Anthony Horowitz, author of the most recent Bond installment, Trigger Mortis, called actor Idris Elba “too street” for the iconic role. And I call “racism.”
In late 2014, British actor Idris Elba made headlines with fans and Hollywood insiders’ alike. Would he be cast as Bond in the next in the series, Trigger Mortis? In fact, this site ran an article on the issue entitled Idris Elba as a Post-Racial James Bond? Not So Fast. The article focused on the Bond character, originally created by author Ian Fleming in the 1920s. Fleming’s Bond was Scottish, he was white, and he was a white supremacist. According to the piece, the movies were more subtle, but pointed out that Fleming’s novels were, in fact, quite racist.
Since the 1920s and Fleming’s death in 1964, the Bond series has been penned by a wide range of authors, all commissioned by the original author’s estate. And, as I imagine these authors have kept to the original author’s protagonist’s personality, I’d also posit, the authors took poetic license and their work evolved with the times. I concede, Bond is a fictional character created to be a white man, a Scottish man, and a racist man. Today, with the upcoming casting of Trigger Mortis, this latest Bond novel/screenplay, the article questioned casting a black actor in the role. Some argued that because the character is supposed to be a white racist, he cannot be played by a black man. On the other hand, many cried flat out racism.
I wonder, if James Bond is in fact such a racist, how did he end up in bed with so many non-white women?
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And, as an aside, I wonder, if James Bond is in fact such a racist, how did he end up in bed with so many non-white women? The first Black Bond girl was Trina Parks in Diamonds Are Forever (1973). Gloria Hendry made history in 1973 in Live and Let Die as Bond’s first black romantic interest, although when the film was first released in South Africa during the Apartheid era, the sex scenes were cut. Subsequent black actresses included Grace Jones in A View to Kill (1985), Halle Berry in Die Another Day (2002), and Naomi Harris in Skyfall (2012). No one complained that Berry she was “too street.” We all just watched, mesmerized, as she oozed out of the ocean in her orange bikini.
Horowitz called the acclaimed British actor “too street,” an obvious euphemism for too black, or simply, black.
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Just this week, in an article in Variety, Anthony Horowitz, author of the latest Bond installment, Trigger Mortis, re-opened the racist wound and found himself backpedaling to get out of what was clearly a racial slur. Fan and studio favorite Elba had been singled out for the role with the initial backlash (as referred to in the above article). Many proponents claimed, it’s fiction and it’s acting and we suspend disbelief all the time in movies and books. Elba is a great actor and would do the role justice. Those against casting Elba claimed foul citing artistic issues. Months passed, the uproar died down. And then, just this week, Horowitz called the acclaimed British actor “too street,” an obvious euphemism for too black, or simply, black. He stumbled on to say Elba was not suave enough, comparing him negatively to the ultra-suave Daniel Craig, who is, of course, white. It is this writer’s opinion that Horowitz needed a publicist to shove something large and doughy into his mouth as he went on to mention another good, but lesser known black British actor, Adrian Lester who might play Bond, but, certainly not Elba. By the way, I have nothing against Lester, he’s a fine actor. But, Elba would bring in the bucks. American bucks. I’m not a Hollywood insider, but I think you can take that to the bank.
Anyone who has seen Idris Elba act, knows he can act. And, anyone who has seen the man in a four thousand dollar suit, knows he is as suave as they come. Horowitz’ defense against his “too street” statement was that he’s a writer, and he chose his words clumsily. I’m not buying it. I’m a writer, and I am expected to choose my words quite carefully. He referred to Elba’s gritty portrayal of DCI John Luther, unable to get over the “street-ness” of that role. Idris Elba has 74 actor credits to his name on IMDB including the exceedingly suave Stringer Bell from The Wire, and countless others. One role that stands out for me is the ever so non-street role of Nelson Mandela in the recent Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013).
Mr. Horowitz, I don’t buy your excuses. You don’t see James Bond as black. Period. Unless you cast Elba in your next film, I’ll pass, thank you. Going with another black actor might sway me, but not bloody likely. You have tipped your racist hand and no amount of spin can make up for the damage done. Elba is just as, if not more, qualified to play this role than any actor I can think of, but of course, I’m not a casting director. However, I am a fan. And if he were cast, I’d pay full price to see this film in a theater, and I’d spring for popcorn.
