NEW YORK – Damson Idris is smiling as he looks down at his shoes. Brad Pitt laughs.
“Do I really need to say this in front of Damson?” Pitt says of his co-star in “F1: The Movie” (in theaters now).
Idris shakes his head. “That’s why I’m picking lint off my trousers.”
Pitt forges ahead. “What I really love about him is he knows how to enjoy this. At your age, man, I didn’t know how to enjoy this (movie star) ride.”
Idris fidgets in his hotel conference room chair.
“We cast a wide net for this guy,” says Pitt, 61. “But beyond his immediate charm, he could really drive a car, he had composure. We needed someone with chops, and my man won out.”
Idris, 33, jumps up. “OK, you heard it here first, folks, and last, that’s it, my career is now over,” he beams as he reaches over to shake Pitt’s hand. The British actor of Nigerian descent is quick to return the compliment from one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
“Others call him Brad Pitt, but I call him ‘Troy,’ because for me he’s like Achilles,” Idris says, referencing Pitt’s 2004 starring role. “But as nervous as I was to act with him, he just made me feel so comfortable. He’s such a giving actor.”
In “F1,” Idris plays brash rookie Formula 1 driver Joshua Pearce, who bristles at the arrival of Pitt’s veteran Sonny Hayes. Previously, he’d appeared in FX’s “Snowfall,” in Liam Neeson’s “The Commuter,” and more recently, in the anthology series “Black Mirror.” Next up, he’ll tackle the role of jazz trumpeter Miles Davis in “Miles & Juliette,” about Davis’ love affair with French singer and actress Juliette Gréco.
To date, “F1” is the actor’s biggest role by a mile. He says he’s ready for this spotlight moment.
Damson Idris reveals his favorite Formula 1 driver
Idris credits both his tenacity and levelheadedness to his mother Silifat, a Nigerian immigrant to London who singlehandedly raised him and his five older siblings.
“Here I am driving to the premiere (of ‘F1’) in a Mercedes-AMG with (producer) Jerry Bruckheimer and people are screaming my name, but it’s important to stay humble, and that comes from my mother,” Idris says.
“She had me when she was 40,” he says. “She calls me her miracle baby, and she’s my biggest fan but she’s also a wise guru. She says always remember where you come from.”
In “F1,” Sarah Niles, who played the team psychologist in “Ted Lasso,” is mom to Idris’ driver character, Joshua Pearce. Niles’ no-nonsense portrayal reminded Idris of his real mother. “She really got it,” he says of the actress.
One significant bonus of his “F1” role was getting to meet a childhood idol, legendary Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton, who also served as a producer on the movie and gave Idris and Pitt driving tips.
Hamilton, 40, is the only Black driver in Formula 1, and with seven world championships under his belt, he’s tied with Ferrari legend Michael Schumacher at the top of the F1 podium. Hamilton also is a fashion icon, a book Idris took a page from when he arrived at the Met Gala in May in full racing gear with a crystal-encrusted helmet, only to have the white jumpsuit ripped off to reveal a stylish Tommy Hilfiger suit underneath.
“For me, it was very important that my character Joshua exists in a world where Lewis is his idol, where the doors Lewis broke down in the sport gave Joshua the freedom to stroll in and make his mark, much like as an actor I’m standing on the shoulders of Will Smith, Denzel Washington and Sidney Poitier,” Idris says.
“But I also wanted to make Joshua and his quest relatable to all people,” he adds. “They had to see Joshua not just as a young Black guy, but as someone who is young and wants to prove himself.”
Like Brad Pitt, Damson Idris got an offer to drive professionally while filming ‘F1’
Idris did more than that while filming “F1,” much of which took place on real racetracks during breaks in actual F1 races around the world.
He and Pitt were approached about considering a stab at pro racing careers in light of the skills they displayed. But both are taking a pass.
“I won’t say who, but, yes, some people during filming did whisper to me that they’d fund me on this journey if I wanted,” Idris says. “But you get to know these drivers, who started when they were little kids, and you develop so much respect for what they can do. It’s another world of talent.”
That’s not to say you won’t spot Idris tooling around London or other big cities in a fast exotic car now that he’s got F1-driving experience under his belt. His favorite car?
“Well, that’s got to be a Mercedes,” he says, a reference to Hamilton’s longtime F1 team before shifting to Ferrari last year. “But I also love McLarens, and Lewis is with Ferrari now, after all, so maybe that’s an option.”
Then again, maybe there is no need for the actor to sink any of his “F1” salary into a new ride.
“I am blessed to have access to fun cars these days,” he says with a smile. “People see what I did in an F1 car and say, please try this one. And you know what, I’m happy to play with them all.”
