10 Things Damson Idris Can't Live Without

So I have two phones.

I should name them.

What could we call them?

Let's call this one G

and let's call this one Q.

Hey, what's up GQ?

My name's Damson Idris, aka

the CEO of the DSS, dark skin society

aka to sexiest man to ever exist,

sexier than Idris Elba,

Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio combined.

I actually received sexiest man alive every year

but I turned it down.

These are my essential items.

I am getting paid by everything

I'm about to promote.

My first essential item is actually these glasses.

I walked in the store and I was like, I wanna be

like a black John Lennon.

I used to buy a lot of expensive glasses and then

I kept losing them.

When I first got to LA, I used to drive a Mustang

'cause that's the car you drive when you first

come to America from London and I'd put a roof down.

I thought I was so cool.

And then I was on the freeway and then boom,

the glasses just like, woo, bye.

And I was like, oh my gosh, there goes all my money.

So yeah, 20 bucks man.

But they they're kind of cool.

Like I think they're fly.

What do you think?

At number two,

every black man's secret.

This curl sponge.

My hair is actually naturally curly.

I came out the womb like this, but just to add some effect

you know, you put a little, little something on there.

Back in the day, I actually used to cut holes into a sponge

like a normal sponge that you'd like watch dishes with,

I used to cut holes into it 'cause

that's what all the barbershops were doing in Peckham

and then boom.

They just made it like this, like two different sides.

And I don't go anywhere without it.

Soccer ball.

[laughing]

Yeah, I didn't have it anymore.

There's something about footballs that kind of stimulates

my mind.

Helps me learn lines so easily.

I've broken so many sculptures in my house.

When I'm learning lines, I kind of walk around the house.

I have a football in my hand and I just kick it about.

I always wanted to be a footballer

when I was growing up.

I support Manchester United,

the best team in the entire world.

Listen, Manchester United.

If you want me to play for your team,

I would quit acting and come and play.

I'd score so many more goals than Ronaldo.

He's whack.

He's not whack.

He's not whack.

[Interviewer] Do you think you can do some keepie-uppies?

Oh, hell yeah.

I'm wearing Prada right now, but let's see what happens.

I'm not gonna lose my street cred.

Let me mess up all this lighting.

Oh, and that's why I'm now an actor.

Peace.

Altoids.

I've only just realized, it actually says

curiously strong mint, which is kind of interesting.

Curiously.

Why is it curiously?

I probably have like 20 of these a day.

You know, we have intimate scenes sometimes.

I often work with actors and, of course,

and I play characters that are screaming in people's faces.

I did this brick by brick scene in season three.

What?

I was screaming in Isaiah John's face.

I built this shit, me, brick by brick.

And I'll be damned if I let you tear it down.

So Altoids came in handy.

They also sound great.

I'm really promoting this.

Altoids, I'd like some free Altoids please.

That's why I brought this here.

This black vest.

I probably have like a hundred of them.

I'm actually wearing one right now.

I did a campaign with Calvin Klein.

Sorry.

I dropped a name on the floor there.

Would you pick it up for me please?

[laughing]

I did a campaign with Calvin.

I stole a bunch of vests.

No one knows, shh.

They're probably gonna find out now.

If I'm not wearing whatever my characters wear,

I'm probably wearing this.

I'm not one of those celebrities who

like wears a different outfit every day.

Like that's crazy.

Did I just call myself a celebrity?

I'm a normal guy

and you're probably gonna see this jacket again

in some other interview, okay?

I always read like the first 10 comments

on my gram or whatever.

And this girl was like oh, he's wearing that jacket again.

I was like,

uh yeah.

What I supposed to do?

Give it to my nephew?

Anyway, I love this vest.

Yeah.

Aw man, look at that.

This little guy right here.

This is called Robb lip balm.

It's actually Nigerian.

And it's one of those things, you know,

every culture has that thing that your mom

like makes you put on everything.

Like if you have a flu, like put some Robb on it

like where my mom's case it'll be like,

put some Robb on it.

She's the one who introduced me to this.

And she's always like, do you want some Robb?

And I'm like, yes, mama.

And I take it everywhere with me.

Next is my saxophone, her name Sheila.

I named her after one of my castmates wigs on Snowfall.

I fell in love with the saxophone sound.

When I fell in love with Sade they would always

play these amazing sax moments in the songs.

And then Fela Kuti would of course play the baritone

but I got an alto because I'm not as good as Fela Kuti,

of course, nowhere near.

I'm so bad at playing instruments, right,

that when I was in school, I had music class obviously.

And you had to play an instrument to get a grade.

And I was so bad that the teacher was just like,

Damson, just sing.

[clears throat]

[saxophone sounds]

I'm still learning.

My aim was to learn.

I'm beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

I kind of just got to this bit.

[strained saxophone sounds]

So I'm nearly there.

So I have two phones and one's pleasure.

And one's business.

You know, as an actor,

you are alone so much, you know,

you're alone on a plane, alone in the back of a car,

and this connects me to the world,

connects me to my family who I love.

[Interviewer] When did you decide that you needed two

different phones?

When I didn't want people taking my number.

So here's the thing, right?

We should talk about this.

I feel like when you meet someone, right?

And like, you like them and it's like, cool.

And you like, don't ask them for their number.

I think, give them your number

and like give them the opportunity to call you.

So I have two numbers.

This one is for the people I really fuck with.

And then this one,

if you ever ask me for my number and I give you this,

this bigger phone, that one,

you know what time it is.

Oh, hey baby, how you doing?

You good?

How you doing?

You looking real pretty today.

You know?

So this is my wife,

my PlayStation 5 has ruined the majority

of my relationships.

I play FIFA ultimate team

but more than anything, I play Call of Duty

Rebirth Island.

With my friends, we're on headsets, screaming,

always with the same group, man,

Naron, Jameel, Lewis, Tosing, Caller, Sam,

Sam doesn't play because he's a father of 15.

I've known those guys since primary school, man,

I've known them since I was 11 years old.

[Interviewer] And when you're playing FIFA,

what's your team?

So in the last FIFA, EA like sent me

like Pele, Ronaldinho, and Maradona,

Oh, I shouldn't say that.

Yeah.

Celebrities are cheating on ultimate team, by the way.

Bombshell, we get free cards, okay?

Ha ha.

That's why you keep losing.

This guy right here.

It was recommended to me by a makeup artist.

She was like oh, there's this amazing product.

You should definitely use it,

it'll make your skin look all glowy and nice and everything.

And Kevin Hart use it.

And I'm like, but Kevin Hart ain't got glowy skin.

I'm playing.

I love Kevin.

It's called Lamer.

I've been using it ever since, I've been using it for years.

If any of you want to have skin that's like,

Use Lamer.

And the real thing that matters to me is this woman

right here, man, my mama.

This was on her 70th birthday and she looks so pretty.

She's my most valuable essential item.

When I'm with her, I just feel safe.

She's like my safety net.

Everything I do, I do in her honor.

I'm the youngest of six and a uncle

to 16 nieces and nephews.

I'm now a great uncle, actually.

And my mom is at the head of that empire.

And hopefully I could bring that big Nigerian family here.

LA's definitely gonna be a lot louder when they arrive.

So these are my essential items.

Thank you so much for tuning in.

Damson Idris.

Over and out.