Idris Elba let go of James Bond because everyone was gross about it

While the actor was at first complimented to be considered for the role, that feeling was quickly overtaken by the racist discussion that followed

By Matt Schimkowitz | June 28, 2023 | 12:21am

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Idris Elba let go of James Bond because everyone was gross about it

Idris Elba Photo: Arturo Holmes

It’s no secret that James Bond is a special role that—unlike so many franchises that swallow up its lead actors—actually benefits the actor who portrays the international man of mystery. Being in an elite club opposite the late Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Dalton, Daniel Craig, and George Lazenby has its perks. Yet one person who seemingly everybody thought would make a pretty good Bond found the experience of being fan-casted in the role pretty discouraging.

Idris Elba’s name has been attached to Bond conversations for the last decade—pretty much as soon as Luther hit the BBC. Elba is a cool, physical, and talented actor who, sure, we guess, could pull off a tuxedo. For many, he felt like the guy, and to Elba, even being in the conversation was a compliment. However, in a recent interview with SmartLess, Elba discussed how quickly a racist public ruined it.

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“The truth is, I was super complimented for a long time about this,” Elba said. “I was like, ‘This is crazy!’ James Bond…We’re all actors, and we understand that role. It’s one of those coveted [roles]. 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, who has long discussed the challenges of being a Black actor and how difficult it can be for people to see him as anything other than that, was at the center of a maelstrom that seemingly continued for a decade. Considering how long Daniel Craig has been threatening to ditch MI6, Elba’s name has bounced around fan castings and rumor mills, and, of course, the backlash to the very idea of a Black James Bond overtook the conversation and quickly soured it.

“Essentially, it was a huge compliment that every corner of the world except from some corners, which we will not talk about, were really happy about the idea that I could be considered,” Elba 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.”

Earlier this year, Elba told Esquire U.K. that he was no longer “describing myself as a Black actor” because “it put me in a box.”

“As humans, we are obsessed with race, and that obsession can really hinder people’s aspirations, hinder people’s growth,” he said. “Racism should be a topic for discussion, sure. Racism is very real. But from my perspective, it’s only as powerful as you allow it to be.”

His comments created controversy for Elba, who clarified on Twitter that he doesn’t want his personhood “defined by race.”

“There isn’t a soul on this earth that can question whether I consider myself a BLACK MAN or not,” he tweeted. “Being an ‘actor’ is a profession, like being an ‘architect,’ they are not defined by race. However, If you define your work by your race, that is your prerogative.”

This wouldn’t be the first time he expressed disappointment in the conversation surrounding his playing James Bond. In 2019, he told Vanity Fair, “You just get disheartened when you get people from a generational point of view going, ‘It can’t be.’ And it really turns out to be the color of my skin.” For his part, Elba recognized early that this was a no-win scenario for him. “And then if I get it, and it didn’t work, or it did work, would it be because of the color of my skin? That’s a difficult position to put myself into when I don’t need to.”

[Per Variety]