So, how does he go from catching bad guys to dropping dope beats? The answer actually hits home more than you might think. Parts of Turn Up Charlie are based on a true story , also known as Elba's real life. You read that correctly. Before he launched his acting career, Elba spent much of his teens and 20s spinning records. "I got into it because my uncle was a DJ — he did weddings and whatnot," Elba told the Associated Press . "So when I was 14, I would travel with him wherever he went, lift the record boxes. When he decided he was a bit tired, I would take over — that was how I got in." He's even had some pretty funny DJ names, including one based off of an English cake company, Mr. Kipling.