Joanna Lumley: Idris Elba should not play James Bond as he doesn't fit description
Joanna Lumley has said that Idris Elba should not play the role of James Bond because he doesn’t fit the description of the character in Ian Fleming’s original novels.
Joanna Lumley is right: Idris Elba shouldn’t play Bond – in fact, no one should
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The Absolutely Fabulous actor, who appeared in a minor role in Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), made the comments during an interview with the Radio Times. “Idris Elba is stunning – and was incidentally in Absolutely Fabulous – but I don’t think he is right for Bond, who is quite clearly described in the book,” she said. “I’m colour-blind when it comes to acting, but Idris Elba is just a zonking great star anyway.”
Lumley suggested that Elba be given a new film project instead: “I think ‘Idris Elba for fab new fabness’ is what I would say.”
Along with Tom Hardy and Tom Hiddleston, Elba is among several actors widely tipped to take over from Daniel Craig in the role of Bond. Craig’s continuing involvement in the franchise has been the subject of intense speculation. In 2015 the actor said that he would “rather slash my wrists” than play the character again. However, he is said to be the first choice of the franchise’s longstanding producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson to continue in the role.
Lumley isn’t the first prominent figure to suggest that Elba might not be suitable for the part of Fleming’s super-spy. In 2015 author Anthony Horowitz, who has written several “continuation” Bond novels, was widely criticised for suggesting that Elba would be “too street” to play the character. Horowitz later apologised for the remarks, saying that his choice of words was “poor”.