Idris Elba Opens Up About Drug Past: “I’ve Tried Everything”

Idris Elba is opening up about his past experiences with drugs. Speaking out in the latest issue of Playboy magazine, the hunky Brit actor made a surprising revelation about his drug history.

“I’m not gonna lie—I’ve tried everything, just between you, me and the people who read this magazine,” Elba, 41, tells the mag. “I’ve tried it all. I played one of the biggest drug dealers in the world on TV, so you think I’d know what I was talking about.”

Elba, who famously played drug kingpin Russell “Stringer” Bell on the hit show The Wire for several years, doesn’t seem to have been too affected by his experiences with drugs. The handsome actor is also no stranger to being on lists of the sexiest men in Hollywood.

“When I wasn’t on TV or in films, I didn’t get any special attention when I went out,” he admitted. “Some beautiful people always attract attention. I didn’t until I got on television. So I’m on these lists only because I’m on TV.”

As for whether his fame and good looks have helped his luck with the ladies, Elba dished,

“I’ll sit in a pub and nobody will recognize me, I might see an attractive woman, but she doesn’t recognize me, so I’m not getting any love. Then one person goes, ‘Oh, it’s you,’ and suddenly they all overhear and start asking questions. It’s bulls–t.”

“I’ve been in and out of relationships, I’ve been married, and it’s hard to keep a relationship when you’re an actor,” he continued. “A girl I knew said to me, ‘My dad told me, “Never date an actor or a DJ.”‘ It was over, right there on the spot. I was f–ked.”