Idris Elba says he used to sell weed to Dave Chappelle before his big break as an actor

• Idris Elba said he used to work as a security guard at Carolines, a comedy club in New York City.
• The actor said that at the time he also sold weed to some of the comedians, including Dave Chappelle.

Idris Elba said the list of jobs he had before becoming a successful actor included selling weed to famous comedians such as Dave Chappelle.

"I did a lot of things, some things I'm not proud of," Elba said during a recent interview on SiriusXM when asked about his pre-fame life. "I used to sell weed. Can I say that on the show?"

When Elba was assured that he could indeed speak about selling weed because the drug is now legal in many states, including New York, he continued to explain that he sold weed "for a little bit just to you know, help pay the way."

The 49-year-old British actor — who's now best known for his performances in many blockbuster films such as "Thor" — continued to say that one of his jobs included being "a doorman at Carolines comedy club" in New York City.

"David Chappelle remembers me 'cause he used to buy weed from me," he added.

Chappelle has discussed his memories of buying weed from Elba before.

During a three-hour interview on Joe Rogan's podcast, "The Joe Rogan Experience," Chappelle spoke about the importance of treating service people with kindness because you never know how their life will turn out. Soon after, he dropped Elba's name.

"Idris Elba, the famous actor, used to be a security guard at Carolines. I used to buy weed from him," Chappelle said in an interview that aired in May 2021.

Elba also discussed one of his other former jobs, starring in HBO's hit drama 'The Wire'

Elsewhere during his interview on SiriusXM, Elba discussed the lasting success of HBO's "The Wire" and how the popular crime drama helped to launch his career.

"At the time, 'The Wire' was sort of like a distant cousin to 'The Sopranos,'" Elba said. "Season one was sort of like a sleeper hit. People were like, 'Have you seen this show? It's kind of interesting.' Especially in the African American community. By season three, it was up there with 'The Sopranos' as a show that everyone was watching. But for the rest of the world, it didn't happen for another seven to eight years."

Later this year, "The Wire" will celebrate its 20th anniversary. Last month, the show's producers, David Simon and George Pelecanos, announced a new TV series titled "We Own This City," which revisits similar themes such as police corruption in Baltimore. The show stars Jon Bernthal and debuts April 25 on HBO.