As an audience we’ve suspended disbelief with Sean Connery, for the love of God George Lazenby, Christoper Cazenove, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig (and that’s not a complete list) all actors playing the same role, but with one thing in common, the color of their skin. And yet not all with the same talent, suave, Bond-ness. Oh, no. Don’t pretend for a second that we are buying your “street” excuse. And, by the way, I’d lose that term. It’s racist. Stop talking. Just write.
It’s how we think and talk about black people and it has to stop. And it has to stop now.
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And that is the real issue. Racism. Whether it’s about Bond, or some other movie role, boys in hoodies, teens having a pool party at the end of a school year, or men driving on the freeway; it’s skin color. It’s how we think and talk about black people and it has to stop. And it has to stop now. “Too street?” No, the issue for so many is skin color and that issue needs to be acknowledged so it can be owned. And then it has to be addressed. Which is to say, stopped. By all of us. White people need to stop it. There is no cop out. Too street is racist. Too ethnic is racist. In the context of this article, we are talking about professional actors. Their job is to become someone else. So, the only issue is that people cannot see past skin color and it is time for that to be over.
I’m angry for anyone who has ever been discriminated against because of their skin color, and it’s my responsibility as much as anyone else’s to make change.
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As a white woman, I hesitated to write this piece. I often feel uncomfortable sharing my anger about racism. How dare I be angry? I have it easy. But I am angry for my friends, for the mothers I see in pain as their sons are senselessly killed. I’m angry for one of my closest friends who had to move because my city, a progressive liberal city, was a hostile, hateful, racist environment where she feared for her safety. I know friends worry about their sons, and brothers, who are targets, their men who are unfairly targeted and jailed. I’m angry for anyone who has ever been discriminated against because of their skin color, and it’s my responsibility as much as anyone else’s to make change. I can say that I will do my part. I will write about comments like “too street.” I will take actionable offense to racist jokes if I hear them. I have marched with my teenage son, in a hoodie, in peaceful protest against unjust verdicts freeing white police officers who kill unarmed black men. It is my job, your job, our job, as a community, as a world, as a society, to say “no more” to these comments, and to sanctioned societal racism. We have to fight. It’s our fight. It’s a human fight. Shame on you Anthony Horowitz. Look in the mirror and ask yourself, what did you really mean? Instead of backpedaling, look in the mirror and own up to your deepest, darkest thoughts. And make change, and if you’re not sure how you can help or what you can do, ask. Get involved. It won’t fix itself.
In the last line of that Variety article, Horowirtz said: “I know it’s racist to probably point this out.” And that’s it. That’s the “but.” “Maybe, it’s racist but . . . .” If you have to say that, then it’s racist. So you stop, and you stop, and you, and I will too, and she will, and he will, and do not do it. Ever. Again.
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At first I thought you are wrong and were just being PC and he should be white and Scottish/British. But English society has changed significantly and there have been waves of immigration, particularly in the 1950’s and 1960’s, of black and Indian people. There are some young black guys from the next generation who have ‘posh’ English accents and who would make good English gentlemen, likewise with some Indians who might also make good British gentlemen. Bond is a suave guy who surprises by being surprisingly good physically. You could take a black/Indian guy and make him more British ‘gentleman’… Read more »
The next Charlie Chan movie will have the lead character played by Will Smith. Is that OK too?
It would be if you consider that the actor who played Charlie Chan wasn’t even Chinese. He was Swedish. He just had some Asian features.
“too street” could apply to white actors. Anybody see Al Pacino as, say, Lear? Gandolf? Eisenhower?
