Idris Elba Receives OBE From Buckingham Palace for Services to Drama

He may not be 007, but Idris Elba is now an OBE.

The “Luther” and “Beasts of No Nation” star was honored for his services to drama with the title of Order of the British Empire on Friday, in a ceremony conducted by Prince William at Buckingham Palace in London.

The 43-year-old actor, who grew up in East London, brought his Ghanaian-born mom, Eve, along for the royal event, telling reporters that he has made her “very happy.”

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Earlier in the day, he tweeted a photo of himself in a dapper suit getting ready to take a Rolls-Royce to the ceremony with the caption: “Flying the East End flag at Buckingham Palace today!!! OBE Day….. How does the boy look? Feeling Proppa…:)”

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Blur frontman and indie rocker Damon Albarn also received an OBE for services to music, while Manchester United great Denis Law was granted a CBE for services to football and charity.

Elba was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role as a gritty British murder detective in “Luther,” and won a Critics Choice TV Award and a SAG. He also won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role for “Beasts of No Nation,” and was nominated for a Golden Globe and a BAFTA.

Earlier this month, Stephen King confirmed that Elba will join Matthew McConaughey to star in the film adaptation of his novel “The Dark Tower.”

Elba was one of the many black actors who were left out of the Oscar nominations this year, and in January he made a speech to British Members of the Parliament stating that problem of diversity isn’t just in Hollywood, but extends to actors in the U.K. as well.

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