The British actor said he found the honor to be an “ego boost” after getting over his initial shock.
Henry Nicholls/Reuters
Actor Idris Elba has been crowned 2018’s “Sexiest Man Alive” by People magazine. The news was announced late Monday, and the British actor’s reaction was reportedly one of shock: “‘Come on, no way. Really?'” he was quoted as telling People. “Looked in the mirror, I checked myself out. I was like, ‘Yeah, you are kind of sexy today.’ But to be honest, it was just a nice feeling. It was a nice surprise—an ego boost for sure,” he told the magazine. Elba, 46, played Russell “Stringer” Bell in HBO’s The Wire and starred in Marvel’s Thor franchise, among other productions. He also deejays under the name DJ Big Driis, has his own clothing line, and does kickboxing in Thailand. Elba opens up in the issue about his family life and childhood as an only child of African immigrants growing up in East London.
