Famous British black actor Idris Elba, best known for his role on the HBO series The Wire, has come out against the idea of James Bond being played by a black actor. Elba himself has been among the people rumoured to be next to portray the iconic British spy character.
However, speaking to GQ Magazine, he claimed that he was never in the running for the role, but he is flattered by the suggestion. He also voiced his misgivings about a black Bond during the discussion.
‘In realistic terms, some markets just don’t go for that…Bond is big all over the world. And [audiences] won’t [all] go for a black male, an African male, playing Bond. That’s not what they like in their culture. Period,’ the distinguished actor said, adding that the character of 007 ‘was written how he was written for a reason’.
Race-swapping in major Hollywood productions has been a contentious topic among international audiences again lately.
In the upcoming film adaptation of the Odyssey by another British filmmaker, Christopher Nolan, the part of Helen of Troy will be played by Kenyan Mexican actress Lupita Nyong’o, drawing international backlash. Helen is distinctly described as white in the original Iliad and Odyssey by Homer.
If James Bond were ever to be played by a black actor, that would be another case of such race-swapping.
In the 1953 novel Casino Royale by Ian Fleming, the character’s first appearance in any medium, he is described as someone with a high resemblance to American musician Hoagy Carmichael, who was, in fact, white. Bond was also portrayed by Scottish actor Sean Connery in the first-ever film adaptation of the novel series, Dr. No, in 1962.
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