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

Idris Elba—who famously played Stringer Bell on The Wire for three seasons—revealed on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast that he’s never actually watched his own hit series. He says it feels “weird” to revisit the show, partly because he was so immersed in the role that when Stringer died, “a part of me died with that character,” and he’d rather stay a participant than a critic.

Even so, Elba admits he’s proud of the show’s legacy and is constantly surprised by its multi-generational impact—fans of all ages still stop him daily to gush about Stringer Bell. Yet he remains firmly outside “the club” of viewers, preferring to leave those memories unrewatched.