He might not have become the next global soccer sensation, but Damson Idris has traded the field for the full throttle.
If Breaking Bad or Batman have taught anyone anything, it’s that people love an anti-hero. And to play an anti-hero, you need nerves of carbon fibre. That display of moral anguish, that swagger to be convincingly in the ‘grey’ area, takes a kind of intensity that you commonly see on a sports field – the heated moment of a yellow card, then the gleeful celebration after scoring a goal just moments later. It’s the kind of role an underdog knows well. It’s a role that the brilliant rising star (and our Newest favourite Englishman) Damson Idris just gets.
Starting Grid
Like many young boys, Damson had aspirations to become the next Christiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. But, like so many before him, he would have gone pro if it weren’t for his knee injury.
“Do you know what it was?
I didn’t listen! I never used to listen when I played football, he told NativeMag. Luckily for him, and for us, Damson could still live his sporting dream – only in the form of Formula 1 racing, on screen.
Today, we can see Damson’s personality shine through in range of work. His wit, humour and versatility resonates across his acting repertoire, whether it’s as a Nigerian boy sent to a British family in Farming; a ‘crack’ kingpin in the six-season series Snowfall, or as a hot-headed rookie driver in F1: The Movie.
@mtvuk It’s just banter 😌 who else has seen #DamsonIdris in #F1Movie already? In cinemas now ✨ #F1 #filmtok #mtvmovies ♬ original sound – mtvuk
The latter role showcased a character, Joshua Pearce, who was synonymous with traits such as ‘arrogant’ or ‘cocky, but in reality Damson is disciplined and humble.
He admits that when people confuse him with his character in real life, it’s a reminder that he still has a way to go.
“It proves to me that I still have a legacy to build. It proves to me that there’s so much longer on this journey that I need to go” he told Complex Magazine.
Installation Lap
A close friend of real-life F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, Damson says that he truly came to understand the nature of the sport after acting in F1: The Movie.
“Before that project, my focus really was on the drivers. I didn’t really know too much about the intricacies of the sport and just how much detail and how much of a team effort it is for each team,” Damson told The New York Times’ The Athletic. “After filming the movie is when I really understood that it really takes a village to pull this off, and I just found a deeper respect for the sport, really.”
Like his role in Snowfall, Damson approached the role of Joshua Pearce with as much grit and determination as he could.
To prepare for the role, “I really immersed myself privately in the sport,” he told The Athletic.
“I was following all the races. I was driving privately in California. I was doing a bunch of sim work and really trying to live the life of a driver as much as I could, so I could really relate and understand the sport as much as possible.”
@wwd #damsonidris talks all things #f1 and fast cars @F1 Movie ♬ original sound – WWD
Filming for the 2025 box-office hit was largely done live on actual F1 grids. This meant that Damson and co-star Brad Pitt did plenty of their own driving, which gave them a huge appreciation of what F1 drivers go through in terms.
“I tried to transform myself as much as possible, because it wasn’t only about the physicality of it, really. It was about the mind too. I knew that if I had mentally prepared for this stuff, alongside physically preparing, it was going to bring me closer to feeling like a Formula 1 driver.
“Going from racetrack to racetrack, it was unlike anything I could ever imagine. The first time we did it, I said to myself, ‘Okay, this is the happiest moment of my life!” he told the Robb Report.
Track Evolution
After starring in the film about the increasingly popular sport, which became one of the biggest hits of 2025, Damson was invited to be the Global Brand Ambassador for Formula 1 (the actual F1).
“I had an enormous amount of respect for it before making the film, he says, “but getting closer to it gave me a real understanding of the innovation, the heart and the intensity behind everything, and the elite level those drivers operate at.”
Being an ambassador for the F1 brand has given him a seat at the table – the one where growth is possible. At this year’s Academy Awards (Oscars) parties, Damson flaunted his jewellery brand, Didris, and a custom brooch with F1 engraved in it.
His jewellery brand is characterised by unique, artisanal pieces – colourful and full of personality.
@gq #DamsonIdris rolled up to the #F1 ♬ original sound – GQ
“Didris is redefining fine jewellery, pushing creative boundaries to craft timeless pieces that honour where you’ve been and where you’re going, according to the website. Even here, he’s taking us on a ride – but a slower, more scenic route.
The brooch he wore sparkled with a seven-carat marquise-cut blue diamond surrounded by 42 white diamonds.
The discipline and drive Damson displays was there long before he ever got behind the wheel. From football rainbow flicks and leg-overs to 360-degree spins on an F1 track, he’s grown accustomed to whiplash – both physical and professional.
The question is: can we keep up?
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Words: Saadiqah Schroeder
