Idris Elba’s James Bond talk got louder in 2014. (Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)
Idris Elba playing James Bond really isn’t up to him.
The actor summed up his chances of playing the fictional British Secret Service agent by crushing the dreams of many.
“I think not,” he told BuzzFeed Wednesday, Sept. 13 at the Toronto International Film Festival. “But you really need to ask the producers. Like I can just, [mimics picking up phone] ‘Hey, I’m gonna play Bond next! No, it’s Idris. Hello?’ No one wants it.”
However, Elba might want to take a glimpse at Twitter, which proves plenty want it.
https://twitter.com/madison_elysse/status/904378803560095745
The worst thing about Craig returning as Bond, is that it closes the door completely on Idris Elba, who would have killed in the role.
— Dantooine (@Danburden1138) September 14, 2017
Yep. He’d be the sexiest bond since Sean Connery. No doubt
— Claudine Lewis (@Boogsie72) September 2, 2017
While one of People magazine’s sexiest men alive would make many women even more coo-coo for Elba, not everyone is on board. Controversy erupted in 2015 when Bond author Anthony Horowitz told The Daily Mail he wasn’t a fan of Elba diversifying the franchise and taking over for Daniel Craig.
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“Idris Elba is a terrific actor, but I can think of other Black actors who would do it better,” he said. “For me, Idris Elba is a bit too rough to play the part. It’s not a color issue. I think he is probably a bit too ‘street’ for Bond. Is it a question of being suave? Yeah.”
Elba seemed to take the high road on Instagram by posting a screenshot of the article with the caption that said in part, “always keep smiling.” But even he has been worn out about the continued discussion.
“It feels like I’m campaigning, and I’m not,” he said to The Telegraph when the Bond talk became too loud. “At first, it was harmless — ‘Oh, I know, wouldn’t it be great?’ — and now it’s started off racial debates. I’m probably the most famous Bond actor in the world, and I’ve not even played the role. Enough is enough. I can’t talk about it anymore.”
