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Damson Idris rose to fame as Franklin Saint in Snowfall, earning critical acclaim and an NAACP Award in 2023 for his portrayal of a young drug kingpin during 1980s Los Angeles. He recently appeared alongside Brad Pitt in F1 the Movie, now released in theaters.
Directed by Joseph Kosinski, F1 the Movie follows racing legend Sonny Hayes (Pitt) returning to Formula One to save an underdog team, with Idris playing rookie driver Joshua Pearce.
Beyond Snowfall and F1, Damson Idris has starred in Netflix’s Outside the Wire and appeared in The Commuter with Liam Neeson and Farming with Kate Beckinsale. He began with stage and British TV roles before making his film debut in City of Tiny Lights (2016).
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Here is a list of seven Damson Idris performances to watch if you loved him in F1.
Disclaimer: The following list is ranked in no particular order, and the opinions expressed belong solely to the author.
Farming, Black Mirror, and 5 other Damson Idris performances to watch if viewers loved him in F1
1) Farming (2018)
Farming is a 2018 British drama movie directed and written by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje on his directorial debut, from his own childhood. In 1960s Britain, Enitan, a Nigerian boy adopted by a strict white couple, grapples with belonging, racism, and identity.
Through his isolation and hunger for validation, he finds himself immersed in a brutal gang, where he is compelled to decide whom he really is. The movie, based on true occurrences, also explores themes of identity, trauma, and redemption.
Damson Idris gives a riveting performance as Enitan, a boy from Nigeria caught between worlds and initiated into a hard British gang during the 1960s.
Where to watch: Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video
2) Snowfall (2017)
Snowfall is a crime drama television series developed by John Singleton, Eric Amadio, and Dave Andron.
Featuring a star cast, the show follows the lives of an African American crime family under the leadership of burgeoning drug dealer Franklin Saint (Damson Idris) as they navigate how to profit selling crack cocaine amid the 1980s crack epidemic in South Central Los Angeles.
The series also examines the CIA's attempts to combat communism in Nicaragua through CIA agent Teddy McDonald (played by Carter Hudson), Mexican luchador Gustavo "El Oso" Zapata (played by Sergio Peris-Mencheta), and a Mexican cartel boss's daughter, Lucia Villanueva (played by Emily Rios).
Damson Idris excels as Franklin Saint, a young drug dealer dealing with the dangerous rise of crack cocaine during 1980s Los Angeles.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, Apple TV+
3) Casualty (2015)
Casualty is a BBC medical drama television series that has been broadcasting on BBC One in the UK since 6 September 1986.
The show was developed by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin and focuses on the fictional professional and personal lives of the medical and ancillary personnel working at the Accident and Emergency unit of the fictional Holby City Hospital, now located in the equally fictional city of Holby.
Damson Idris is seen in Casualty, demonstrating his early range as an actor in the long-running British hospital drama.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+
4) The Twilight Zone (2019)
The Twilight Zone is an anthology series produced by Simon Kinberg, Jordan Peele, and Marco Ramirez under collaboration with the original 1959 television series produced by Rod Serling.
As in the original series, every episode of this new incarnation of The Twilight Zone addresses a different topic and grapples with such topics as supernatural events, racism, social ills, press misinformation, alien invasions, and immigration, with an unexpected and a surprising twist in each episode.
Damson Idris takes on a thought-provoking role in The Twilight Zone, bringing depth to the modern revival of the classic anthology series.
Where to watch: Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+
5) The Commuter (2018)
The Commuter is an action thriller released in 2018, written by Byron Willinger, Philip de Blasi and Ryan Engle, and directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. The film follows Michael MacCauley, a former NYPD detective turned insurance agent, who is suddenly laid off during his daily train commute.
On the way home, he meets Joanna, a mysterious woman who offers him a large sum of money to find a passenger named “Prynne.”
What begins as a simple task quickly spirals into a deadly conspiracy, forcing Michael into a tense game of cat and mouse. As the stakes rise, he must protect his family while uncovering the truth behind the dangerous plot.
Damson Idris appears in The Commuter as Special Agent Denys, adding tension and suspense to the action-packed thriller starring Liam Neeson.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Netflix
6) Outside the Wire (2021)
Outside the Wire is a cyberpunk action movie directed by Mikael Håfström. It stars Anthony Mackie (also producer) as an android soldier who teams up with a drone pilot (Damson Idris) to prevent an imminent global disaster. Emily Beecham, Michael Kelly, and Pilou Asbæk play supporting roles.
In 2036, Lt. Thomas Harp, a drone pilot, is redeployed to a war-torn front-line base after a contentious decision in the field. He is teamed with Capt. Leo, a cutting-edge android warrior, to thwart a rogue warlord's attempt to grab Cold War era nuclear weapons.
As they traverse war-torn landscapes, Harp starts doubting Leo's intentions, uncovering a sinister conspiracy that can reshape the face of war.
Damson Idris plays drone pilot Thomas Harp alongside Anthony Mackie in a tense sci-fi action thriller.
Where to watch: Netflix
7) Black Mirror (2019)
Black Mirror is a British science fiction anthology television series produced by Charlie Brooker. The majority of episodes are in near-future dystopias with sci-fi technology, a form of speculative fiction.
Black Mirror takes inspiration from The Twilight Zone and makes use of the medium and technology theme to comment on modern social issues.
In Black Mirror’s Smithereens, Damson Idris plays Jaden, a Smithereen intern who becomes an unwilling hostage in a tense standoff driven by society’s obsession with technology.
The episode, directed by James Hawes and written by Charlie Brooker, was released on Netflix in June 2019 alongside Striking Vipers and Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Netflix
Interested viewers can watch F1 in theaters now.
