Actor Idris Elba would have lost out on his breakthrough role in gritty U.S. crime drama The Wire had creator David Simon known he was actually British.
The London-born Luther star portrayed drug kingpin Stringer Bell in the show, which was set in Baltimore, Maryland, but only landed the gig after casting director Alexa Fogel gave him strict instructions to hide his real twang from Simon.
In a new profile piece for The Hollywood Reporter, Simon admits he was keen to cast an American from the East Coast as Stringer, having already recruited another Brit, Dominic West, for the part of Detective Jimmy McNulty, knowing he would need to work hard on perfecting his local accent.
"I was probably in a mode where if I was being asked to take on more Brits, I would've been like, 'Come on, can't I get some f**king New Yorkers?'" the writer and executive producer reflects. "'I know I can't get a Baltimore accent, but can I at least get some Americans?'"
Idris ended up winning Simon over with his talent, making it all the more difficult for the show creator to break the news of Stringer's season three demise to the actor, who was crushed by the character's death.
"I remember saying to him, 'Idris, you may not know it yet, but you're a leading man, and you're about to have an incredible career,'" David remembers. "You say goodbye to a lot of good actors and think, 'Man, that guy's a great actor, I hope he finds work.' But with Idris, it was different. You just knew."
Elba wasn't the only one left reeling by the story development - Simon's now wife, writer Laura Lippman, also objected to the shock plotline: "'You're killing off Idris? You're an idiot, David,'" he recalls of their conversation. "'Have you talked to any women about this?'"
Idris, who was recently named People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive for 2018, has since gone on to become an in-demand star in Hollywood, appearing in films like Pacific Rim, Molly's Game, and in Marvel's Thor and Avengers movies as Heimdall.
He will soon also feature in Fast & Furious spin-off, Hobbs & Shaw, and in the movie adaptation of hit stage musical Cats, as well as entering talks to replace Will Smith as Deadshot in the Suicide Squad sequel.
