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Idris Elba, long teased as a possible front-runner to take over the iconic role of James Bond, says he lost any real interest in taking over the role when the negative reaction just to the speculation became all about race.
When it comes to talented, gorgeous, sophisticated British actors who are perfect to take on the legendary role of James Bond, Idris Elba has longed topped many insider and fan lists. What's not to love ... just look at that man!
Well, as it turns out, Elba himself shifted from "super complimented" by the hope and speculation that he might get his turn as Ian Fleming's famous spy to turning away from the idea completely. And it was all because of trolls.
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View Story"The truth is, I was super complimented for a long time about this," he told the "SmartLess" podcast, per Variety. "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."
While there were many in the world who were totally on board with the debonair star taking on the role -- and still are, if we're honest -- there is also that inevitable corner of the world that can't stand the idea of someone of color every portraying a role first conceived as white (even if it comes from a time when basically all roles were conceived as white).
Actually, it's even worse than that when you look at the backlash over representation in major film franchises like "Star Wars" and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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Liam Neeson Rejected James Bond Role Over Wife Natasha Richardson's Ultimatum
View StoryCharacters originally conceived as non-white, like the latest Ms. Marvel, or wholly new creations like those portrayed by John Boyega, Kelly Marie Tran and Moses Ingram in "Star Wars" were also trashed, or saw their projects review-bombed. And that's not even getting into women ever taking the lead, like Brie Larson as "Captain Marvel."
"Those that weren't happy about the idea [of me as James Bond] made the whole thing disgusting and off-putting, because it became about race," Elba said. "It became about nonsense and I got the brunt of it."
That's a big part of why Elba also recently made the decision to stop accepting the designation for himself of being a "Black actor."
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Idris Elba No Longer Describes Himself as 'a Black Actor'
View StoryBack in February, he told Esquire, "I stopped describing myself as a Black actor when I realized it put me in a box. We've got to grow. We've got to. Our skin is no more than that: it's just skin. Rant over."
He pointed out the that "as humans, we are obsessed with race and that obsession can really hinder people's aspirations, hinder people's growth. 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."
Elba currently offers yet another teaser as to why he'd be incredible in the role with his high-stakes Apple TV+ thriller about a plane "Hijack," dropping its first two episodes on Wednesday.
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