F1 Star Damson Idris Shined In A Crime Thriller Series Streaming On Disney+

Though a lot of the press around the 2025 racing drama "F1" focused on it being something of a comeback for star Brad Pitt, his co-star wound up stealing much of the movie. That star is Damson Idris, who plays the up and coming racer who ends up becoming both teammate and rival to Pitt's veteran driver. It was certainly the first time a lot of people got to witness Idris' talents — that is, except for those that haven't been paying attention to the small screen as well. Idris' true breakthrough role was on the 2017 FX drama "Snowfall," and you can watch all six seasons of it on Disney+ right now if you missed it when it originally aired. 

Idris was kicked out of a car in South Central and told to survive as part of his "Snowfall" audition, proving that the actor is willing to give his all to land the roles that he believes in. As Idris told Looper in an exclusive interview in discussing how he approaches his career, "as an actor, I like to let the universe bring the roles to me. So whatever speaks to me is who I'm going to give my heart and soul to." He definitely laid it all out there for "Snowfall," which saw him rack up numerous award nominations and wins for his powerful performance as drug dealer Franklin Saint. 

"Snowfall" was co-created by groundbreaking filmmaker John Singleton, who shifted to television after finding it a struggle to live up to his debut film, "Boyz n the Hood." In the process, he helped to launch Damson Idris' career to the next level, making the actor a household name and setting him up for a big future — including starring in a major Hollywood movie like "F1." Idris might have been one of the late Singleton's last major proteges, but not remotely his first. 

In fact, Singleton helped to elevate the careers of many young actors during his years as a filmmaker. "Boyz n the Hood" would be the debut acting credit for Ice Cube, who would eventually become a bigger movie star than he was a rapper. That movie was also the film debut of Regina King, as well as the first significant movie role for Cuba Gooding Jr, an eventual Oscar winner. Janet Jackson would play her first non-sitcom, non-child acting role in Singleton's "Poetic Justice" two years later — the movie that also showed that Tupac Shakur could play more than stereotyped "thug" characters. 

Through just the movies he wrote and directed himself, Singleton would go on to either debut or provide the first major dramatic acting showcase for actors like Angela Bassett, Morris Chestnut, Omar Epps, Tyra Banks, Tyrese Gibson, Nia Long, and André 3000, to name a few. Idris is primed to be Singleton's grand finale.