With 'F1,' rising star Damson Idris enters Hollywood's fast lane
Entertainment
“It’s funny, because I see myself as a young actor who nobody knows,” Idris, 33, said
Damson Idris was trying to tune out the noise, but that’s a little difficult at a Formula One race.
The British-Nigerian actor was in the zone, in character, filming the high-octane summer movie “F1” with Brad Pitt at some of the world’s most famous racetracks. While Idris’ profile has been rising in recent years, after six seasons starring in the FX series “Snowfall,” there’s nothing like being next to globally famous Formula One drivers and a Hollywood megastar to put things into perspective. He was pretty sure he was going to coast under the radar.
Then he started hearing not just his own name from fans in the crowd but “Franklin Saint,” too, the name of his drug kingpin character on “Snowfall.”
“It’s funny, because I see myself as a young actor who nobody knows,” Idris, 33, said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.
Revving up to the next level
Anonymity may already be a thing of the past for Idris, though. In May, he made a splash at the Met Gala, arriving in a full racing suit (branded with “F1’s” fictional team name APXGP) and a Swarovski crystal-studded helmet that he and two ushers removed to reveal a second look underneath. The boldness and theatricality of the stunt made it one of the most talked about moments at an event where everyone is trying to stand out.
And things are poised to rev up even more when “F1” opens globally Friday. Speeding into theaters on a wave of great reviews and the promise of a “Top Gun: Maverick”-style spectacle, filmmaker Joseph Kosinski is pretty sure Idris is going to start hearing people shout “Joshua Pearce” at him too.
That’s the name of Idris’ character, the hotshot rookie driver of the worst team on the circuit who’s desperate to prove himself and hang on to one of the coveted seats.
“I’m very excited for people to see him own this character and go toe to toe with a giant movie star,” Kosinski said. “I think he can do anything. He’s just super talented, and I feel like I’m lucky to see him at the beginning of what’s going to be a pretty stratospheric launch.”
Idris tries to seek out projects that challenge him and characters who are as different as possible — from each other and, especially, from him. Joshua Pearce fit the bill in a moment when he was preparing to say goodbye to Franklin Saint. After he read the “F1” script, the character even infiltrated his dreams.
“I said to myself, ‘Man, no one’s going to be able to play this part like I will.’ I remember writing Joe (Kosinski) a letter and telling him that,” Idris said. “When we finally jumped in the cars for the first time, I was hooked. I was like, ‘Yep this movie’s mine. It’s no one else’s and I can’t wait to give my all to it.’ And that’s exactly what I did.”
That’s the name of Idris’ character, the hotshot rookie driver of the worst team on the circuit who’s desperate to prove himself and hang on to one of the coveted seats.
“I’m very excited for people to see him own this character and go toe to toe with a giant movie star,” Kosinski said. “I think he can do anything. He’s just super talented, and I feel like I’m lucky to see him at the beginning of what’s going to be a pretty stratospheric launch.”
Idris tries to seek out projects that challenge him and characters who are as different as possible — from each other and, especially, from him. Joshua Pearce fit the bill in a moment when he was preparing to say goodbye to Franklin Saint. After he read the “F1” script, the character even infiltrated his dreams.
“I said to myself, ‘Man, no one’s going to be able to play this part like I will.’ I remember writing Joe (Kosinski) a letter and telling him that,” Idris said. “When we finally jumped in the cars for the first time, I was hooked. I was like, ‘Yep this movie’s mine. It’s no one else’s and I can’t wait to give my all to it.’ And that’s exactly what I did.”