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/feb/04/al-pacino-to-play-king-lear
The point is not that “street” can be used to describe a white actor. The point is it’s *not* used to describe white actors. “Street” is used as a euphemism in place of saying someone is Black — just like saying someone is “ethnic” or “urban.” This isn’t an argument of semantics or even intent. This is an argument about how Horowitz used the word. There is a significant portion of the Variety article’s readers who immediately saw it for what it was. We can’t blame the uproar solely on the media. The uproar occurred because people understood what he… Read more »
My personal opinion that may get me flak, if I may? Regardless of Anthony’s obvious racism faux pas.. We’re holding two different issues under the same context because of the situation and its making some people get up in arms for not exactly the right reason and in some cases potentially making them defend points they don’t agree with in passing. The two separate issues being: 1. Is Anthony racist? 2. Should Bond be black? Here are my answers: 1. Quite possibly, but not definitely. If he had just said he didn’t want to cast a black man for the… Read more »
Leia
You’re exactly correct. The problem is that tying a story to the Bond franchise, if you will, guarantees big bucks which a story without such a hand up would not return.
I think we need to write new stories with new original characters instead of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole….
We just saw Angelina Jolie in “Lara Croft” last night….there were a lot of James Bond/John Woo action sequences and unbelievable scenarios….but they tailored the role to fit more to Angelina herself….
Maybe we have enough stories about white, Scottish men who are racist and sleep with women of many colors…..maybe there are different stories about different kinds of people that need to be told…
“Mr. Horowitz, I don’t buy your excuses. You don’t see James Bond as black. Period. Unless you cast Elba in your next film, I’ll pass, thank you.” I beg to point out regardless of your estimation of him as a person, Horowitz is not a filmmaker, producer, caster, screenwriter, or film franchise consultant; so that is a somewhat nonsensical comment: However Horowitz conceives of Bond in his novel (or novels, assuming he goes on to write more), as a print author writing an independent print novel, he has zero say and impact on the past, present, or future of the Bond… Read more »
As you mentioned, the GMP has already done an article on this subject: https://goodmenproject.com/arts/idris-elba-post-racial-james-bond-not-fast-hesaid/ Please forgive me if I reiterate some significant points I already brought to the table when Noah Berlatsky’s article covered this ground. Most significantly, Idris Elba is a bit of a red herring in all of this. As it stands now, Elba is incompatible for stepping into the Bond franchise- not because he’s black, not because he’s “too street” but simply because he’s too old: Even assuming Daniel Craig retires from role of Bond with the premiere of “Spectre” at the end of the year (which… Read more »
Idris Elba too old ?
I don’t mind seeing Idris as James Bond when he is 55+.65+……….:)
More power to you- but keep in mind: For the past thirty years and counting now no actor at or over the age of 50 has played Bond. The fact that Roger Moore last did it thirty years ago (and, incidentally, he alone was & remains the only actor over age of 50 to ever play Bond, in the official EON series) was largely a consequence of a casting decision that was made more than forty years ago now. That’s a long time, and a lot of Bonds and a lot of Bond movies in-between for the trend to change-… Read more »
Name a characteristic which would be “suave”. It’s body language. It’s handling the “r” , trilled or not, depending. It’s perfect posture looking easy. It’s certain vowels. From time to time on the news, you’ll see somebody from the UK who isn’t in the educated, received-pronunciation class and sometimes there’s a screen crawl translating it. It’s being charming and courteous while being absolutely in control of one’s self-presentation and impervious. Some young people I know who’ve spent much time in Europe including Russia have said you can always spot an American. They walk freely, take long steps and look around… Read more »
The only question should be “Can he pull off the stunts?” “Can he drink a martini?” “Is he a convincing lover?” I notice in the Jay Gatsby / John Belushi comparison, Richard, you conveniently chose an actor who was dead. Difficult to transform yourself into a suave playboy when you aren’t even alive, don’t you think? But that is what living actors do. They transform themselves into the role. The fact that so many people have already played Bond means that the character can be anyone who can play the part well. There is no doubt that “too street” is… Read more »
“What actual characteristic does Idris Elba have (besides the color of his skin) that makes him un-Bond like? Name one.”
He’s too old.
45 is too old to begin a tenure as a Bond actor. It’s not just Bond- Tobey Macguire & Andrew Garfield were both great as Spider-Man, but they were replaced in large part because their actual age became incompatible with the relative age of the character they were meant to play.
Roger Moore wrapped A View to Kill at age 57.
“Roger Moore wrapped A View to Kill at age 57.”
Think about the totality of all those words there.
You seem to be citing that example as though were a genuine endorsement for an older actor to play Bond, and not a dire, dire warning against it for future generations to come… Seriously though- ‘A View To A Kill’ was not his finest hour.
