10 Actors Pissed Off By Their TV Character Deaths

10. Idris Elba (Stringer Bell) - The Wire

Of the many, many deaths throughout HBO's masterful crime series The Wire, one of the most crushing was that of Stringer Bell (Idris Elba), the hyper-smart second-in-command of Avon Barksdale's (Wood Harris) drug operation.

Thanks to Elba's terrific performance and the character's uncommonly nuanced portrayal, String quickly became a fan favourite. However, his tenure came to an abrupt end when he was assassinated in the penultimate season three episode "Middle Ground."

Elba himself admitted he was totally shocked and disappointed by Stringer's death:

"When I first read the script I was like: 'What? No! This isn't supposed to happen.' I was deeply disappointed. It was a surprise, a complete surprise."

Series creator David Simon later confirmed that he decided to kill off Stringer two years prior, and opted not to deviate from the plan no matter how much viewers loved the character.

As bitterly disappointed as the actor was, though, he at least seems to appreciate the thematic function his character's demise served:

"One of the themes of the show is that raw, unencumbered capitalism is not good for anyone. You may get a short run, you may get a long run, but the drug trade is the only thing that's eternal."