Idris Elba’s wax figure is so lifelike and spot-on, it unlocked his phone with FaceID!

The debonair superstar tested the limits of realism recently at Madame Tussauds London when he held his phone up to the newly unveiled wax figure of himself, and his FaceID unlocked. Elba, who later FaceTimed his mom, Eve Elba, from the museum to get her reaction, and she too was blown away. Elba called the moment “surreal,” and fans quickly praised the figure’s uncanny likeness.

“Haha, look at this guy,” he said while standing in front of his wax doppelgänger. “I don’t know what to say, I’m speechless.”

Because, let’s be honest, Madame Tussauds doesn’t always nail it, especially for Black celebrities. The famed wax museum has faced high-profile criticism for problematic or unflattering wax likenesses — from Beyoncé’s widely disdained 2017 statue (which critics said appeared lighter-skinned and was removed) to earlier misfires with stars like Rihanna and Zendaya. Those controversies sparked conversations about colorism, sloppy craft, and a pattern of getting Black features wrong.

The backlash matters; it’s not just noise. These wax sculptures are meant to be cultural mirrors. When museums misrepresent Black icons through flattened features or incorrect skintones, it’s not just an artistic fail, it’s a larger, much more unsavory statement. 

Elba’s handsome statue is a breath of fresh wax by contrast. The figure was so skillfully done, it passed a biometric test with flying colors. 

Elba released an official statement about his wax figure. He said, “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. So, even when I’m away, a part of me is always at home.”