Isn't 007 supposed to handsome? Glad you think I've got a shot! Happy New year people. pic.twitter.com/3g9lAl2Uo3
— Idris Elba (@idriselba) December 27, 2014
Idris Elba decided to give us a special Christmas present: a closeup of his lovely face and an acknowledgement of the James Bond rumors. The Sony Hack revealed that Sony co-chairman Amy Pascal believes that Idris should be the next James Bond after Daniel Craig’s tenure is over. So Idris posted this photo to his Twitter with the message, “Isn’t 007 supposed to handsome? Glad you think I’ve got a shot! Happy New year people.” So humble. So blokey.
Idris might also be responding the “backlash” against the James Bond dream-casting. I say “backlash” because literally the only people upset about imagining James Bond as a lovely, tall, dark drink of vodka martini are the racists. Like Rush Limbaugh, who took to his radio show several days ago to complain about black people playing fictional characters, saying: “James Bond was created by Ian Fleming, a former spy for MI6. And James Bond is a total concept put together by Ian Fleming. He was white and he was Scottish. Period. That is who James Bond is. Bond was never black. Ian Fleming never created a black Brit to play James Bond. He was always white, he was always Scottish, he always drank vodka.” There was a lot more to Rush’s rant, which you can read here if you want (please don’t, Rush is an idiot). Here’s a fun fact: originally, Ian Fleming didn’t write Bond as Scottish. Fleming changed the character to a Scotsman after Sean Connery played Bond in Dr. No. Ugh.
Photos courtesy of Twitter, WENN.
YES, Idris! (Can’t stand Sean Connery. And I’m a half-arse descendant of Robert Burns.)
Stop pulling faces, Idris, it doesn’t make you ugly, even if the wind blew and froze your face that way.
Hahahaha- so true.
Idris is a Wonderful choice , I hope he gets it.
If Bond can change from actor to actor and no one says a word about it, there is no reason why Idris can’t play it. Idris is a fine choice. BOND works decade through decade for a British organization, he can be anything. As long as fictionally BOND fills a certain criteria professionally, Bond can be anyone. IMO
IMO , BOND can also be a woman. I recall Angelina turned them down as a BOND Girl because she said, she’d rather be BOND. I always liked that idea.
I’m bored with this Bond nonsense. Idris is the best choice, end of.
What I really want to know is how Rush Limbaugh felt about Mel Gibson (American) playing William Wallace, an actual Scotish historical figure?
Thank you for that! Mel is Australian, but I get your point.
Mel was born in America – his family left America because of the Vietnam war. So an American with an Australian upbringing was cast as a Scottish historical figure
No the family is from PA. My aunt grew up on the same street. Mel’s dad won a trip around the world on jeopardy and decided to use it to dodge the draft.
Rush Limpet is an idiot and just loves to stir up race hate in his audience.
I can’t stand the sound of Rush Limpserialmarriage’s voice.
Rush Limpet. Bwahaha!
“Idris is a FINE choice” … Emphasis on fine.
How did Limbaugh feel about Pierce Brosnan or Timothy Dalton or Roger Moore or George Lazenby or Daniel Craig? None of them are Scottish either.
Well, I’m all for colour-blind casting, so I’m also all for a black Bond.
But besides that, silly Limthingy. It could easily be written in. Britain has always had a small patrician (ie posh) black minority. Scions of Empire, dontchaknow. You only have to look at Sandhurst. Bond could easily be explained away as black, if you care so much about backstory.
Plus, Fleming had such a long connection with Jamaica, I’m sure the franchise could be extended to write it in.
Omg I love the idea of Fleming’s Jamaican estate Golden Eye somehow being the place where Elba’s Bond grew up. Something like that.
I loved Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond, but I’d love to see Idris as one too! I think he’d do an awesome job and really, he’s super handsome!!
Do people still listen to Rush Limbaugh? As for casting Idris as James Bond what is the big deal? There have already been two black actresses as Bond girls( Halle Berry and Grace Jones) so why not mix it up a bit and have a black James Bond? He would be perfect.
And let’s not forget Naomi Harris played Miss. Moneypenny in Skyfall….rush Limpbiskit can suck it.
Sadly people do listen to Rush. An old classmate of mine recently posted some Rush fueled anti-Obama rant on FB that was so rooted in fiction I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. His whole Scottish/white thing about Bond is ridiculous.
Sadly yes. A facebook friend posted a picture of her daughter receiving a Rush Limbaugh children’s book (?????????) about American patriots for Christmas. The child looked thrilled /sarcasm.
People that self-persecute themselves about losing their America still listen to “MR. the only way I get attention is to say racist stuff”. He says idiotic stuff like this to get attention, because he has become more irrelevant, he does this to keep his show going. He knows his followers & how to keep them fearful & needy. He is a master at provoking his audience.
