‘Beast’ of a Bank Account! Inside Idris Elba’s Net Worth and How He Earned It

Idris Elba has been making us swoon for over a decade now, on the big screen and small. Known equally well for his charisma and his sex appeal, the debonair British actor has earned his place on the A-list—and by now, Idris Elba's net worth is almost as handsome as he is. (Almost.)

With appearances in movies like Beast and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Elba has shown off his ability to play both a hero and a villain. And with both dramatic and comedic turns, like on The Wire and The Office, we have been able to see his range. As a result, we can imagine he's been able to rack in some serious cash.

Here is everything you need to know about Idris Elba’s net worth.

How did Idris Elba become famous?

It does feel like Idris Elba went from a relative unknown to a Hollywood superstar in no time, but he actually worked hard for quite a while to get where he is. Elba’s acting career began in the mid-90s with roles in British shows like Crimewatch and The Boot Street Band. His first major role came in 1995 on the series Bramwell. That same year, he earned more attention when he played a gigolo in an episode of the famed British show Absolutely Fabulous. He continued with supporting roles in British television, like on The Bill and The Ruth Rendell Mysteries as well as on the soap opera Family Affairs. He also appeared on the television serial Ultraviolet and on Dangerfield as well as on the Inspector Lynley Mysteries.

In the early 2000s, Elba decided to move to New York City to take a chance on his career. He landed a supporting role in 2001 in an episode of Law & Order, but it was his next role, as Russell "Stringer" Bell on The Wire, that finally put Elba on the map. The Wire is one of the most respected television series of all time, with Elba remaining with the show from 2002 to 2004. He rounded out the decade with a hilarious six-episode arc on the acclaimed NBC sitcom The Office in 2009.

By the early 2010s, Elba’s career was skyrocketing. His role in the BBC crime series Luther, which began airing in May of 2010, earned him a Golden Globe. He also made his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2011’s Thor as Heimdall, a role he has continued portraying in the franchise’s sequels.

Elba’s name is also in the spotlight whenever a discussion comes up around who should take over the role of James Bond from Daniel Craig. Elba has long been a fan favorite to take over the role of the British superspy due to his good looks and charisma.

Related: The Man Who Will Be Bond: We're Betting One of These 6 Actors Gets the Gig

What is Idris Elba's net worth in 2022?

As of 2022, Idris Elba has a net worth of $40 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Not only has Elba amassed his millions through his acting work, but also his work as a producer, singer, rapper, DJ, and podcaster. He has also launched a lifestyle brand, S’able Labs, alongside his wife Sabrina Dhowre Elba in recent years.

Related: Luckiest Woman Alive? Everything You Need to Know About Idris Elba’s Wife Sabrina Dhowre Elba

Is Idris Elba a millionaire?

Due to the fact that Idris Elba has a reported net worth of $40 million, it is safe to assume that he is a millionaire. So … don’t worry, he’s definitely living the good life!

What is Idris Elba's salary per movie?

If you feel like Idris Elba is in almost every movie nowadays, you would be right. In fact, the Brit is one of the highest-grossing actors around, with his films as of 2019 having generated almost $10 billion worldwide—$3.9 billion of which coming from the United States alone!

As a result, Elba’s salary per movie has definitely jumped into the millions. While it is not known how much Elba’s base asking salary per movie is, we do know he has earned as much as $8 million, which he was paid for his supporting role in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. We can imagine he is paid in that range for most of his recent projects.

How much did Idris Elba make for Thor?

It is not known how much Idris Elba was paid for his role in 2011’s Thor, directed by Kenneth Branagh. However, considering the fact that he had a supporting role and was not a huge movie star at the time, we can imagine his salary was most likely in the range of hundreds of thousands rather than millions.

How much did Idris Elba make for Sonic 2?

Sonic 2 managed to gross over $400 million worldwide, making it a huge hit. It is not known how much Idris Elba was paid to portray Knuckles in the film. But, considering Elba’s star power at the time the movie was in production, we can imagine he was paid close to $10 million—as he was for Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.

