Discussion surrounding the possibility of a Black James Bond has largely centered around Luther actor Idris Elba, but there’s another Black Brit who’s ready to throw his hat in the ring for the iconic role.
David Oyelowo recently spoke to The Times UK about the possibility of his becoming the next Bond, saying it would be a “significant” moment in film for people of color.
“The significance of someone like me playing a role like James Bond is not lost on me,” he told the publication. “It is going to be something that will expand horizons.”
He went on, “One of the most beautiful things I have seen in America on Halloween is white kids running around in Black Panther costumes. I did not have a superhero to identify with growing up on a council estate in Islington. It was all Superman.”
The Selma actor has already broken boundaries in theater, becoming the first Black actor to play an English king in productions of Henry VI, parts I, II, III by the Royal Shakespeare company.
“When I was at drama school, the idea of a Black James Bond was so far removed from everyone’s thinking,” he said. “We are talking about real progress. Society is beginning to tell the industries what they want to see.”
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