Idris Elba Reveals How He Got His Madonna Gig, And What It Was Like Sharing The Stage With The Pop Legend

Idris Elba Describes His Special Moment With Madonna
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Idris Elba has described the moment he shared the stage with "beautiful person" Madonna, after he'd performed supporting artist duties for her in Berlin, during the German leg of her Rebel Heart tour.

Following his stint on stage, Madonna thanked him warmly while Idris tagged her a "legend" in a picture he shared with all his fans on social media, and now he's remembering his surprising but extraordinary night with the pop diva.

Idris is as in demand for his music skills as for his acting talents, and revealed yesterday that he'd got the gig out of the blue via email.

"I am a DJ for hire, and she wanted a great one," he joked in London, during his promotional duties for the fourth series of 'Luther'.

"I was excited, I had a great time. Madonna is a legend."

Of his evening in Berlin, where he performed ahead of Madonna's well-received gig, Idris reflects: "I got there, I met a beautiful person that has been working for ever and ever, amen, and is still going.

"She did an incredible show. I was standing by the curtain before I went on and I made the mistake of peeking to see who was there, thinking maybe they’re not here yet, and then I saw there were actually 17,000 people looking back… and then I ended up going out there to entertain them. [But] they weren’t there to see me."

Madonna only announced that it would be Idris opening for her in Berlin the day before the gig, but it wasn't Idris's biggest gig this year. Back in the summer, he made his debut at Glastonbury Festival.

He's a busy man, with the return of his TV detective Luther the next project off the blocks, but a whole catalogue of highly-awaited events, including the release of the revamped 'The Jungle Book', 'Finding Dory' and 'Star Trek Beyond' also coming soon on the big screen.

Idris wasn't the first big name to share the stage with Madonna on this tour. During the US leg, it was comedian Amy Schumer on warm-up duties.

In Praise Of Idris Elba
First Of All, He's Ridiculously Good Looking(01 of25)
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Go ahead, just stare at this photo for as long as you want. (credit:Michael Kovac via Getty Images)
Oh, And He Wins Awards(02 of25)
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So talented! (credit:Kevin Winter via Getty Images)
He's Not Afraid To Get A Little Silly(03 of25)
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A sense of humour is key. (credit:Dave J Hogan via Getty Images)
He Knows That Real Men Wear Pink(04 of25)
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Yes, yes they do. (credit:Dave Hogan via Getty Images)
And he Looks Amazing In This Pom-Pom Hat(05 of25)
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We can't even. (credit:Dave J Hogan via Getty Images)
He's A Talented DJ(06 of25)
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Spin it, Idris! (credit:Dave M. Benett via Getty Images)
Headphones Suit Him Well(07 of25)
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They sure do. (credit:Jerritt Clark via Getty Images)
Just Look At That Smile(08 of25)
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We love a man in stripes. (credit:Larry Busacca via Getty Images)
And He Looks Amazing In A Suit(09 of25)
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SLAY. (credit:Karwai Tang via Getty Images)
See?(10 of25)
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Regular tie or bowtie, it doesn't matter -- Idris looks good no matter what. (credit:Jason LaVeris via Getty Images)
Yup.(11 of25)
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It takes a special man to be able to rock sneakers on the red carpet and look this dapper. (credit:Amanda Edwards via Getty Images)
He Also Looks Amazing In Baby Blue(12 of25)
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So fresh! (credit:Karwai Tang via Getty Images)
He Cares About His Fans(13 of25)
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Swoon. (credit:Charley Gallay via Getty Images)
He Rocks A Slouchy Beanie Like No Other(14 of25)
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(credit:Ian Gavan via Getty Images)
He's Not Afraid To Play With Colour(15 of25)
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Purple, white, red, and burgundy? He's totally got this. (credit:Cindy Ord via Getty Images)
He's Also A Total Boss Behind The Camera(16 of25)
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(credit:Handout via Getty Images)
He's Politically Involved(17 of25)
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Here he is participating at the conference on defeating ebola in Sierra Leone. (credit:WPA Pool via Getty Images)
He's Friends With Famous Supermodels(18 of25)
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Idris and Naomi Campbell would make a pretty hot couple, no? (credit:Karwai Tang via Getty Images)
He Looks Dapper In White(19 of25)
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So crisp! So clean! (credit:Jason LaVeris via Getty Images)
He Also Looks Amazing With Glasses(20 of25)
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They help him stare even deeper into our souls. (credit:Alberto E. Rodriguez via Getty Images)
He Once Brought His Daughter As His Date On The Red Carpet(21 of25)
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The cutest! (credit:E. Charbonneau via Getty Images)
Oh, And He's Ripped(22 of25)
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We'd like two tickets to the gun show, please! (credit:Johnny Nunez via Getty Images)
He Even Makes This Thin Handlebar Moustache Look Good(23 of25)
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We dig it. (credit:Frederick M. Brown via Getty Images)
He Turned His Air Cast Into A Stylish Accessory(24 of25)
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So avant garde! (credit:Neilson Barnard via Getty Images)
Thanks For Being Awesome Idris(25 of25)
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You da best! (credit:Ian Gavan via Getty Images)