It may have been the breakthrough role that made him a household name, but British actor Idris Elba has never actually watched The Wire. Appearing as the sharp and calculated Stringer Bell for three seasons, the 52-year-old became a standout presence in the acclaimed HBO drama, but he recently revealed on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast that he’s never seen the show that helped launch his career.
“If I’m really honest, I didn’t watch The Wire. I didn’t watch it. And I feel bad. It’s not that I’m not a fan of it — I was there. I made a show that was, you know, so intense and so real, so important, even though we didn’t realize it. I didn’t realize the importance of the show while making it,” Idris said.
Despite playing one of television’s most iconic antiheroes, Idris admitted to feeling distant from the show’s lasting cultural impact. “I didn’t participate in its celebration as a viewer, as a fan. And so I feel a little bit outside of the club,” he said.
Amy, a longtime admirer, responded by calling The Wire “a series that changed my life” and shared that she has watched it “all the way through at least three times.” When she encouraged Idris to watch it now, he shut the idea down: “No, man.”
“You can’t watch it now?” she asked. “But I bet, Idris, I bet you have a feeling about it that you might be kinder to yourself and [the show], watching it now,” Amy added.
However, Idris went on to explain that it’s not just about seeing himself onscreen. “It’s more that I feel the presence of it all, my life since The Wire in terms of its impact,” he said. “So to me, it was almost a bit like I was Stringer Bell. I’m not Stringer Bell, but I also feel like when Stringer Bell died, there was a part of me that died with that character. It’s weird for me to go back and watch it,” he added.
He added that he generally avoids revisiting his performances: “I like being in it rather than watching it,” and said he dislikes becoming “overly conscious” of his acting.
Even years after the show ended, Idris remains closely tied to the role. “At least once a day, someone says, ‘Bro, Stringer Bell, The Wire,’ whatever it is. And, you know, it really does, it surprises me how much impact that show had,” he shared. “In a good way, it surprises me continuously that, you know, multi-generationally, it’s still being talked to [by] people that weren’t even born then. I feel proud. I feel a sense of pride,” he said.
