Idris Elba says he was given one warning before auditioning for The Wire: don’t let them know you’re British.
Trevor Noah: “I’ve seen people get shocked when they find out you’re not American.”
Idris Elba: “I was unemployed, bro.”
“I was living in New Jersey. I was bartending, working the door, DJing.”
“Before you know it, you just start speaking like an American.”
“Then my casting director said, ‘This thing has come up. It’s called The Wire.’”
“‘But if you go in, you cannot let them know you aren’t American.’”
“‘This is about Baltimore. It’s very specific.’”
“So I auditioned for four weeks straight in an American accent.”
“Then at the fourth audition, they looked at me and said…”
“‘Idris… where are you from?’”
Trevor Noah: “‘Where are you from?’ That’s the phrase every immigrant is terrified of hearing.”
Idris Elba: “My palms started sweating.”
“I’m thinking… they told you not to say anything.”
“I looked at them and said…”
“‘I’m from East London.’”
“The room just exploded.”
“‘Oh my God… we had a bet.’”
“‘We knew you weren’t from Baltimore or Brooklyn, but we never guessed England.’”
“‘You got the job.’”
“‘We don’t want you to play Avon.”
“We want you to play Stringer Bell.’”
“I walked out thinking…”
“‘Did my life just change?’”
“There is nothing wrong with a husband cooking for the family. Women should also teach both their sons and daughters how to cook. There is no rule that says only women should cook for the family.” — Imo First Lady Chioma Uzodimma
rest in peace, andre braugher. an absolute force of an actor and a treasure on and off screen. thank you for all the warmth and joy and laughs. rest easy, captain ❤️