SCREEN ACTORS GUILD NOMINEE IDRIS ELBA TO GUEST-STAR IN MULTI-EPISODE STORY ARC ON NBC'S EMMY-WINNING 'THE OFFICE'

UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIF. - January 15, 2009 - Screen Actors Guild nominee Idris Elba ("American Gangster," "Rocknrolla," "Obsessed") is set star in a multi-episode story arc on NBC's Emmy Award-winning hit comedy "The Office."

Elba will play the new no-nonsense hire at Dunder Mifflin's corporate office that will throw Michael Scott (Steve Carell) into turmoil.

Named one of People magazine's "100 Most Beautiful People," Elba may be best known as the calculating de facto leader of a Baltimore drug empire in the critically acclaimed original series "The Wire," but the British import is quickly making his mark as an actor to watch in Hollywood.

Elba most recently starred in the feature-film crime thriller "Rocknrolla" for director Guy Ritchie and Ridley Scott's "American Gangster" with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. He can next be seen in "Obsessed," due out on April 24, and in Jada Pinkett Smith's directorial debut, "The Human Contract." He also just wrapped production on "Bone Deep" opposite Hayden Christensen and Matt Dillon.

Elba starred in the critically acclaimed original film "Sometimes in April" by critically acclaimed director Rauol Peck. He also could be seen in the films "The Gospel," for director Rob Hardy; Tyler Perry's dramatic feature "Daddy's Little Girls;" opposite Hillary Swank in the thriller "The Reaping;" the horror-thriller "28 Weeks Later;" the holiday comedy "This Christmas;" and "Prom Night" a re-make of the 1980 horror classic.

At 19, Elba landed the lead part in a play performed at London's Red Lion Public Theater, gaining rave reviews for his performance. By the age of 24, Elba was a mainstay on British television; starring in some of the BBC's top-rated shows "Dangerfield," "Bramwell" and "Ultraviolet." His work in European film found him opposite the legendary Catherine Deneuve in "Belle Maman." In spite of the steady success that Elba was having, he began to feel constricted by the breadth of roles that he was getting in the United Kingdom, and felt that there were more abundant opportunities to explore in America.

In 2000 "Ultra Violet," was purchased and adapted for the United States. Although the pilot was not put on the fall calendar, it offered Elba the big break into the American marketplace that he was looking for. Shortly thereafter he landed a part on Dick Wolf's acclaimed NBC television series "Law & Order."

"The Office" is executive-produced by Ben Silverman, Greg Daniels, who developed the series for American audiences, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Howard Klein and Paul Lieberstein and Jennifer Celotta and produced by Reveille LLC, Deedle Dee Productions and Universal Media Studios.