Idris Elba’s Wax Figure Is So Real, It Unlocked His Phone With Face ID
Written by b87fm on 12/23/2025
Idris Elba just put Madame Tussauds to the ultimate realism test — and passed with flying colors.
The actor and global style icon recently visited Madame Tussauds London to unveil his new wax figure. While standing beside the sculpture, Elba held up his phone, and to everyone’s surprise, Face ID unlocked instantly. The moment quickly went viral, cementing the figure as one of the museum’s most accurate creations to date.
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Elba later FaceTimed his mother, Eve Elba, from the museum to get her reaction. She, too, was stunned by the uncanny resemblance. Elba described the experience as “surreal,” while fans online flooded social media with praise for the statue’s precision.
“Haha, look at this guy,” Elba said while standing next to his wax double. “I don’t know what to say — I’m speechless.”
The moment stood out for another reason. Madame Tussauds has long faced criticism for its uneven track record when it comes to Black celebrities. High-profile misfires — including Beyoncé’s widely criticized 2017 figure, which many said appeared lighter-skinned before it was removed — have fueled ongoing conversations about colorism, craftsmanship, and the repeated failure to accurately capture Black features. Similar backlash has followed earlier statues of stars like Rihanna and Zendaya.
Those critiques aren’t trivial. Wax figures are meant to reflect cultural legacy. When they miss the mark, especially with icons of color, it raises larger questions about representation and whose likenesses are treated with care.
Elba’s figure, however, feels like a course correction. Meticulously detailed and strikingly accurate, it didn’t just look like the actor — it fooled biometric technology designed to recognize a real human face.
In an official statement, Elba reflected on the honor of being immortalized.
“It’s truly an honor to be recognized in this way, and even more special to know this other version of me will be standing tall in London,” he said. “So even when I’m away, a part of me is always at home.”
For Madame Tussauds, the Face ID moment wasn’t just a viral win — it was proof that when the work is done right, the results speak for themselves.
