Idris Elba says he soured on the idea of playing James Bond after 'it became about race'
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Idris Elba understands the appeal of playing 007 as well as anyone. But he also has his reasons for fending off James Bond casting rumors for nearly a decade.
On the latest episode of Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes' SmartLess podcast, the English actor said he was initially "super complimented" when speculation emerged that he might be the next person to portray Bond. However, after enduring racist backlash from people opposed to a Black man playing the suave spy, Elba began to sour on the role.
"I was like, 'This is crazy!' Because James Bond… We're all actors and we understand that role. It's one of those coveted [roles]," the Hijack star said. "Being asked to be James Bond was like, 'Okay, you've sort of reached the pinnacle.'" But due to the massive popularity of the franchise and the cultural significance of Bond as a character, he added, "That's one of those things the whole world has a vote in."
Gregg DeGuire/WireImage Idris Elba
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 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."
One of the most infamous examples of someone criticizing Elba's potential Bond casting came in 2015, when author Anthony Horowitz (who has written three authorized Bond novels, following in the footsteps of the late Ian Fleming) said that Elba was "too street" to play 007. He ended up apologizing after social media erupted with outrage.
Whispers of Elba being considered for the role ramped up as Daniel Craig's tenure came to an end, but Elba has long downplayed such speculation. Last year he told The Wall Street Journal, "When I look in the mirror, I don't see James Bond."
2021's No Time To Die marked the end of Craig's run as Bond, leaving space for someone else to fill his shoes. But according to Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, that replacement could take some time.
"We haven't begun the hunt," Broccoli told EW in 2022. "We're going to be sort of sitting down and trying to figure out where the Bond series is going to go, and we need to do that first, to get a sense of that, before we start casting for the role."
As far as prospective James Bonds, she added that "No one should be waiting by the phone yet."
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