Idris Elba Reveals Getting Turned Off For James Bond For Being Called ‘Black Actor’ & Disgusting Rumours: “It Became About Race”

Idris Elba reveals how any desire to portray James Bond was tainted due to certain "disgusting" reactions to the rumours. Read on

By
Koimoi.com Team
- June 28, 2023 | 5:02 PM IST
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Ever since Daniel Craig announced his exit from the James Bond franchise, there has been a debate about who can take over the franchise. Several actors, from Henry Cavill, Idris Elba to Richard Madden and more, have been in the run for the coveted role.

As fans have been eagerly waiting to know who will take over the mantle, there were rumours claiming that Idris got turned off from playing the character as the conversation “became about race”. Scroll down to know more.

Idris Elba, who appeared in The Wire and Luther, opened up about being considered a popular successor for Daniel Craig, aka Agent 007. Elba was described as “too street” by author Anthony Horowitz in 2015 for the part of James Bond. Elba specifically stated on the Smartless podcast, which was hosted by Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes, that any desire to portray the part was tainted due to certain “disgusting” reactions to the rumours.

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Idris Elba said, “The truth is, I was super complimented for a long time about this. I was like, ‘This is crazy!’ James Bond…We’re all actors, and we understand that role. It’s one of those coveted [roles]. Being asked to be James Bond was like, ‘Ok, you’ve sort of reached the pinnacle’. That’s one of those things the whole world has a vote in.”

He further added, “Essentially, it was a huge compliment that every corner of the world except some corners, which we will not talk about, were really happy about the idea that I could be considered. Those that weren’t happy about the idea made the whole thing disgusting and off-putting because it became about race. It became about nonsense, and I got the brunt of it.”

Racism in the entertainment industry is ubiquitous, as Idris Elba has already addressed. He has expressed openly how irritating it is to be referred to as a “Black actor.” In a February interview, the actor said he had stopped using the term “black actor” because it had become a barrier that had limited his career.

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