Probably one of the best things to surface from Sony Pictures Entertainment’s e-mail hacking scandal is that co-chair Amy Pascal wants Idris Elba (pictured), a Black Briton, to reprise the traditionally White role of master spy James Bond.
And why wouldn’t Pascal want him for the role?
Elba has the acting chops with roles in the “Wire,” “Mandela,” “Luther,” and “Obsessed.”
And he has the looks: People magazine recently voted Elba one of 2014’s sexiest men alive.
The ongoing issue, though, is racism, especially abroad, where theater-goers reportedly do not like Black leads, according to another leaked Sony e-mail.
Meanwhile on the shores of America, conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh likely summed up racist sentiments about Elba in the role: “But that’s not who James Bond is, and I know it’s racist to probably point this out.”
Until this weekend, no one had actually heard from Elba himself about the potential role. But he set hearts aflutter Saturday after tweeting,
“Isn’t 007 supposed to [be] handsome? Glad you think I’ve got a shot! Happy New year people,” alongside an image of him with a scruffy beard.
So far, the tweet collected more than 14,000 retweets and 19,000 favorites.
At any rate, we hope that this is more than a notion for Sony. We can’t wait to hear Elba say, “My name is Bond…James Bond.”
Idris Elba On James Bond Role: ‘Isn’t 007 Supposed To Be Handsome?’ was originally published on newsone.com