How much did Idris Elba make for Infinity War?

Idris Elba makes a small—yet crucial—appearance as Heimdall in Avengers: Infinity War. It has not been publicized how much he earned for the appearance, but considering the fact that the actor has less than ten minutes of screen time in a movie loaded with A-list actors, we can imagine it was much less than his frequent co-star Chris Hemsworth. As a result, we can estimate Elba was paid in the high hundreds of thousands for his role in the blockbuster.

How much did Idris Elba make for The Suicide Squad?

Idris Elba had one of the lead roles in James Gunn's soft reboot of 2016's Suicide Squad, 2021's The Suicide Squad (yeah, it's confusing). As a result, Elba was reportedly paid $8 million to take on the role of Bloodsport. This would put him just below co-star Margot Robbie’s salary of $10 million, who returned in her role as Harley Quinn. Good to see some women making top dollar in Hollywood!

How much did Idris Elba make for his Booking.com commercial?

It is not known how much Idris Elba was paid for his tongue-in-cheek appearance in Booking.com’s Super Bowl commercial. But, we do know that payments to celebrities for Super Bowl commercials can range from $500,000 to $2 million. Given Elba’s A-list status and large movie salary, we can imagine he was paid on the higher end of that range.

How much did Idris Elba make for The Harder They Fall?

It is not known exactly how much Idris Elba was paid for his role in the 2021 Netflix western The Harder They Fall. We do know that the film’s budget started at a proposed $12 million and eventually wound up at $90 million, some of this most likely due to the star power cast in the movie. As a result, we can imagine Elba earned a paycheck in the range of millions of dollars, potentially around $10 million, as is his typical asking price nowadays.

How much did Idris Elba make for Hobbs and Shaw?

Idris Elba had a fun, villainous turn in 2019’s Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. For his role, Elba took home $8 million. This is only slightly less than co-star Jason Statham’s salary of $13 million, but definitely a good deal less than the other headliner Dwayne Johnson’s salary of $20 million.

Related: 'Sexiest Man Alive' Idris Elba Plays a Manny in New Netflix Comedy

How much did Idris Elba make for The Wire?

It is not known how much Idris Elba was paid for his breakthrough role on HBO’s The Wire. However, considering the fact that Elba was a virtually unknown actor stateside when he landed the role, we can imagine he was paid less than $10,000 per episode, at least at first. He potentially could have earned in the tens of thousands per episode, especially if he was given a raise as the show continued and began to earn notoriety. As he appeared in 37 episodes total, Elba most likely made around $370,000 in total, more or less, for his entire run on The Wire.

How much did Idris Elba make for Cats?

Cats became notable for being one of the biggest movie missteps in recent years. With a budget of around $95 million, the movie went on to gross only around $75 million. We can assume a good amount of that budget went to paying its high-profile stars, one of which was Idris Elba. However, considering this was an ensemble movie, we can imagine Elba did not receive his usual asking price. As a result, we estimate Elba was still paid in the millions for his role potentially, but most likely in the low millions. However, it has not been publicly released how much Elba was paid for his role in the musical flop.

How much did Idris Elba get paid for Luther?

Idris Elba earned critical acclaim—and a Golden Globe—for his portrayal of DCI John Luther in the BBC crime series Luther. The actor played the role for five seasons plus an upcoming Netflix movie. However, the British heartthrob has remained tight-lipped on his salary for the show and the movie.

We can imagine when Elba first landed the role he was paid significantly less than he is now as his star was still on the rise. So, we can imagine he was earning in the tens of thousands or so for the first couple seasons. With a two-year break between Seasons 3 and 4 and then a three year break between Seasons 4 and 5, we can imagine Elba was able to bump up his asking price significantly. And now with the impending release of the Netflix movie, it is safe to say Elba was paid a pretty penny to return. As his asking price is currently around $10 million per movie, we can imagine that is around what Elba was paid for his role in the Luther film.

Next, check out 18 thing you never knew about Beast star Idris Elba!