his performance; Malcolm Venable of TV Guide called him "nothing short of captivating." The second series of Snowfall
, set in 1984, premiered in July 2018. Idris plays the character based on Akinnuoye-Agbaje, who, like many Nigerian people in the late 20th century, was "farmed out" to a white family in the UK in the hopes of a better life, while Kate Beckinsale portrays his strict foster mother. In 2019, Idris won the Award for Best Actor in a British Film at the Edinburgh Film Festival for his portrayal. He also appears in "Smithereens", the second episode of the fifth season of the anthology series Black Mirror''. In 2021, Idris co-starred in
Netflix's sci-fi action film
Outside the Wire. In 2023, he became a brand ambassador for
Tommy Hilfiger's menswear. Idris has featured in several brand campaigns for
Prada as their brand ambassador In 2025, he starred in
F1, a film related to
Formula One racing. He was later appointed as the global brand ambassador for the sport in the following year. In January 2025, it was announced that Idris would be joining
Thuso Mbedu,
Amandla Stenberg, and
Tosin Cole in the feature
Children of Blood and Bone. On 12 May 2025, it was announced that Idris will star alongside
Anamaria Vartolomei in the upcoming film
Miles & Juliette, directed by
Bill Pohlad. In 2025, Idris launched DIDRIS, a fine jewelry brand. He debuted the line at the 2025 Met Gala and has said it was inspired by his mother, Silifat Idris. == Personal life ==