Idris Elba’s eldest daughter is connecting with fans by sharing more information about how she grew up and her family heritage. The 24-year-old addressed questions regarding her lack of a British accent as opposed to her father.
Isan Elba doesn’t have a British accent because she grew up in the United States
Although Idris Elba boasts a British accent, it isn’t the case with his daughter Isan. She decided to address questions surrounding this aspect of her identity on social media.
“Almost every time I open my mouth, you guys are confused as to why I don’t have a British accent. And it made me think. You guys don’t know s**t about me,” Isan said in an Instagram video posted earlier this week.
Isan shared that she was born in the U.S, specifically in Jersey City, and mainly grew up in Atlanta.
“Both of my parents are from Europe, but they moved to Jersey City, and that’s where they had me. I grew up there until I was 4, and my mom and I moved to Atlanta, Georgia, hence the accent. I am very ATL,” she added.
Isan Elba’s international family
Elba shares Isan with his ex-wife Hanne “Kim” Nørgaard, a Black and Korean makeup artist who was adopted by a Danish family. Isan also took time to share her family’s international background. She added that she has never been to Korea despite her mother’s heritage and that she doesn’t know her Korean side of the family. However, Isan said they found her biological grandfather after conducting research on Ancestry.com.
“My grandfather does not even speak a lick of English,” she said about her Danish grandparents.
Isan also shared how she was inspired by her father to pursue a career in the arts.
“My whole life, I thought I wanted to be an actor until I came with my dad on set for a movie he was directing. It was the first time I really got to see what happens behind the camera, and I fell in love. So I decided to go to NYU for film school,” she said.
“Currently, I run a nonprofit, I create videos online, and I’m a DJ,” she added. “I’ve been a creator for five years, a DJ for three years, and a social impact founder for about a year and a half now, and I have very interesting stories as to how I got into all those careers.”
