Idris Elba Addresses Racial Controversy Surrounding Potential James Bond Role

The debate on a possible interpretation of James Bond by Idris Elba continues to fuel controversies with racist undertones. What bothers the actor is the stigmatization of his skin color, to conclude his inability to play the character.

"When you have people saying, ’He can’t do it,’ and it’s about the color of my skin, it’s disappointing," Idris regrets, adding: "If I do it and it works or not, will it be because of my skin? It’s a difficult situation I don’t want to be in." These are, among others, the answers provided on the subject by the British actor, interviewed by Vanity Fair, which in its latest issue features Idris on the cover.

Nevertheless, Idris Elba says he is just as excited at the prospect of being offered one day to step into the shoes of the famous secret agent so beloved by cinephiles around the world. "James Bond is a coveted, iconic and beloved character that takes the audience on this huge journey of escapism," he acknowledged. And he added: "Of course, if someone said to me, ’Do you want to play James Bond?’, I would say ’yeah’. But it’s not something I’m going to express by saying, ’Yes, I want to be the black James Bond’," he clarified.

According to Paris Match, which reports the information, it all started with the leak of an email from Amy Pascal, a senior executive at Sony Pictures, who had revealed that she thought the 46-year-old British actor should be the next 007 agent. A news that will have excited the fans of the saga.