Damson
Idris

Damson Idris born September 2, 1991 is a British actor best known for his role in John Singleton’s crime drama “Snowfall,” which premiered on FX on July 5, 2017, and concluded in 2023 after six successful seasons. In 2021, Idris co-starred in the Netflix sci-fi action film “Outside the Wire.” 

Damson Idris, an accomplished actor, developed his craft at top drama school Identity School of Acting, where he underwent extensive training. His training included audition technique, improvisation, monologues, Stanislavski, Meisner, radio plays & audiobooks, screen acting, text & performance, voice. Damson thrived in the screen course, which focuses on delivering truthful and realistic screen performances, a skill that helped him secure and excel in his portrayal of Franklin Saint in the FX hit series “Snowfall”. 

Damson Idris trained and studied at Identity Drama School, founded by Femi Oguns. After performing at the Royal National Theatre in London, he decided to pursue television and film roles. He appeared in several British series, including “Miranda” (2013), “Doctors” (2015), and “Casualty” (2015). 

Damson Idris’s breakout role came as Franklin Saint, a 19-year-old drug dealer in Los Angeles, in John Singleton’s FX crime drama “Snowfall,” which debuted in July 2017. Set in 1983 during the early days of the crack cocaine epidemic, the first season of “Snowfall” intertwines the stories of several characters affected by drugs. Idris auditioned via video from London before flying to Los Angeles to meet Singleton, who wanted to ensure he mastered the accent. To perfect his American accent, Idris worked with rapper WC, who helped him with both the accent and the mannerisms of South Central Los Angeles. His performance received strong reviews, with Malcolm Venable of TV Guide calling him “nothing short of captivating.” The second season of “Snowfall,” set in 1984, premiered in July 2018. 

Idris’s first major film role was in the 2016 British thriller “City of Tiny Lights,” starring Riz Ahmed. In 2017, he made his American film debut in “Megan Leavey” alongside Kate Mara. Idris also played an FBI agent in the 2018 film “The Commuter” with Liam Neeson and starred in “Farming” with Kate Beckinsale. “Farming,” directed by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, is a semi-autobiographical story in which Idris plays a character based on Akinnuoye-Agbaje, depicting the practice of Nigerian children being “farmed out” to white families in the UK. His performance in “Farming” earned him the Best Actor in a British Film award at the Edinburgh Film Festival in 2019. Idris also appeared in the “Black Mirror” episode “Smithereens” during its fifth season. 

In May 2017, Idris won the “Emerging Talent Award” at the 12th Screen Nation Film and Television Awards in London. In 2023, he became the new brand ambassador for Tommy Hilfiger’s menswear.