Idris Elba refused to play James Bond

Idris Elba

Hollywood star Idris Elba was one of the biggest contenders for portraying James Bond after Daniel Craig left the franchise. However, he shared that he refused to play the famous MI6 spy-assassin due to high racist backlash.

According to reports, the actor told in a podcast, "Essentially, it was a huge compliment that every corner of the world except from some corners, which we will not talk about, were happy about the idea that I could be considered. 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."

The actor also said that getting the offer to play the role was highly flattering. "The truth is, I was super complimented for a long time about this. We're all actors and we understand that [James Bond] is one of those coveted [roles]. It felt like, ‘Okay, you've sort of reached the pinnacle,'" he added.

As per reports, the actor had earlier told in a magazine interview that he was no longer describing himself as a Black actor, saying, "I realised it put me in a box. We've got to grow. Our skin is no more than that: it's just skin." Elaborating on that statement, he later tweeted, "There isn't a soul on this earth that can question whether I consider myself a Black man or not. Being an ‘actor' is a profession, like being an ‘architect', they are not defined by race."

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