Celebrating Idris Elba's 51st birthday on Sept. 6, 2023, is actually like giving a gift to ourselves.
The actor —who was PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive in 2018 — has had many sexy moments in his 51 years, so to mark his latest milestone, we're looking at them!
It's Idris Elba, a.k.a. PEOPLE's 2018 Sexiest Man Alive's birthday!
Elba brings the party wherever he goes.
Those arms were made for deejaying.
We'd listen to him talk to us in that gorgeous British accent all day.
And we're not talking about being jealous of his wife, Sabrina. We're talking about the tux that he wore to the 2019 Golden Globes ... although we are jealous of Sabrina.
What? Like it's hard?
Or is it just Elba in an oversized jacket?
We would move to Brooklyn if it meant all the hipsters dressed like this.
Elba played Macavity in the CATS movie! He was purrrrrfect for the role.
Elba's not afraid to stand out. And thank goodness for that!
Nothing like that smile!
His Netflix film, Turn Up Charlie, showed off both his DJ skills and his hot dad skills.
Elba played detective John Luther in the British crime drama, Luther.
And it doesn't take a detective to figure out that he always looked amazing while doing it.
Imagine a lazy Saturday on the couch with PEOPLE's 2018 Sexiest Man Alive.
That's Elba in a nutshell.
Idris in a tux might be the best thing the Met Gala ever gave us.
Although the Met Gala also gave us Idris in front of a wall of roses, too.
And it gave us Idris in a floral jacket — something we didn't know we needed.
Did we mention that Elba is a dedicatedkickboxer?
The 2017 docu-series Idris Elba: Fighter chronicled his journey totaking on a professional fighter in the ring.
Because we weren't already overwhelmed with emotion during Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding, Idris had to show up looking impossibly dapper with then-fiancée Sabrina Dhowre.
Wedding attire definitely suits him well.
The actor is dad to son Winston and daughter Isan.
He gave Winston a (simulated) driving lesson at a Formula E event in Paris, and the pictures are almost too cute to handle.
And he's a pretty great dancer, too.
Once again, we're living vicariously through Idris's ladylove.
Stare into our souls, Idris.
But sweet enough to bring home to Mom.
When you're feeling sad, think about that time Idris and The Mountain Between Us director Hanny Abu-Assad played with a puppy.
We're always down for a drink with Idris.
To support W.E. Can Lead, a non-profit that promotes girls' education in Africa, Elba fulfilled his followers' dream of receiving a date invitation.
Because he's also a caring son, Idris took his mom along when he was invited to an event at Buckingham Palace. Swoon.
And he looked very "proppa" at that royal event.
A sense of humor? Check.
We have a need for speed — and Idris.
Head over to Project Literacy to listen to Idris reading a children's book. You're welcome.
Just imagine Idris running by you on your way to work.
Idris and Sabrina gave us #couplegoals at the Burberry London Fashion Week Show.
And they also made us blush at a 2017 Christmas party.
Can one ever have enough workout pics?
Honestly, his T-shirt style is almost as drool-worthy as his formal looks.
His eyes might actually have hypnotic powers.
These two really make that whole "don't get jealous of other people's relationships" thing a challenge.
Seriously, is there anything more powerful than Idris and his eye contact?
Oh, right, his smile is also an incredible force.
Elba most recently joined the cast of Suicide Squad, bringing his charm to the crew.
Days before his 49th birthday, got all dressed up for the GQ Men of the Year Awards in London.
When Elba sat down for a chat on The Morning in London last year, it was a good morning, indeed.
Karwai Tang/WireImage
He likes tennis (he and Sabrina went to Wimbledon in the summer of 2023) so now we do, too.
Happy 51st birthday to one of our favorites!
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