Anonymity may already be a thing of the past for rising star Damson Idris

Damson Idris was trying to tune out the noise, but that’s a little difficult at a Formula Onerace. The British-Nigerian actor was in the zone, in character, filming the high-octane summer movie “Fl” with Brad Pitt at some of the. world’s most famousracetracks. While Idris’ profile has been rising in recent years, after six seasons starring in the FX series “Snowfall,” there's nothing like being next to globally famous Formula One drivers and a Hollywood megastar to put things into perspective. He was pretty sure he was going to coast under the radar.

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Then he started hearing not just his own name fromfansinthe crowd but “Franklin Saint,” too, the name of his drug kingpin character on “Snowfall.” “it's funny, because | see myself asa young actor who nobody knows,” Idris, 33, said ina recent interview with The Associated Press. Anonymity may already be a thing of the past for Idris, though.

In May, he made a splash at the Met Gala, arriving in a full racing suit (branded with “Fl's” fictional team name APXGP) and a Swarovski crystal-studded helmet that he and two ushers removed to reveal a second look underneath. Theboldnessand theatricality ofthe stunt made it one of the most talked about moments at an event where everyone is trying to stand out.

And things are poised to rev up even more when “FI” opens globally Friday. Speeding into theaters on a wave of great reviews and the promise ofa“TopGun:Maverick”-stylespectacle, filmmaker Joseph Kosinski is pretty sure Idris is going to start hearing people shout “Joshua Pearce” at him too.

That'sthe name ofldris’ character, the hotshot rookie driver of the worst team on the circuit who's desperate to prove himself and hang on to one of the coveted seats. “I'm very excited for people to see him own this character and go toe to toe with a giant movie star,” Kosinski said. “I think he can do anything. He's just super talented, and | feel like I'm lucky to see him at the beginning of what's going to be a pretty stratospheric launch.”