FGS, there have been black bond girls since the beginning – Trina Parks who played ‘Thumper’ in DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, not to mention an entire BOND whose entire storyline was around black characters and Black Bond girls – LIVE AND LET DIE. Roger Moore even snogs a few in that one, so no one can accuse BOND of being afraid to get it together with a black girl on screen.
While we are here, M’s assistant in the Pierce Brosnan BONDS is a black guy, Colin Salmon so a Black spy or M has already been established.
So annoying that apparently Grace Jones, Halle Berry and Naomi Harris are the only Bond girls anyone keeps bringing up where BOND and Black people is concerned.
Go watch the early BONDS people!!!!
+1
I’ve been watching a Bond Marathon of the old 1960’s and 1970’s Bond movies and there were several black characters in the films, and black bond girls in the films.
He is so, so, so hamdsome. My boyfriend gets so annoyed with me because i ramble on and on about how much i love him but can you blame me?! Idris, i love you. I sooooo hope he plays Bond one day.
Also, to hell with Rush Limbaugh and his kind. Didn’t hear his ignorant, racist self say a peep about Christian Bale playing Moses or any other white person playing Africans in Exodus. I have no shame in admitting that i hope he and his kind get hit by a freight train.
Why does anyone listen to Rush Limbaugh?
I am glad Idris has a great sense of humor about all the hubbub. I think he would make a great Bond and considering that Connery is the only Scotsman to play Bond so far, it shouldn’t matter if Bond is Scottish or not. I thought I read that Daniel Craig is contracted for one more movie after Spectre, so I wonder if producers would find Idris too old to play Bond at that time. He’s 42 now, I’d think he’d be fine when it’s time, but what would the producers think?
Unfortunately the age thing is an issue. Idris would be 45 or 46 by the time the role is available (possibly older) and they are going to want three movies minimum that could be several years apart each. They’ll be looking for someone younger. I’ve said it once I’ll say it again, among black British actors I find Chiwetel Ejiofor a far better choice (and far more suave ;-). ).
Totally agree with you here! Chiwetel would be fabulous! Sorry, but I just don’t dig Idris… (Ducking to avoid rotten fruit:-)) and he is definitely getting too old for the franchise by the time he would take the role.
I think Chiwetel would be a fine choice for Bond honestly. I like both Idris and Chiwetel but I can see producers being concerned about Idris’s age by the time the role does become available. Spectre is probably coming out in 2016 I would assume if they have just started filming now and I would expect the next Bond film (most likely Craig’s last) to come out no later than 2018/2019, which would put Idris at about 46-47.
Wrong again, Rush. Bond was Scottish (Connery), yes. But one was Aussie (Lazenby), 2 were from England (Roger Moore, Daniel Craig), 1 was from Wales (Timothy Dalton) and 1 is from Ireland (Pierce).
just made the same comment below.
to quote Al Franken, Rush Limbaugh is a big, fat idiot.
Please make him the next bond! I really don’t like Daniel Craig. He has the charm of a wooden door.
haha, he does. Idris Elba would be great – his performance in Rocknrolla had exactly the right level of wittiness for Bond and he’s quite charismatic on screen which is so much more important than the colour of his skin.
Lazenby was Aussie, Brosnan is Irish, and Dalton is Welsh.
the ONLY thing that Limp cares about is the skin color. because he’s a hypocritical bigot. period.
they were re-running the Wire all weekend…and OH! Idris is MAGNIFICENT in that. He would be SO great as Bond, IMO.
Solved! http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-24347632 🙂
Thank you for posting, Very interesting, just when you think you know everything. Goes to show we are never to old to learn and you can learn new things every day and everywhere.
Rush is doing his usual to get hits from his diminishing fan base- nothing new there.
Re Idris as JB- he’d be great, but I think his age is working against him if they want to tie the next JB to a multi-film contract. To me, Daniel Craig has been a pleasant surprise as JB, but miss the charm of former Bond movies.
I’m am going to concur on the point of age. Wasn’t Sean Connery a bit older when he reprised his role as James Bond in the early 80’s.?
And also, on the point of age, why should anyone care how old would Idris be, if he keeps himself in good shape he will be fabulous. With that being said, Idris will be favored. And as for this Retard Rush Limbaugh, he and is prejudicial goons, can suck it.
“Wasn’t Sean Connery a bit older when he reprised his role..”
That was a massive disaster, a terrible movie! Let’s not emulate that. I think the idea is that while people like to fan cast Elba in everything, there are other Black British actors who are younger, and possibly a better fit.
Ok, maybe that was a terrible movie, but my point is does age have to matter at this point? I am not singling out many other black British actors, I think Chiwetel Ejiofor will also be fabulous as well, but age should not matter, look at Monica Bellucci, she’s 50 and the oldest Bomd girl, besides Halle Berry, she is the most beautiful Bond woman in the Bond Franchise. Anyway thanks for your great response.
