Idris Elba is the latest high-profile celebrity to announce that they have contracted the coronavirus.
The 47-year-old actor made the announcement in a video that he posted on Twitter on Monday. “This morning I tested positive for Covid 19,” he wrote in the tweet. “I feel ok, I have no symptoms so far but have been isolated since I found out about my possible exposure to the virus. Stay home people and be pragmatic. I will keep you updated on how I’m doing.”
Despite feeling fine, he revealed that he took the test as a precautionary measure after discovering that he was exposed to someone who tested positive for the virus. “I found out last Friday they tested positive and quarantined myself immediately and got the results back today,” said The Wire star. He continued, “We’ve told our families, they are very supportive,” he said. “We’ve told our colleagues and, you know, transparency is probably the best thing for this right now.”
He also told fans to take the pandemic seriously by practicing social distancing and diligently washing their hands.
At the end of the video, he called for solidarity. “Look we live in a divided world right now…but now is a time for solidarity. Now is a time for thinking about each other. There are so many people whose lives have been affected.”
Elba’s 30-year-old wife, Sabrina, who appeared in the video, has not yet been tested for COVID-19, according to the New York Daily News.
In addition to Elba, a number of other celebrities have revealed that they’ve tested positive, including Utah Jazz players Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, and Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson.
Elba, who stars in the British crime drama Luther, is known for playing Heimdall in the Marvel film universe. He also appeared in Cats
and in the Fast & Furious spinoff movie Hobbs & Shaw. As of May 2019, his films have grossed over $9.8 billion at the global box office, including over $3.6 billion in North America, where he is one of the top 20 highest-grossing actors.Last year, the British actor partnered with Ford Motor Co. to help launch an all-electric Mustang-inspired crossover.