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Idris Elba On Leaving Show Business Behind To Pursue Kickboxing: ‘It Has Been A Lifelong Ambition Of Mine To Fight Professionally’

By Stacey Cole
Published on: 02:16 PST, Sep 20, 2016

Idris Elba, the English actor and musician, has a knack of bonding well with his co-stars. Recently, the seasoned actor teamed incredibly well with Richard Madden, his co-star in Bastille Day, with the two sharing a noticeably powerful on-screen chemistry.

Idris’ popularity with his co-stars was proved recently when he teamed with Chris Hemsworth to unexpectedly crash actor Tom Hiddleston’s acceptance speech when he received the TV Choice Award in the Best Actor category. According to E! Online, Idris Elba, Chris Hemsworth, and Tom Hiddleston, who all feature in the Thor movies, joked together during the acceptance speech, with the natural humor between them strong evidence of the strong bonds that were developed on the set of Thor.

Apart from being a thorough professional and an amiable co-star on film sets, Idris Elba has always amazed his fans with his music, remixes, and stunt action as well. In fact, Idris Elba has become one of the most popular and in-demand celebrities of 2016, having featured in several popular films this year, including Star Trek Beyond, Zootopia, Finding Dory, and The Jungle Book. The action won’t stop this year, though, with the Bastille Day actor set to feature in two of the most anticipated movies of 2017: Thor: Ragnarok and The Dark Tower.

Additionally, the International Business Times reports that Idris Elba has ventured into the world of fashion design by creating a clothing line for the Superdry fashion company.

And now, Idris Elba’s many fans will get to witness the actor’s multitasking prowess by seeing him taking up another profession: kickboxing. Fans will get to see the popular actor go through the rigorous task of preparing himself as a professional kickboxer by tuning in to Discovery Network’s Idris Elba: Fighter, an upcoming three-part documentary due to be broadcast in 2017.

The upcoming series will allow fans to understand the Beasts of No Nation actor as a man and a kickboxing aspirant rather than just as an A-list celebrity. In fact, Idris’s fans are eagerly waiting to see him in Thor: Ragnarok, the upcoming installment in Marvel’s Thor movie series that is currently being filmed in Australia, with fans excited to witness the actor in two separate embodiments: Heimdall in Thor: Ragnarok and a professional kickboxer in Idris Elba: Fighter.

The kickboxing documentary series will also give audiences a glimpse of the actor’s personal life, which has been guarded by the actor ever since his romance with Naiyana Garth came under public scrutiny.

The arena of kickboxing is not new to the Pacific Rim star, who has earlier dabbled in the sport in his 20s. However, it is now that the 44-year-old actor has decided to undergo professional training under the eye of world-renowned kickboxing trainers and champions. Idris Elba will be seen traveling across the globe to interact with his coaches to better understand the nuances of the martial art.

The upcoming Discovery Network limited series will be shot in the United Kingdom, Cuba, Japan, South Africa, and Thailand, and according to Deadline, Idris Elba revealed that he plans to spend some time away from the demands of show business to fulfill his ambition to master the sport.

“It has been a lifelong ambition of mine to fight professionally. Entering the ring to further test myself as a human being is a challenge I have been looking to take on for quite some time.”

While devoting his time to being a kickboxing trainee, Idris Elba will empower himself by learning specialized kickboxing techniques that will give the actor an edge over his opponents, whom he will confront in the last part of the series. According to People magazine, press releases regarding the show mention that the kickboxing fight featured in the final episode will not be made up or staged, and the actor is prepared to face the consequences of the fight.

Idris Elba will also undertake training to strengthen himself mentally to overcome his fear and pain. The Luther actor has been promoting the upcoming kickboxing series on his social media accounts by posting his training videos and photos.

[Featured Image by Jordan Strauss/AP Images]

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Thor Ragnarok Chris Hemsworth Idris Elba Tom Hiddleston
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