And Roger Moore is not Scottish, what a dumb logic. Anyway, James Bond is like Batman, there will be different actors playing him over the years, because this is how this franchise rolls. Elba would be an excellent Bond. He’s a charismatic, talented actor.
Idris is everything a James Bond should be. I have no issues with him being James Bond.
James Bond is an ideal-a man who can get it done. Whatever it is. Women want him, men want to be him. Idris Elba has all of that in giant batches. If he was Bond I would go see it in a theater, instead of catching it on TV as I do now. As for Rush Limbaugh, well…he is simply a fool. A loud, obnoxious, fool.
Idris oozes sex appeal and masculinity….Id pay good money to watch him watch paint dry…and that voice, so sexy!
The bad thing is that by the time Daniel Craig is done, Idris might not be young enough to be considered. That being said, I’m holding James Bond auditions today!! So Idris just needs to head on over to my house for a screen test.
Eh. Pierce Brosnan was almost 50 when he did the last Bond movie. Roger Moore was in his 50’s when he did his last Bond movie. Idris is in his early 40’s, he’d still be young enough.
And the franchise owners do not want a repeat of 50 year old Bonds. Moore’s age really shows in those last films of his and the Fleming descendants made it clear they don’t want to see anything like that again – it’s just not the character. Brosnan was shoved out because of age. He wanted to re-sign to do more films but the franchise owners said no and would not renew his contract.
Oh my! That photo made me laugh! It only makes him more endearing. I’m completely behind his being cast as the next Bond. I’ve really enjoyed Daniel Craig’s portrayal of Bond too. I like the revived series a lot. I’m also very excited about the casting of Monica Bellucci as the next Bond girl. Clearly, someone in production and casting knows what they are doing in catering to modern audiences. Rush Limbaugh however is severely behind the times in his own negative little world.
Hollywood is really something for people with thick skin. I am glad he can post a pic and make face about it…
Such a handsome man and he would make a bad@## Bond
How is it racist to want to respect the source material when casting a role? That reminds me of the people that wanted Beyonce to play Wonder Woman–except that Wonder Woman ISN’T BLACK. That being said, I like Idris and would be interested to see what he does with the role. I’m over Daniel Craig.
I think Idris would make a phenomenal Bond, but I don’t disagree with Grant. When a section of the Internet (read: Tumblr) screeched for a female Doctor, I wondered where it would stop. As long as Bond remains male (and devastatingly handsome), I’m all in.
Also, while I realize people are going to jump on me regardless, I am a girl (or a woman. A womyn? How are we spelling it these days? KIDDING! Kidding.)
Part of it – for me anyway – is that there isn’t this same backlash when white people are cast in roles for PoC. Recently: the Exodus movie with Moses and lots of other characters who were not white (was Rush raising hell back then, feeling outraged that ? Were you making the same comments about source material? How about the director flat out saying he would not cast the characters as the race they should be but would make them all white? Any backlash then? Not really…). How about with Johnny Depp playing a First Nations person?
Also – granted I’ve never read the original books – but is it explicitly stated that Bond is white? Or is that just the assumption? It pisses me off that when it’s not explicitly stated, the assumption is: white person. (Again, not saying that’s the case with the original books, since I’ve not read them…just saying.)
How about Wonder Woman? All I know is that she was an Amazon. Maybe there were some black Amazons too. I feel like it’s the assumption that a character was/is white that is bothersome. Remember all the uproar when Rue from the Hunger Games was black in the movies?! It was clearly stated that she was black in the books and yet some people lost their minds when the movie came out because they assumed, of course, she was white!
Also, @Bookish, re: Doctor Who (again, I don’t know the source material and only watch the show when I walk in the room and my husband has it on), as I understand it, the Doctor is continually reincarnated as someone new…so why is it so ridiculous that he would reincarnated as a woman or PoC? If it’s random (or whatever) then why is he always a white man? I don’t really see the big deal!!
The source material doesn’t prohibit a black Bond. Using that standard, only Danes could play Hamlet.
But how would the backstory/character of James Bond be changed if Bond was black? Not in the same way of a character that was black and lived in Mississippi in the 1940’s. Minimal changes, at best. Especially since the books were all written in the 50s and 60s–yet the movies are updated every year, the clothes, technology, CARS,etc. No one complains that the films don’t stay within the confines of the books. And I don’t think race is important to the character–he’s a charming, suave, hard drinking ladies man. As long as he stays that, then it’ll be fine. I think it’s really only close minded people who can’t envision this change. It’s not like James Bond IS Ian Fleming–then it would be offensive.
