‘Luther’ season 3: Watch Idris Elba try to tell a Nik Wallenda – ‘Wire’ joke (video)

We’re almost afraid to say anything negative at all about Idris Elba, mostly in fear that once our dream of him playing the next James Bond, The Doctor, any other iconic character becomes true, he will hunt us down and silence us permanently. However, we’re banking on the notion that the “Luther” star (whose new season premieres next week on the BBC) has a good sense of humor.

As a way to promote the upcoming movie “Pacific Rim,” Elba stopped by “The Late Show with David Letterman” this week for an interview, and was asked about how many people still try and recognize him from “The Wire,” arguably one of the greatest shows of the past several decades. Elba then tried to gracefully take this question and turn it into a joke about Nik Wallenda crossing the wire over the Grand Canyon … and it failed. Letterman was even confused. Elba can be a funny man, but this is why he is not a comedian.

Granted, he recovered from the start of this interview better than most, and what ensued was a pretty funny chat in which Elba talked about his love for Spider-Man as a child, some of his early jobs, and just how amazing his American accent really is. He also claims that he is nervous taking American parts, mostly because there are so many different dialects across the country and thus so many different mannerisms and pronunciations to learn.

For those Americans out there, the wait for “Luther” is still rather long, as the acclaimed series will not be on BBC America until September. But trust us: It’ll be worth the wait, mostly because it’s well-written and has Idris Elba in it.

If you want to read more on the show, be sure to check out the official trailer here.

Photo: BBC