Idris Elba attends the Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2018 at the Theatre Royal.Photo:Jeff Spicer/Getty
Jeff Spicer/Getty
Idris Elbais speaking candidly about being considered to portrayJames Bondand how he was put off from the role when “it became about race.”
While appearing on a recent episode ofWill Arnett,Jason Bateman, andSean Hayes' podcast,SmartLess, the 50-year-old actor said he was initially “super complimented” when rumors swirled that he could step into Bond’s shoes.
“We’re all actors and we understand that that role is one of those sort of coveted types. It’s like being namedSexiest Man [Alive]," he said, referring to the PEOPLE title, which he wasawarded back in 2018.
“But being asked to be James Bond was like, ‘Okay, you’ve sort of reached the pinnacle,’ " Elba continued.
“Essentially, it was a huge compliment that every corner of the world — except for some corners, which we will not talk about — were really happy aboutthe idea that I could be considered,” he added. “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.”
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Daniel Craig as James Bond inNo Time to Die(2021).Nicola Dove/MGM/THA/Shutterstock
Nicola Dove/MGM/THA/Shutterstock
Elba’s name entered the mix long before Craig’s final bow as Bond, when Sony Pictures executive Amy Pascal revealed in a leaked 2014 email that shefelt “Idris should be the next Bond.”
Barbara Broccoli, one of the franchise’s lead producers, said last year thatElba had “been part of the conversation"as she appeared onDeadline’sCrew Callpodcast.
“Well, we know Idris, I’m friends with him, and he’s a magnificent actor,” she said in January 2022. “It’s been part of the conversation, but it’s always difficult to have the conversation when you have someone in the seat.”
“I think we have decided that untilNo Time to Diehaskind of had its run and Danielhas been able to — well, we’ve all been able to — reap the benefits of Daniel’s wonderful tenure, we’re not gonna think about or talk about anybody else, actors to play the role or storylines or anything. We just wanna live in the moment, the present,” added Broccoli, 63.
Idris Elba.Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images
Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images
Elba, however, admitted he was “nowhere” near being cast as Bond while speaking toThe Guardianearlier this year.
“I love the Bond franchise, I’m very close to the producers,” he said. “We were all kind of laughing about the rumors because they are just that.”
Elba continued, “I can’t speak for [the producers], but from my perspective, there’s never been any sort of truth to any of it. It’s a compliment, and it’s an honor — but it’s not a truth.”
Last June, Broccoli said that"nobody’s in the running” for the starring role, adding, “There isn’t a script and we can’t come up with one until we decide how we’re going to approach the next film because, really, it’s a reinvention of Bond. We’re reinventing who he is and that takes time.”
Broccoli also added at the time that filming for the next iteration of a Bond film “is at least two years away.”
source: people.com
