There have been many instances where we have seen stars lying in their auditions to get their desired roles. From celebrities like Robert Pattinson and Anne Hathaway to Stranger Things fame Sadie Sink, many didn’t reveal their true selves to get major roles. Idris Elba also holds a significant position on the list after he revealed himself to have lied during the auditions of The Wire.
The Wire is a well-known crime drama created for HBO that ran from 2002 to 2008. According to the Heimdall actor, he wasn’t suitable to audition for the series due to his background. However, the casting director advised him not to show his true identity in the audition which led to more drama.
How did Idris Elba land a role in The Wire?
Idris Elba has been a part of several renowned movies and television series. His performance as Stringer Bell in The Wire is considered one of the best. But he wasn’t even meant to land the role in the first place due to his English background. If the 50-year-old is to be believed, then the creator David Simon didn’t want any Non-Americans to maintain the authenticity of the series.
It is in the interview with Complex where Idris Elba revealed that the casting director of the show Alexa Fogel wanted to take him in the show. She gave the idea to pretend he is American during the audition and not use the British accent at all.
“Alexa Fogel was a casting director that was really into seeing new talent. She said ‘I love you, I gotta bring you into this audition, but you have to promise that you can’t tell him you’re from East London.'”
But the trick didn’t work for long as the Golden Globe winner soon faced a question that forced him to spill the truth when he was asked about his past. Elba’s values didn’t let him hone the art of lying quite well which resulted in the Thor actor admitting everything.
“My parents told me not to lie. You gotta look someone in the eye and be honest. I have lied. It’s never worked out for me.”
The story doesn’t end here as Idris Elba made sure to keep the casting director safe. He requested the makers not to fire her- “Don’t fire Alexa, she told me not to tell you guys”. Despite everything, the audition proved fruitful as the actor got the role of Stringer Bell which earned him a massive name. But it is to be noted that he didn’t audition for the role of Bell but for Avon Barksdale which eventually went to Wood Harris.
Idris Elba’s near-death experience in the US
Recently while speaking to Daily Mail, the English actor spoke about one of his worst experiences when he was held at gunpoint. Precisely, Idris Elba tried to intervene in a fight going on between a couple which only led to more trouble.
“I nearly lost my f–king life after attempting to stop a man threatening his girlfriend outside a club. A guy [was] wailing on his missus, screaming in her face, ‘I’ll f–king kill you,’ and so on. I come round and I go, ‘Look how beautiful she is. Why would you talk to this beautiful princess like that?’”
The situation turned South as the man pulled out a gun presuming that the Pacific Rim actor was trying to hit on his girlfriend- “He thought I was trying to hit on her”. Fortunately, everything was sorted out safely.
Idris Elba was recently seen in the Apple TV+ miniseries Hijack and the Luther star is all set to voice the character of Knuckles in his upcoming Paramount+ series. He also voiced the character in the movie Sonic the Hedgehog 2 which was critically and commercially received by everyone.
The Wire can be streamed on Max.
Source: Complex
