This article is about the character from The Wire. For the musician, see Dramatis.
Fictional character
Stringer Bell
The Wire character
Idris Elba as Stringer Bell
First appearance
"The Target" (2002)
Last appearance
"Mission Accomplished" (2004)
Created by
David Simon
Portrayed by
Idris Elba
In-universe information
Full name
Russell Bell
Alias
Stringer
String
Occupation
Drug kingpin
Housing developer
Russell "Stringer" Bell is a fictional character in The Wire, played by Idris Elba. In the criminal world of early 2000s Baltimore, Bell serves as drug kingpin Avon Barksdale's second-in-command and assumes direct control of the Barksdale Organization during Avon's imprisonment. Bell is a terse and brooding leader, who shuns the flamboyance of the likes of Avon for ruthless pragmatism and legitimacy.
He attends macroeconomics classes at Baltimore City Community College and maintains a personal library, including a copy of Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations. He attempts to legitimize the Barksdale Organization and insulates himself from direct criminality through money laundering and investments in housing development, aided through his buying of influence from politicians.
Russell "Stringer" Bell is a fictional character in The Wire, played by Idris Elba. In the criminal world of early 2000s Baltimore, Bell serves as drug...
with StringerBell while D'Angelo is in prison. She visits D'Angelo at Stringer's behest to try to ease the experience of prison for him. Stringer has...
organization with his second-in-command, Russell "Stringer" Bell, but isolates himself and String from the drug trade and eschews overt displays of wealth...
shoots Mouzone but, realizing Stringer has lied to him, calls 9-1-1. Mouzone recovers and leaves Baltimore, and Stringer (now with Avon's consent) is able...
National Youth Music Theatre in London, he is known for roles including StringerBell in the HBO series The Wire (2002–2004), DCI John Luther in the BBC One...
and kill StringerBell together. Avon, whose relationship with Stringer has become strained, after they repeatedly clash on strategy and Stringer reveals...
Elba is an English actor. He is known for portraying drug trafficker StringerBell on the HBO series The Wire, DCI John Luther on the BBC One series Luther...
possible. He is responsible for creating the lucrative New Day Co-Op with StringerBell, supplying much of Baltimore with heroin brought into the city by "The...
part in the murder of friend and fellow dealer Wallace on orders from StringerBell. His relationship with the police is also dynamic. He is initially hostile...
never cracked. Mouzone suggests an alliance against Stringer. Together, Omar and Mouzone ambush Stringer during a meeting with Andy Krawczyk and murder him...
great villains, and compared his role to characters like King Joffrey, StringerBell, and Gustavo Fring. Since the release of the first season, audiences...
as incarcerated drug kingpin Avon Barksdale. Idris Elba's character StringerBell continued to run the Barksdale Organization in Avon's absence. Andre...
listens to Stringer without comment, and shortly after Stringer leaves, tells Chris to prepare for war. Unbeknownst to Marlo and Stringer, their meeting...
incarcerated drug dealers Avon and D'Angelo Barksdale. Idris Elba's character StringerBell took over the operations of the Barksdale Organization. Andre Royo returned...
in therapy sessions at a tropical island resort. In 2012, he played StringerBell in a satirical trailer for The Wire: The Musical. In June of that year...
characters' storylines. Both Wood Harris (Avon Barksdale) and Idris Elba (StringerBell) left the starring cast in the final episode of the third season. Many...
about Colvin. Largely due to Freamon's work, the MCU implicates Stringer, but Stringer is murdered before McNulty can arrest him. After Avon is arrested...
alerted D'Angelo Barksdale to the find who passed the message to StringerBell. Stringer arrived with three Barksdale enforcers Marquis "Bird" Hilton, Roland...
knighted in 1999. Stringer was born in Cardiff, Wales, the son of Marjorie Mary (née Pook), a Welsh schoolteacher, and Harry Stringer, a sergeant in the...
made" Bell; the senator has played off Stringer's inexperience in legitimate business, taking the money and doing nothing in return. Stringer, furious...
immediate wiretap on StringerBell, as time is limited in retrieving cell phone information from him. Fitz then goes to the FBI, changing Bell's original name...
technique and when he spots StringerBell in a market he has them follow him. Michael and Sean manage to record Stringer's number plate, which aids their...
contrary. When McNulty links a number of murders to StringerBell, the detail changes targets back to Stringer and the Barksdale Organization. The detail sees...
Global Information