February 22, 2014. Idris Elba attends the 45th NAACP Image Awards in Pasadena, California. (Reuters)
There was growing buzz in Hollywood over Oscars weekend for hunky actor Idris Elba to take over the coveted role of James Bond, at the same time debate’s raging over diversity in the movies.
As Elba made the rounds of Hollywood parties on Friday night, one power movie exec told the New York Post of Elba as 007, “Is the world ready? I think so.”
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Further sources added they were confident Elba could take on the iconic part.
Though actor said last year of the Bond casting, “It’s all rumorville,” the rumors are kicking up again night among not just fans but Hollywood’s elite. Elba’s also said, “If human beings want to know if there’s any connectivity between all of us, the one thing I’ve heard around the world universally is that, ‘You’ll be great at James Bond!’” Others said to be possibilities to take over the role from blond Bond Daniel Craig include “Billions” star Damian Lewis and lesser known James Norton.
Elba had been considered a Best Actor contender for his role in recent “Beasts of No Nation,” but he was snubbed in a year that no black actors were nominated, including Will Smith and “Creed” star Michael B. Jordan. Some like Smith have boycotted, while black presenters onboard for the show this year include Jordan, Morgan Freeman, Whoopi Goldberg, Quincy Jones, Common, John Legend, Pharrell Williams and Louis Gossett Jr.
But perhaps besides the Bond buzz on Oscar weekend, karma was on Elba’s side, too. At the exact time he entered a reception for this year’s British nominees at Fig & Olive as the night’s surprise guest, the Bond theme suddenly started booming on the audio system.
Click here to read more in the New York Post.
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