14 DAY TRIAL // One of the many, many things that November’s Sony Hack brought to light was the fact that, at one point, Sony Pictures co-chairwoman Amy Pascal was seriously considering Idris Elba for the James Bond franchise (as 007, of course), once Daniel Craig’s contract expired.
This rumor has been around for at least a couple of years, but hearing it straight from a Sony official meant that Idris was thisclose to actually becoming James Bond – the first black James Bond ever in the history of the franchise. That’s no small feat.
As was to be expected, this also sparked a lot of controversy, none of which had to do with his ability to carry the role or to meet physical demands for it. The fact that Idris was black was the real issue because, critics said, Ian Fleming created a white character, so there was no way Idris could ever play it.
Changing the color of the skin of the famous British spy meant going against everything it stood for and was, as such, an impossibility, they also said.
The other day, Elba, famous back home in the UK but also across the pond for his roles on HBO’s “The Wire” and BBC’s “Luther,” took to his Twitter to acknowledge the rumor and to address the controversy in his typical humorous way.
“Isn't 007 supposed to [be] handsome? Glad you think I've got a shot! Happy New year people,” he tweeted in a message accompanying a close shot of his (handsome) face. In other words, don’t make this about race, because race has nothing to do with the 007 role.
Unfortunately, this will probably not make detractors fall silent, especially when they’re so many in number. Idris has plenty of fans that are positive he would make a great James Bond, so if there was ever a time to speak up in his support, it is probably now.
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