Here are the ages of the Bond actors at the time they wrapped filming. 45 does not seem anywhere near “too old”. Roger Moore AVTAK 57 Roger Moore OP 55 Roger Moore FYEO 53 Roger Moore MR 51 Roger Moore TSWLM 49 Pierce Brosnan DAD 49 Daniel Craig SP 47 Roger Moore TMWTGG 46 Pierce Brosnan TWINE 46 Roger Moore LALD 45 Timothy Dalton LTK 44 Pierce Brosnan TND 44 Daniel Craig SF 44 Timothy Dalton TLD 42 Pierce Brosnan GE 42 Sean Connery DAF 40 Daniel Craig QOS 40 Daniel Craig CR 38 Sean Connery YOLT 36 Sean Connery… Read more »
🙂
Lisa, this is the way to join an argument with facts that are hard to dispute. That’s some pretty amazing scholarship. Well done.
Just for a bit more facts for chronological context Jed… George Lazenby was about 30 when he took over for Connery as Bond. Sean Connery himself was 32 when he first played Bond. Daniel Craig was 38 when he started playing Bond. Pierce Brosnan was 42 when he started as Bond. Timothy Dalton was 43 when he started as Bond. Roger Moore was the oldest Bond, starting in the role at the age of 45, and that was more than forty years ago now- they haven’t ever cast any other actor older than 43 to start in the role (both… Read more »
Take another look at the numbers- The oldest actor ever cast to START a tenure of Bond movies was Roger Moore, back around 1973, at age 45. Both before and since the studio has always angled for a relatively younger Bond/Bond actor. Should Idris Elba be cast as Bond in the near future he would likely be the oldest ever to commence the such a tenure. Could he play a believable Bond at forty-five through fifty-seven or so? Sure. Will Sony cast him in favor of a younger actor? No they won’t. Age is still a factor (especially when you’re… Read more »
The point about Belushi is that casting him as Gatsby changes the story. It’s not anti–whatever his ancestry was. Casting a black as Bond is changing the story. If you’re going to cast a black as Bond, then he has to exemplify the cuff-shooting martini expert. “too street” is a judgment of an expert in the field who, among other things, has reputation if not money in the game. “too street:” can mean anything you want it to mean. Free country and all. But that means the director can have it mean anything he wants it to mean and you… Read more »
Richard, you are certainly entitled to your opinion about Idris Elba. I don’t know how familiar you are with him, but he is, in fact extremely suave, and is both in person and has been in many, many of his roles. In addition, I would disagree wholeheartedly that the term “too street” is not a racial slur. I believe it is. The comparison of casting a John Belushi as Gatsby, to me is apples to oranges. But that’s me.
I don’t see black — I see a man. An actor. I recently interviewed a man on my radio show who taught the audience about racial profiling which was eye-opening and not judgmental in any form. I applaud those who can do this with out anger, resentment or any other negative emotion,
Right, that’s not really what this is about though, it’s about calling black actors “too street” or black people too “anything.” It’s about changing how we look at people and not using color to excuse our dismissal of others, excuse our criticisms of others, excuse our fear of others, excuse senseless killing of others. It’s about a lot more than casting a movie.
Yeah, people objected to white guys playing Iago.
As to flipping one item or another, as Jay Nordlinger said of the Salzburg production of Fidelio, if you want a different story, write your own. Don’t mess with the classics.
I think you mean Othello. Othello was the moor in that play.
Interesting enough, Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard, Professor X et cetra) had a dream of playing Othello on stage. He financed the production himself and to keep with the play’s theme, cat black actors in the rest of the parts.
I’ve spend a couple decades teaching English, and a similar tension exists when color-blind casting of Shakespeare characters. Some people are quite adamant that this spoils the playwright’s intent; others insist that adapting Shakespeare to different historical settings and different races and different languages and different genders helps to better explore the play’s universal themes and nuances of motives and themes. I argue for the latter view. I think the same thing is true for Bond. He’s so iconic, and each generation can explore various nuances of the Bond character by casting the leads with a range of actors. Go… Read more »
Great feedback, Karen. Thank you for your comment.