The Wire alum Idris Elba admits he's never watched the show — and refuses to try: 'It's weird for me'

Idris Elba never watched 'The Wire' and still refuses to

'The Wire' alum Idris Elba says he's never watched the show — and still refuses to try: 'It's weird for me to go back and watch it.'

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TL;DR Idris Elba admits he’s never actually watched The Wire—the HBO drama where he played Stringer Bell for three seasons—because revisiting the show feels “weird” and too close to reliving that part of his life. On Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast he confessed that, although he’s proud of the series’ impact, he’d rather stay “in” a role than critique his own performance as a viewer.

Despite Poehler’s pleas (she’s watched every episode at least three times), Elba insists he’ll stay “outside the club.” He explains that losing Stringer on screen felt like losing a part of himself, making it hard to go back. Still, he’s gratified by how The Wire continues to resonate across generations and feels a real sense of pride whenever fans—young and old—mention his turn as the smooth-talking kingpin.