Idris Elba says racist commentary soured him on pursuing James Bond role

Elba said that backlash over rumors of him becoming the next 007 were “disgusting and off-putting.”

For years, fans have pushed an unofficial campaign for Idris Elba to be the next James Bond. Unfortunately, Elba is unlikely to portray the film icon due to the racist backlash that came with the possibility of him doing it.

Elba addressed the longtime rumors of him playing Bond during an appearance on the “SmartLess” podcast, hosted by fellow actors Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett. Elba admits he was flattered when whispers began about him starring in “007.”

“The truth is, I was super complimented for a long time about this,” Elba said. “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.”

Elba stated that the role of Bond is one of those “coveted” roles that many actors hope for. With him being a British actor and regarded as a sex symbol by many female fans, it seemed like a logical choice for some fans. However, Elba said that while he found the praise complimentary, he admits he noticed others who shunned the idea of him playing Bond because he is Black.

After hearing the backlash, Elba no longer liked the idea of assuming the role.

“Those that weren’t happy about the idea made the whole thing disgusting and off-putting because it became about race,” Elba continued. “It became about nonsense, and I got the brunt of it.”

In an Esquire Magazine interview in February, Elba addressed being viewed as just a Black actor as limiting. “Racism is very real. But from my perspective, it’s only as powerful as you allow it to be,” he said. “I stopped describing myself as a Black actor when I realized it put me in a box. We’ve got to grow. We’ve got to.”

While playing Bond won’t be in the cards for Elba, he stated that he enjoys helming another popular crime franchise, BBC’s “Luther.” Elba played British Detective Chief Inspector John Luther for five seasons from 2010 to 2019. He reprised the role this year with the feature-length Netflix film, “Luther: The Fallen Sun.”

Elba says that while there are some similarities between Bond and Luther, the actor told Today Luther is more grounded. “John Luther is an ordinary detective with sort of extraordinary circumstances, but very relatable.”

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