Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Entertainment
EntertainmentFilm

Idris Elba Doesn’t Think a James Bond Role Is In the Cards

Posted byBy Kiersten Willis | Published on: CommentsComments (0)
idris elba james bond

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

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.

More On Idris Elba

Idris Elba Lands Major Role In Stephen King’s ‘Dark Tower’ Franchise, Reactions Vary

Idris Elba Leads Netflix ‘Beasts of No Nation’ for Awards Run

Fox Puts ‘Luther’ Remake On Hold As the Search for Another Idris Elba Continues

“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.”

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top