Idris Elba reveals shocking revelation about ‘The Wire'
Idris Elba rose to fame on the acclaimed HBO crime drama 'The Wire,' but he recently made a shocking admission: he's never seen the show, and refuses to watch it.
'If I'm really honest, I didn't watch 'The Wire,'' Elba, 52, shared on a recent episode of Amy Poehler's 'Good Hang' podcast.
'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,' the 'Luther' star added. 'I didn't realize the importance of the show while making it.'
8 Idris Elba on Amy Poehler's podcast in July 2025.
Good Hang with Amy Poehler/Youtube
8 Amy Poehler interviewing Idris Elba on her podcast in July 2025.
Good Hang with Amy Poehler/Youtube
Poehler replied, 'Rarely do we.'
Elba added, 'I didn't participate in its celebration as a viewer, as a fan. And so I feel a little bit outside of the club.'
'The Wire' aired on HBO from 2002 to 2008, following various institutions in Baltimore, Maryland, and their intersections with law enforcement. It starred Elba, Dominic West, the late Lance Reddick, the late Michael Kenneth Williams, Wendell Pierce, and a pre-fame Michael B. Jordan.
8 Idris Elba on 'The Wire' in 2005.
Moviestore/Shutterstock
8 Idris Elba on 'The Wire' in 2002.
David Lee/Hbo/Blown Deadline/Kobal/Shutterstock
Elba played the drug kingpin, Russell 'Stringer' Bell.
The role was his big break in Hollywood – the Golden Globe-winning actor had previously been in British shows like 'London's Burning' and did small roles such as a 1 episode guest stint on 'Law and Order.' But 'The Wire' put him in the spotlight.
Since then, Elba has become a global superstar, and his name has frequently been put forward as a public favorite candidate to be the next James Bond.
8 Idris Elba in 'Luther.'
©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection
8 Idris Elba with John Cena in 'Head of State.'
Chiabella James/Prime
Poehler told Elba that 'The Wire' was 'a series that changed my life' and told him that she's watched the show at least three times.
When she encouraged him to watch it, he said, 'No, man.'
'You can't watch it now?' the former 'Saturday Night Live' star 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.'
8 Idris Elba at Amazon's 'Heads Of State' World Premiere on Jun 24, 2025.
Jackie Brown / SplashNews.com
8 Idris Elba on 'The Wire.'
Paul Schiraldi/HBO
Elba explained, 'It's more that I feel the presence of it all, my life since 'The Wire,' in terms of its impact. 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 that he hates becoming 'overly conscious' of his performance.
'I like being in it rather than watching it.'
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