Idris Elba: Is The World Ready For A Black James Bond?
Idris Elba is the subject of the most recent Sony email hack revelation because Amy Pascal stated Elba should be the next Bond. Recent Sony email hacks have been full of disclosures. One stated that black actors should not be cast in lead roles because international audiences are racist. Another one referred to Angelina Jolie as an egomaniac, while yet another speculated about the movie preferences of President Obama.
Pascal, who serves as co-chairman at Sony Pictures Entertainment, sent an email to Elizabeth Cantillon, a former vice president of production at Columbia Pictures, which distributes Bond films.
“Idris should be the next bond.”
Although the Sony exec’s opinion is clear, the reasons behind her thoughts are not detailed. She may believe Idris Elba, 42, should be the next Agent 007, but this doesn’t mean everyone agrees. Thus far, there have been 16 actors who have played Bond — a fictional character with various degrees of finesse and swag — and all of the actors have been white. This begs the question: Does the Bond mystique transcend color? That is, the color of the actor who plays the dapper spy. Only a Bond of a different hue and box office proceeds can answer the question.
Ian Fleming, an English writer, created the Bond character, who was based on a composite of men the author ran across during time served in the Naval Intelligence Division during World War II. Fleming explained how he chose the name for his character.
“When I wrote the first one in 1953, I wanted Bond to be an extremely dull, uninteresting man to whom things happened; I wanted him to be a blunt instrument… when I was casting around for a name for my protagonist I thought by God, (James Bond) is the dullest name I ever heard.”
Fleming also pictures Bond as a cross between himself and circa 1940s American singer Howard “Hoagy” Carmichael.
After penning 14 Bond novels, Fleming died in 1964, and seven other authors wrote more stories featuring the savvy 007. Movie productions have raked in hundreds of millions, and the last actor who portrayed the spy was Daniel Craig (think Skyfall). He will appear as Bond once again in the 2015 upcoming Bond flick Spectre. But who can forget Sean Connery as the tall, dark, and handsome Bond man, or Pierce Brosnan, who added his own spice to the character? Just about everyone has a favorite James Bond.
Does Bond have to be British? Does he have to be white? It appears that Bond has evolved over the years from a light-haired Hoagy Carmichael archetype to a darker-haired gentleman. Well, Idris Elba is British, and he certainly is tall, dark, and handsome.
Jamie Foxx ran into Elba earlier this year and told the actor he would be the next Bond.
“You know you’re the [next]… Bond, right?”
Idris Elba has said he would love to play Bond if offered the role.
[Image: Screen Rant]
