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Idris Elba on the ‘Pressure’ of DJ’ing Prince Harry & Meghan Markle’s Wedding: ‘This Was a Big, Big Deal’

As a major actor who has starred in hit series like The Wire and blockbuster movies like Prometheus, you would think there isn't much that can intimidate Idris Elba. But it turns out there was one gig that really put the pressure on for the 49-year-old actor: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding.

Besides acting, Elba has explored DJ'ing throughout the years, working gigs for high-profile figures like Madonna. But according to a report from The Daily Mail, the British performer was really nervous about his set for the Sussexes.

When asked what his most stressful DJ'ing gig was, Elba responded, “The wedding, no doubt.” Elba explained that Markle had sent him a playlist ahead of time, but he said, “This wasn’t like my cousin’s wedding. This wasn’t at the community hall—the reception...This was a big, big deal.”

Elba added, “They’re good friends and I wanted to make sure they had a great time, so there was a lot of pressure.”

The star had previously discussed his role at the royal wedding while on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. During his guest spot, Elba explained how he got the gig.

“So Harry and I have hung out a couple of times through his dad’s charity—The Prince’s Trust—which really helped me out as a young actor,” Elba said. “So I do a lot of work with them. I met Harry and William a few times, and Harry came to a couple of parties that I DJed, and he was like, ‘Hey, man, what are you doing on [May 19]? Would you DJ at my wedding?’”

We can imagine it was a pretty stressful gig. But it sounds like Elba knocked it out of the park.

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calfee

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Joel is the Associate Editor for News & Entertainment and has been reporting on all things pop culture for over 5 years. Before working at PureWow, he served as a Features...