Back in 2002, series creator David Simon created and released an iconic show titled The Wire. Starring actors like Michael K Williams, Dominic West, and, Lance Reddick in leading roles, the series found worldwide fame and love.
Having a strong story to tell about detectives, drug lords, and agencies that might connect them, The Wire went down in history as one of the best shows of all time. When David Simon was asked about it, he explained what the show essentially meant.
David Simon Explained The Idea of The Wire
It started in the city of Baltimore when Detective James McNulty and his team investigated and solved crimes. Being an American drama series, the stakes heightened as more seasons were released until the finale in 2008 with season 5.
The Wire received critical acclaim and worldwide fame for an iconic storyline and strong performances from cast members. However, the series meant something more to the creator than just a war on drug lords and detective agencies.
In an interview with Slate, series creator David Simon sat down for a chat to talk about the iconic show. During his talks, Simon mentioned that the series dealt with issues of capitalism and human worth in the modern world.
Thematically, it’s about the very simple idea that, in this Postmodern world of ours, human beings—all of us—are worth less. We’re worth less every day, despite the fact that some of us are achieving more and more. It’s the triumph of capitalism.
He further elaborated,
Whether you’re a corner boy in West Baltimore, or a cop who knows his beat, or an Eastern European brought here for s*x, your life is worth less. It’s the triumph of capitalism over human value.
Although his words were quite harsh, David Simon indeed saw the human value decreasing in a society dedicated to violence, drugs, and, money. Suffice it to say, The Wire portrayed those emotions quite beautifully.
Veteran actor Idris Elba found his breakthrough role with the portrayal of Stringer Bell in the show. The actor revealed that Simon lost a bet during Elba’s auditions.
When Idris Elba Fooled David Simon
Before auditioning for The Wire, Idris Elba had starred in a couple of projects as a side character and sometimes the main character. However, he hadn’t found fame at that point.
When he came to audition for The Wire, the producers and Simon weren’t exactly able to figure out where he was from. Since Elba spoke in an accent, Simon and the other producers had a bet about where he was from.
In an interview with The Guardian, The Dark Tower star revealed that during his final audition, David Simon found out that he was from East London.
David Simon had no clue [where I was from] 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.
He further continued,
David lost the bet. And he said: ‘OK, I’m gonna give you the job because you had me fooled.’
Idris Elba found his breakthrough role with The Wire while the series gained an iconic actor. The American drama show became known as one of the finest television shows in America.
With a total of 60 episodes to its name, The Wire received a rating of 9.3/10 on IMDB and a whopping 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. The iconic show is available to stream on Max in the U.S.
