Idris Elba opens up about his next chapter post recent honour

Idris Elba has opened up about his plans for the future after being awarded a knighthood in the New Year Honours list for his work with young people.

The 53-year-old actor was recognised “for services to young people” following his campaign against knife crime in the UK.

For those unversed, Elba was awarded a knighthood on December 30 for services to young people after years of advocacy around youth empowerment and anti-knife crime. 

In a new interview with Extra, Elba made it clear that his focus remains firmly on making a positive impact.

“I’m determined to ‘make a difference for young people’,” he said.

“I’ve worked, you know, trying to raise as much awareness about what young people are going through, especially in the UK and other parts of the world,” he added.

Reflecting on the recognition, Elba stressed that the accolade means more to him because of what it represents beyond his acting career.

“It’s a real honor to be recognised for that. Not for my acting work, but, you know, for trying to make a difference for young people.”

Despite the milestone, Elba insisted that he still has ambitions left to pursue.

“You naturally retire … There are things that I’ve done I don’t need to do again and the things I’d like to progress towards; directing is one of them.”