Hanne Norgaard built a career and a life that stand firmly on their own, even though most people first hear her name attached to her former husband, actor Idris Elba. Long before Elba became a household name, Norgaard was already establishing herself in the beauty industry as a skilled makeup artist. Their marriage lasted only a few years, but the life she has built since then, as a businesswoman, mother and mental health advocate, is the more interesting story. This article looks at her background, her rise in the beauty world, her marriage and divorce, and the quieter life she leads today in Atlanta, Georgia.
Detailed Bio Table
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Hanne Kim Norgaard |
| Also Known As | Kim Elba |
| Date of Birth | 5 April 1977 |
| Birthplace | London, England |
| Nationality | British-American |
| Ethnicity | Mixed, African-American and South Korean (“Blasian”) |
| Profession | Makeup artist, entrepreneur, writer, mental health advocate |
| Education | International Artist Makeup Academy, London |
| Notable Employers | BBC, Columbia Tristar |
| Businesses | Make Up Your Mind, Kim Elba Cosmetics |
| First Spouse | Idris Elba (married 1999, divorced 2003) |
| Second Spouse | Pastor Andrew L. Friar II (married 2013) |
| Daughter | Isan Elba (born 12 January 2002) |
| Current Residence | Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
| Height | 5 feet 2 inches (approximately) |
Early Life and Background
Hanne Kim Norgaard was born on 5 April 1977 in London, England. She grew up with a mixed heritage, an African-American father and a South Korean mother, a combination she has proudly described as “Blasian.” That cultural mix shaped much of her outlook, and she spent parts of her childhood moving between England, South Korea and the United States.
Details about her parents and any siblings have never been made public, as Norgaard has always kept her family life away from press attention. What is well documented is her early pull towards the beauty and fashion world. As a teenager she began modelling in London, and it was during this period that her parents encouraged her to train formally in makeup artistry rather than pursue modelling alone.
She enrolled at the International Artist Makeup Academy in London and graduated with honours. That training became the foundation of a career that would eventually span three decades and include work with major film studios, magazines and celebrity clients.
Career as a Makeup Artist
Norgaard’s professional break came quickly. In 1992, within a week of finishing her training, she landed a position with the BBC. A year later she picked up an assignment with Columbia Tristar in London, where she worked as a key makeup artist on several film productions. These early jobs gave her hands-on experience with major productions at a young age and set her apart in a competitive industry.
Over the years her client list grew to include well-known names such as Robin Williams, Hugh Laurie, Geena Davis and Shaquille O’Neal, alongside campaign work for brands including Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Sean Combs’ fashion lines. She later founded her own makeup service, Make Up Your Mind, and went on to launch a cosmetics line called Kim Elba Cosmetics, built around inclusive and cruelty-free products.
Beyond makeup application, Norgaard has written beauty columns for outlets such as BET Online and Rolling Out, worked as a talent director for a modelling agency, and appeared as a guest speaker and educator within the beauty industry. Her career has continued steadily regardless of her personal life, which is a point she has made clear whenever interviewers try to frame her solely through her marriage.
Marriage to Idris Elba
Norgaard met Idris Elba in London while she was working as a makeup artist and he was an aspiring actor taking on early television roles. The pair became friends first, and their relationship developed from there. They married in 1999, at a point when neither of them had achieved the level of success they would later reach.
Shortly after marrying, the couple relocated to New York in search of better career opportunities, a decision that reflected the ambitions both of them held at the time. Life in a new country with limited resources was not easy, and by most accounts Norgaard supported Elba through financially difficult years while he worked to establish himself as an actor.
Their daughter, Isan Elba, was born on 12 January 2002. Isan’s birth is often noted alongside Elba landing his breakout role in “The Wire,” a coincidence of timing that has been mentioned in several profiles of the family. The marriage, however, did not last much longer. Norgaard and Elba separated in 2003, just a year after their daughter’s birth, and their divorce followed soon after.
Norgaard has never publicly explained the reasons behind the split, and she has kept that part of her life private ever since. What she and Elba have maintained is a cordial, co-parenting relationship. The two have been photographed together at family occasions, including their daughter’s sixteenth birthday celebration, showing that the split did not end their ability to work together as parents.
Life After the Divorce and Second Marriage
Following the divorce, Norgaard focused on raising Isan as a single mother in the United States while continuing to build her makeup career. She chose to keep the Elba surname, which by then had become part of her professional and personal identity as both a mother and businesswoman.
She stayed out of the public eye for roughly a decade after her divorce, a period during which her career in beauty steadily expanded. In 2013, she remarried, this time to Pastor Andrew L. Friar II. The couple held a wedding celebration that ended with a yacht cruise, and Norgaard later described her husband as a source of patience, understanding and stability in her life.
Norgaard and Friar do not have children together, but they live as a family unit in Atlanta, Georgia, alongside her daughter Isan. She has spoken about her second marriage in warm terms on social media, marking anniversaries with messages of gratitude, while otherwise keeping the relationship largely private.
