Writer says Idris Elba 'too street' to play James Bond

Billnew

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http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/01/entertainment/idris-elba-bond-anthony-horowitz-feat/index.html
I don't know the writer, but I can see what he is saying and it isn't racist in this case.

I offer this, I like Vin Diesel as an actor. But I don't think he could play Bond. He is "too street", IMHO to play the sophisticated Bond, James Bond. Maybe there is a sophisticated side to Diesel, but I haven't seen it.

I'm not against an AA Bond. If they find the right person to play it. But Bond is "noble elegant" not street tough. Also whoever it is will need a good English accent.

I should also say, I don't know the actor either. Maybe he is "nobly sophisticated". I just support "the street" argument not being racist.
 

cow451

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http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/01/entertainment/idris-elba-bond-anthony-horowitz-feat/index.html
I don't know the writer, but I can see what he is saying and it isn't racist in this case.

I offer this, I like Vin Diesel as an actor. But I don't think he could play Bond. He is "too street", IMHO to play the sophisticated Bond, James Bond. Maybe there is a sophisticated side to Diesel, but I haven't seen it.

I'm not against an AA Bond. If they find the right person to play it. But Bond is "noble elegant" not street tough. Also whoever it is will need a good English accent.

I should also say, I don't know the actor either. Maybe he is "nobly sophisticated". I just support "the street" argument not being racist.
He would easily be better than George Lazenby.
George-Lazenby-01.png
 
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Oafman

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I don't think this comment was motivated by racism. It was about the idea that Bond should be a suave and sophisticated English gentleman, and Elba is well known for gritty roles.

The reason I think he is wrong is that Elba is a good actor. The fact that he grew up in a tough part of East London would not prevent him from bringing sufficient sophistication to the role, given his acting ability. And in any case, this 'sophisticated English gentleman' has been successfully played by a Scotsman, and less successfully by an Irishman and an Australian.

Also, over time Bond has become more gritty. He has become a much more flawed character, with his chauvinism and alcoholism, and there's no question that Elba is good at playing a character with such flaws (eg his performances as Luther).

The nail in the coffin of Bond being sophisticated was when, in a shameless moment of product placement in the remake of Casino Royale, Craig ordered a drink containing Gordon's Gin. Gordon's is the choice of mildly-alcoholic housewives, not of sophisticates!

Elba would make a great Bond. Not because it would be a politically correct choice, but because he's a good actor.
 
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Billnew

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No, I'm not, and I don't think the writer meant Bond can't be Black.
I have no problem with Bond being Oriental...ok, oriental Bond with an English accent, might be a stretch.

As I said, I don't know the actor. I have seen him do some street type characters, like Vin Diesel. (I hope I never hear Vin Diesel attempt an English accent.) I don't think I have seen him in "upper class roles." As I said in OP, he might be able to pull off the sophisticated character, I don't know.
But as I said, I think the Bond Character is a "Nobly sophisticated gentleman", changing that would mean it wasn't Bond.

Batman: Is Bruce Wayne. Batman can be any race, but his alter ego is a millionaire, raised from money. So he should be based in "Society "class. Not a person born of the streets.

Sorry, 007, Bond series is about a Gentleman spy's story, not a woman's spy story. Yes, with cars, gadgets, and explosions.
 
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Idris Elba is a great actor. Dainel Craig didn't strike me as any more "sophisticated" than Elba. Both seem to me they can portray contemporary sophisticated gentlemen that move beyond a certain cliche image we Americans have of the English upper-crust. Call it sophistication through being self-made or first generation rich as opposed to being sophisticated through being born into wealth and privilege. If that brings a certain "edge" to a man's demeanor or his style of "sophistication" then so be it.

Elba also has a contemporary muscular physique that Craig brought to the role. Or whoever picked him for the role.

Craig and Elba would be toned down contemporary takes on 007 compared to the more radical take the Robert Downey Jr character performed of Sherlock Holmes. Then again... I never read any of the Sherlock Holmes books and my only image of the character is from movies. So, maybe in the books Sherlock Holmes was a drug addicted dude stoned in opium dens, unshaven at times, and a martial artist getting into street fights and even in no-holds-barred, bare knuckled competitions.
 
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