IDRIS ELBA: THE NEW ‘KING OF COOL’
Over the past few years, we at Manner have made no secrets about our affinity for British actor Idris Elba, both as an actor and a fashion icon. We can’t officially claim to be the first to suggest him as the perfect choice for the next James Bond, but unofficially, we’re pretty sure everyone else on Earth stole our idea.
But not only is Elba one of the most badass and stylish motherfuckers running, he’s also given us the most convincing and deserving torch bearer for the title that was sadly vacated in 1980 by the death of the original King of Cool, Mr. Frank Bullitt himself, Steve McQueen.
Not Pictured: Any fucks left to give
Now, at first glance, there are some obvious differences between these two men. But I assure you…in their respective eras, there is and was no one cooler. No one more effortlessly stylish. No one more naturally badass. Go ahead and try to think of someone that comes close. We’ll wait.
There have been many men to come along since that tragic day when we lost His Coolness to Mesothelioma at the young age of fifty, but we’re hard pressed to find someone come onto the scene who has exuded McQueen’s combination of boyish charm, timeless, versatile style, and stone-cold toughness.
McQueen had one of the most notable film career of the ’60s and 70s, from The Magnificent Seven, to Bullitt, to The Getaway and The Thomas Crown Affair, to The Towering Inferno, making the turtleneck, the racing jumper, and the three-piece suit lock better than on anyone before or since.
Elba wears the fitted Polo like a second skin, and gives James Dean a run for his money in a leather jacket. His oevre of film and T.V.roles are also as enviable as almost any actor of the past twenty years (trust us…watch just one episode of Luther now and thank us later.).
We’re not saying Idris Elba is better than Steve McQueen, or that he’s the only actor we think is cool or tough or stylish. We’re saying that he’s probably the man who combines these three qualities better than just about anyone since King Cool while at the same time making it look easy. To steal a line from Mindy Kaling’s character from The Office, he’s like a black George Clooney. And Brad Pitt. And Daniel Craig. And just about every other bloke who’s gotten more attention than Elba.
But those days are over, and the others have been put on alert.