Mental Health Advocacy
One of the more personal chapters of Norgaard’s life became public through her daughter rather than through her own words. In a 2019 interview with People magazine, Isan Elba revealed that she had watched her mother battle bipolar depression and chronic anxiety while growing up. Isan spoke candidly about how witnessing her mother’s struggles shaped her own commitment to mental health awareness.
Since that interview, Norgaard has become associated with mental health advocacy, even though she herself remains a relatively private figure when it comes to discussing her diagnosis directly. Her openness, filtered largely through her daughter’s public statements, has helped normalise conversations about bipolar disorder and anxiety within a family already under public scrutiny because of Idris Elba’s fame.
This part of her story adds real depth to a public image that could otherwise be reduced to “the actor’s ex-wife.” It shows a woman who worked through serious personal challenges while continuing to run a business, raise a daughter and hold a marriage together.
Personal Life Today
Hanne Norgaard now lives a deliberately quiet life in Atlanta with her husband and daughter. She has said in the past that she prefers to let her work speak for her rather than court media attention, a stance that has kept most details of her day-to-day life out of the tabloids despite her connection to a global celebrity.
She remains active in the beauty industry through her business ventures and continues to be recognised for her contributions to the field. In 2024, she reportedly received a Beauty Visionary Award at an International Women in Beauty conference, a nod to her decades of work in the industry. Estimates of her net worth vary considerably across sources, ranging from the low hundreds of thousands to over a million dollars, though she has never confirmed a figure herself.
Norgaard’s relationship with Idris Elba has remained amicable over the years since their divorce. Both have moved on to new marriages, Elba to actress and former beauty queen Sabrina Dhowre in 2019, and Norgaard to Pastor Andrew L. Friar II in 2013, and both continue to prioritise their daughter’s wellbeing above any lingering tension from their own past relationship.
She keeps a modest social media presence, using it mainly to share glimpses of her work, family milestones and messages of gratitude rather than to court publicity. That restraint has arguably worked in her favour, allowing her professional achievements to speak louder than any tabloid narrative built around her former marriage.
Why Her Story Resonates
Part of what makes Hanne Norgaard’s story compelling is how ordinary the underlying arc is, even set against a backdrop of Hollywood fame. She trained hard for a skilled trade, supported a partner through lean years, faced a difficult divorce as a young single mother in a new country, and rebuilt her life step by step. Millions of people recognise pieces of their own experience in that outline, which is likely why her story continues to attract readers long after her marriage to Elba ended.
Her willingness, through her daughter’s public comments, to let the family’s mental health struggles be part of the record also adds a layer of honesty that many celebrity-adjacent profiles lack. Rather than presenting a polished, conflict-free image, the Norgaard family’s story includes real hardship alongside real recovery, which gives it staying power beyond typical tabloid coverage.
Conclusion
Hanne Norgaard’s life reaches well beyond her early marriage to Idris Elba. Her three-decade career in makeup artistry, her entrepreneurial ventures, her second marriage and her family’s openness about mental health together paint a picture of a woman who has built a full life on her own terms. She may always be introduced as Idris Elba’s first wife, but her story shows that the introduction is only the beginning.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Hanne Norgaard?
Hanne Norgaard is a British-American makeup artist and entrepreneur, best known as the first wife of actor Idris Elba and the mother of their daughter, Isan Elba.
2. When were Hanne Norgaard and Idris Elba married?
They married in 1999, shortly after meeting in London while both were early in their careers.
3. Why did Hanne Norgaard and Idris Elba divorce?
The couple separated in 2003, a year after their daughter’s birth. Norgaard has never publicly disclosed the exact reasons behind the split.
4. Does Hanne Norgaard have children?
Yes, she has one daughter, Isan Elba, born on 12 January 2002, whom she shares with Idris Elba.
5. Is Hanne Norgaard remarried?
Yes, she married Pastor Andrew L. Friar II in 2013, and the couple lives together in Atlanta, Georgia.
6. What does Hanne Norgaard do for a living?
She works as a professional makeup artist and runs her own beauty ventures, including Make Up Your Mind and the cosmetics line Kim Elba Cosmetics.
7. What is Hanne Norgaard’s ethnic background?
She is of mixed heritage, with an African-American father and a South Korean mother, and she describes herself as “Blasian.”
8. Has Hanne Norgaard spoken about mental health?
Her struggles with bipolar depression and anxiety became public knowledge through a 2019 interview given by her daughter, Isan Elba, rather than through Norgaard herself.
9. Where does Hanne Norgaard live now?
She currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia, alongside her husband and daughter.
10. Are Hanne Norgaard and Idris Elba still on good terms?
Yes, despite their divorce, the two have maintained a cordial, co-parenting relationship and have been seen together at family occasions involving their daughter.
