Idris Elba just made a confession that shocked fans. The Heads of State star revealed on an episode of the Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast that he's never watched The Wire.
After Amy Poehler shared that she was a "huge fan" of the iconic television show, Idris told her: "If I'm really honest…I didn't watch The Wire."
To Amy's credit, she responded: "I've heard that you didn't watch," but still wanted to know why. Idris assured her that he loved the experience of creating it but that he "didn't participate in its celebration as a viewer."
© Instagram @goodhangwithamyEveryone loves The Wire
Amy is not the only person who loves The Wire. The show, which follows the drug scene in Baltimore during the early 2000s, is storied in Hollywood. While actually only receiving two Emmy nominations, it routinely makes top ten TV show lists.
Idris stepped into the role of Stringer Bell, the drug kingpin in Baltimore. As a Brit, he was an outsider to the very American character. But, his portrayal of Stringer paved a way for his very successful career.
© Getty Images for One&Only"[The last scene of The Wire is a] testament to the writing [by] David Simon," Idris told Amy. "The poetry of what we're saying…the character [offers] a slightly different perspective on this chaotic town, chaotic situation for the people of Baltimore."
Idris' career after The Wire
The Wire wrapped in 2008 and Idris stepped into a larger career. He starred in Luther, a British psychological thriller series, for five seasons, and in Hijack, another thriller. On the big screen, Idris has appeared in Beasts of No Nation, The Suicide Squad, and Hobbs & Shaw.
© Dave Benett/BAFTA, GettyHe's currently on press for Heads of State, which he acts in with John Cena and Priyanka Chopra.
When Idris met John on the set of The Suicide Squad, he thought "he was going to be a goofy, big character." But, as Idris told Amy, John's "a very sweet, artistic, tender guy."
Life off-screen
Idris married Sabrina Elba in 2019 after two years of dating. The two met in Vancouver while filming The Mountain Between Us.
"It was love at first sight," Idris said while on The View. "I went out on my only day off…to this party and there she was. The rest is history."
© AFP via Getty ImagesThe actor has two children. He shares his daughter Isan, 23, with his ex-wife Hanne "Kim" Nørgaard. He co-parents his son, Winston, 11, with his ex-girlfriend Naiyana Garth.
"Boys and girls are different but you aren't as a parent," he told Esquire UK about raising his kids. "Dad advice is dad advice. I'm not going to give my daughter different advice from my son because she's a girl."