Am I missing something? I studied in the UK during college in the 80’s and I remember some black Scotsmen. Perhaps Rush just isn’t very well-traveled. 🙂
I think it would be so wonderful if James Bond is played by a transgendered female.
Idris is one handsome man. I wouldn’t mind him being Bond one bit.
What’s Rush going to rant about next? People of color playing Shakespeare characters? Not even the part of Othello can be played by a black actor because in the 1600s, the role was played by a white actor with dark makeup?
How about roles from stories by the Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Anderson? Is Rush going to throw a hissy fit if the mermaid is played by a non-white actress? Because we all know that ALL mermaids are white, right? Because they’re real, right?
Like Fox’s Megan Kelly getting upset that not everybody thinks Santa is white-only, she and Rush need to get a grip about fictional characters.
Also, how come Rush isn’t upset about the different hair and eye colors of the various actors who’ve played Bond? Or is it just and always about race with him?
Has he ranted yet about how all the Bond villains have to be white too? Or is it OK with him that non-white actors play the bad guys so long as they don’t play the good guys because God forbid some white kids might look up to a black hero?
Btw, did Rush ever complain that Halle Berry played a Bond girl?
Why do people never watch the whole BOND spectrum before making comments about lack of black characters in BOND.
All the early BONDS had lots of non white characters playing all sorts of roles beyond BOND himself. LIVE AND LET DIE is a BOND centered on black characters – villains, bond girls, MI6 agents and FBI agents.
Some of the most memorable BOND villains/ henchmen are not white eg Mr Big/Baron Samedi from LIVE AND LET DIE, Dr No from DR NO, Nick Nack from MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN, odd Job from GOLDFINGER etc.
@LAK – I think Rush doesn’t want Bond himself to be played by a person of color because he has racial issues.
Since I haven’t heard him say that he minds the Bond movies aren’t an all-white cast, I think his problem is that he doesn’t want the top good guy to be anything other than white.
And I think it’s the same reason why Megan Kelly didn’t want Santa to be played by people of color. They want the TOP good guy, the hero, the people that others, especially children, look up to and admire, to be someone of color.
Imo, to them, they think it’s a ‘contamination’ for the top level echelon of admired people to include people of color. That’s why people like Kelly & Limbaugh go rabid against people of color in top positions, unless those people of color prove themselves to be completely allied and subservient to whites. To Kelly & Limbaugh, they believe there’s a social status quo that must not be changed.
It’s all a racial issue with them.
Anyhoo, it’s ridiculous to demand that fictional characters be played by people of just one race. They’re fictional.
Love Idris. Never got the Bond hype. Old white dude saves everyone, there’s a plot I’ve never heard before.
He would be perfect for it!! These suits need to get up off their butts and just ask the public what they want. If they were smart……….
He could absolutely nail that role. He’s also 10x better looking than Craig so I have no idea what he’s talking about.
I think Idris would make a kick ass James Bond!!!
I’ve never seen a James Bond movie (never cared enough to), but I might watch one with Idris. Oh, Luther. Be still my heart.
“Isn’t 007 supposed to be handsome?”
Stop fishing for compliments. However we’ve already had a black Superman, so I don’t see why we can’t have a black Bond.
Idris is 1000 times better than Craig.
I read what he said and there is nothing in there belittling anyone black, he’s just pointing out the fact that certain fictional characters are played by a particular race from a particular part of the country with stereotypes of how that particular person should act. A Scottish person who drinks vodka (that’s stereotypical) but we accept that. I don’t think anything of what he points out is racist at all. Certainly if a black person said this in reverse, would he be a racist? Perhaps not because he’s a minority.
??? You don’t have to belittle to be racist. You just have to be unable to imagine a fictional character who’s been played by a wide variety of people already as black. You just have to be so invested in his whiteness that you’re offended by any other choice and make a public issue of it. That shows that you (Limbaugh) see whiteness as the default human state and everyone else is “other/exotic.” There are black people in Scotland, too, by the way.
I’m not a Bond fan, and the only recent one I’ve seen was “Skyfall” because I loved the Adele song so much. But I would definitely see Idris Elba in it if he took the role. He seems perfect. Ever since his days as the incredibly handsome, dapper, intelligent, and ruthless druglord in “The Wire,” he’s been an elegant MF. He can’t help it. He’d bring those same qualities to James Bond.
As I watched the first episode of “Luther” when it aired on BBCA, I said to myself, “This guy. He has the style and charm of Cary Grant.”
It’s in his eyes; his attitude; his demeanour; well beyond his stellar good looks. I figured if someone were sharp enough,they would beg him to do a Bond flick. This was in about ten minutes of watching his “Luther” performance.
He’s got it all. IRL? LOLL there are times I’ve listened to him speaking, and honestly kinda sorta wished he’d just STHU and give those eyes a workout. But who cares? He would make a stellar Bond, IMO.