Idris Elba's Hottest Photos

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!

EXTRA, EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT

It's Idris Elba, a.k.a. PEOPLE's 2018 Sexiest Man Alive's birthday!

IT'S LIT, FAM

Elba brings the party wherever he goes.

DROPPING THE BEAT

Those arms were made for deejaying.

GRAB THE MIC

We'd listen to him talk to us in that gorgeous British accent all day.

GREEN WITH ENVY

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.

WINNER, WINNER

What? Like it's hard?

IS IT HOT IN HERE?

Or is it just Elba in an oversized jacket?

HIPSTER HAT

We would move to Brooklyn if it meant all the hipsters dressed like this.

CAT ATTACK

Elba played Macavity in the CATS movie! He was purrrrrfect for the role.

A POP OF COLOR

Elba's not afraid to stand out. And thank goodness for that!

ALL SMILES

Nothing like that smile!

TURN UP CHARLIE

His Netflix film, Turn Up Charlie, showed off both his DJ skills and his hot dad skills.

THIS IS A CASE FOR THE FBI

Elba played detective John Luther in the British crime drama, Luther.

JUST KIDDING, LUTHER'S ON IT

And it doesn't take a detective to figure out that he always looked amazing while doing it.

LOUNGING AROUND

Imagine a lazy Saturday on the couch with PEOPLE's 2018 Sexiest Man Alive.

CALM, COOL AND CRAZY GOOD LOOKING

That's Elba in a nutshell.

CLASS ACT

Idris in a tux might be the best thing the Met Gala ever gave us.

FLOWER POWER

Although the Met Gala also gave us Idris in front of a wall of roses, too.

CAMPY AF

And it gave us Idris in a floral jacket — something we didn't know we needed.

FLEX ZONE

Did we mention that Elba is a dedicatedkickboxer?

READY TO RUMBLE

The 2017 docu-series Idris Elba: Fighter chronicled his journey totaking on a professional fighter in the ring.

WEDDING BELLS

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.

FEEL THE LOVE

Wedding attire definitely suits him well.

CERTIFIED ZADDY

The actor is dad to son Winston and daughter Isan.

SAFETY SEAT

He gave Winston a (simulated) driving lesson at a Formula E event in Paris, and the pictures are almost too cute to handle.

DANCING KING

And he's a pretty great dancer, too.

CANDLELIT LOVE

Once again, we're living vicariously through Idris's ladylove.

EYE TO EYE

Stare into our souls, Idris.

HE'S AS COOL AS ICE

But sweet enough to bring home to Mom.

GENTLE TOUCH

When you're feeling sad, think about that time Idris and The Mountain Between Us director Hanny Abu-Assad played with a puppy.

CARE TO SHARE?

We're always down for a drink with Idris.

WE ACCEPT

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.

MAMA'S BOY

Because he's also a caring son, Idris took his mom along when he was invited to an event at Buckingham Palace. Swoon.

ROYAL READY

And he looked very "proppa" at that royal event.

LAUGHING MATTERS

A sense of humor? Check.

HIGHWAY HOTTIE

We have a need for speed — and Idris.

BOOK IT

Head over to Project Literacy to listen to Idris reading a children's book. You're welcome.

HITTING THE PAVEMENT

Just imagine Idris running by you on your way to work.

ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU

Idris and Sabrina gave us #couplegoals at the Burberry London Fashion Week Show.

HOLIDAY HEAT

And they also made us blush at a 2017 Christmas party.

FITNESS FIRST

Can one ever have enough workout pics?

POWERFUL IN PINK

Honestly, his T-shirt style is almost as drool-worthy as his formal looks.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

His eyes might actually have hypnotic powers.

GETTING CHEEKY

These two really make that whole "don't get jealous of other people's relationships" thing a challenge.

HE'S GOT THE LOOK

Seriously, is there anything more powerful than Idris and his eye contact?

HAPPY DAYS

Oh, right, his smile is also an incredible force.

SQUAD GOALS

Elba most recently joined the cast of Suicide Squad, bringing his charm to the crew.

MAN OF EVERY YEAR

Days before his 49th birthday, got all dressed up for the GQ Men of the Year Awards in London.

MORNING GLORY

When Elba sat down for a chat on The Morning in London last year, it was a good morning, indeed.

LOVE ALL

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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