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Tag: british actor

  • Idris Elba Divorced Secret Second Wife After Just Four Months Of Marriage

    Idris Elba’s second marriage lasted just about four months, new reports claim.

    Elba was reportedly married to a 41-year-old US lawyer named Sonya Hamlin. The former couple had a whirlwind romance and tied the knot at the famous The little Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas on April 9, 2006 after living together in Maryland.

    They were introduced by his manager, who was also Hamlin’s college friend.

    Previous reports said the marriage was annulled after 24 hours, but court papers obtained by The Sun reportedly suggest that Elba and Hamlin were married until August 2006.

    Hamlin, who works as a real estate lawyer paid £83 to file the divorce on June 6, 2006. However, state rules require that the couple first be separated for at least a year. As a result, Hamlin hired a lawyer in Nevada and claimed that she was drunk on her wedding day.

    A friend close to the two said one of the reasons why their relationship did not work out is because of their respective careers.

    “One of the reasons it ended was her practice was doing well here but Idris wanted to be in LA,” the source said. “At some point he had a choice between being a husband or a heartbreaker. He chose his career over her.”

    It seems like the British actor’s romantic life is not as great as his acting career. Just earlier this month, Idris Elba reportedly broke up with his girlfriend Naiyana Garth, the mother of his 22-month-old son, Winston.

    The Beasts of No Nation actor allegedly moved out of their Southwest London home.

    The news of their separation came after Idris Elba was spotted leaving a nightclub with long-time friend Naomi Campbell. He was also romantically linked to American songstress K Michelle but that also ended when the latter realized that she was the “side chick.” Elba was first married to make-up artist Henne Norgaard, the mother of his 15-year-old daughter Isan.

  • ‘Downton Abbey’ Star Maggie Smith Plans To Binge-Watch Her Own TV Show

    Unlike most people her age, Dame Maggie Smith has hardly any time to plant herself on a couch and watch TV all day. Even it means watching her own TV drama series, Downton Abbey.

    The 81-year old British actress, who is definitely one of the most esteemed thespians of our time, recently sat down with CBS’ Sunday Morning to talk about her illustrious acting career as well as her plans after Downton Abbey comes to a close.

    Dame Maggie Smith Talks About the End of ‘Downton Abbey’

    A little over a year ago, Smith revealed that she hadn’t seen a single episode of Downton Abbey and during this recent interview, she admitted that she still hasn’t found the time to enjoy the show.

    However, the producers of Downton Abbey may have done something to remedy the situation. Smith implied that she is ready to binge-watch the series now that she has a lot more time on her hands.

    “They gave me the boxed set. And I’m going to do all sorts of things now, ‘cause I’m free!” Smith enthusiastically mentioned in the interview.

    The British period drama just wrapped up its sixth and final season after first airing in 2010. While British viewers were able to enjoy the finale on Christmas day, American audiences will have to wait a little longer to see how the show ends.

    Aside from the grueling shoots, Dame Maggie also admitted that she is relieved that she will no longer be wearing those uncomfortable and restrictive corsets that her character Dowager Countess Violet Crawley donned on the show.

    She confessed, however, that she used her acclaimed acting skills to evade the use of corsets.

    Watch Dame Maggie Smith’s Best Moments on ‘Downton Abbey’

    “In actual fact, I have to say that I did cheat a bit,” Smith said. “Because I promised that if I sat up, bolt upright, I made it look as though I were wearing corsets. Don’t tell anybody… I don’t want it to be put around. I was tortured every day.”

    Maggie Smith Stars in ‘Lady in the Van’

    Dame Maggie Smith is moving on from her aristocratic role on Downton Abbey by portraying a lady who has spent more than a decade stalking a famous playwright in Lady in the Van.

  • Idris Elba To Release Album Inspired By “Luther”

    Idris Elba is reportedly working on an album inspired by his character on the TV show Luther. In the BBC crime drama, Elba plays John Luther, who is a detective battling his demons. It’s been announced that BBC will be airing a two-part special next year, with Elba on board. There are also rumors that the show will be adapted for American audiences by FOX. The Luther-inspired album that Elba is working on is tentatively called Murder Loves John.

    In a recent interview, Elba talked about his decision to work on an album inspired by the titular detective. “I’d like to dissect the idea of someone who has to deal with so much darkness,” he said during an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row. He added, “Detectives carry a lot of stuff. They meet someone who’s done something heinous, but they have to have an objective perspective on them until proven. That could create some really good songs… and definitely an interesting mood, musically.”

    Aside from being a prolific actor, Elba is also a musician, rapper, DJ, and music producer. Under the name Driis, he has collaborated with artists like Musiq Soulchild and Estelle. Recently, Elba released the album Idris Elba Presents mi Mandela. The record was inspired by Elba’s experiences in South Africa when he was shooting the Nelson Mandela biopic Long Walk to Freedom.

    Huffington Post’s Melinda Newman reviewed the record which she called “a labor of love that Elba approached with an appropriate degree of humility.” She added, “He smartly surrounds himself with a stellar cast of artists here, even including a cover of Mumford & Sons’ ‘Home’ to round out this enjoyable and compelling set.”

    Idris Elba Presents mi Mandela is a 14-track album that he released on his own label, the 7wallace imprint. The record features guest spots from Mahotella Queens, producer Aero Manello, actor-singer Shaun Esoffery, singer-songwiter Audra Mae, and soul singer Cody Chesnutt among others.