Idris Elba reveals that his casting on The Wire as Russell "Stringer" Bell all came down to a bet that creator David Simon made (and lost). Airing for 5 successful and acclaimed seasons on HBO from 2002 to 2008, The Wire follows the drug dealers and law enforcement officers involved in the Baltimore drug scene. Elba ed the hit drama in season 1 and would play a large role as the show continued, serving as drug kingpin Avon Barksdale's (Wood Harris) right-hand man.
In a recent interview with Stringer Bell in The Wire, revealing that Simon gave him the role after losing a bet. As a struggling actor in New York City who had just moved from London, Elba chose to adopt a permanent American accent, a choice that ultimately led to a bet between Simon and a fellow producer during the audition process regarding the actor's real country of origin. Check out Elba's recollection of the events below:
“David Simon had no clue until the last audition. At the last audition, the producer asked me: ‘Where are you really from?’ I said: ‘East London’ and the room erupted. David lost the bet. And he said: ‘OK, I’m gonna give you the job because you had me fooled’.”
How The Wire Launched Idris Elba's Career
Elba has been in a few notable projects prior to moving to New York City, but it was really his role on The Wire that served as his big break. The hit drama is still widely considered one of the best TV shows ever made, in large part due to its nuanced and compelling exploration of real-life issues and its multi-layered Black characters. While Elba only played Bell for three of The Wire's five seasons, he evidently made a strong impression.
Elba would go on to appear in several largely unsuccessful projects immediately following his time on The Wire, but did appear in movies like American Gangster and RocknRolla in ing capacities. The actor would then also appear on the hit American sitcom The Office as Charles Minor for several episodes, making for a strong foil for Steve Carell's Michael Scott. From there, Elba would appear as Heimdall in Thor, and would also feature in other big movies like Prometheus, Pacific Rim, and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.
Notably, however, much of Elba's best work remains in the TV sphere. The actor would play the titular role in Luther, which ran from 2010 to 2019, recently reprising the role for Luther: The Fallen Sun, a feature-length film. While Elba has since gone on to star in bigger projects, his turn as Stringer Bell on The Wire remains a high point of his career – and it's all thanks to a bet.
Source: The Guardian