Should Idris Elba Play the next James Bond!
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Original post by elizah
Where was the outrage when Katniss Everdeen, a girl described as being olive-skinned and having black hair was played by Jennifer Lawrence, a white actor? This is so common that it even has a name, racebending, but apparently, that's fine when it happens to black characters. Idris Elba is objectively a good actor.
I'm not a Hunger Games fan so can't comment. It doesn't matter how good an actor you are if you're not suited to a role's description. As I say, you can only change so much about a character before you change the character altogether. Sure Idris Elba might make a great action/spy genre actor, but that doesn't mean he's right to play James Bond. People were on edge just with Daniel Craig playing Bond with blond hair.
Original post by Reluire
I'm not a Hunger Games fan so can't comment. It doesn't matter how good an actor you are if you're not suited to a role's description. As I say, you can only change so much about a character before you change the character altogether. Sure Idris Elba might make a great action/spy genre actor, but that doesn't mean he's right to play James Bond. People were on edge just with Daniel Craig playing Bond with blond hair.
http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/04/25-minority-characters-that-hollywood-whitewashed/warm-bodies
This isn't something new. White actors have been playing POC characters for a long time. There is never any sort of any outrage when racebending occurs. It's hypocrisy at its best, pure racism at worst. Idris Elba is, like I said, objectively an extremely good actor and would do an amazing job playing Bond.
Original post by elizah
Where was the outrage when Katniss Everdeen, a girl described as being olive-skinned and having black hair was played by Jennifer Lawrence, a white actor? This is so common that it even has a name, racebending, but apparently, that's fine when it happens to black characters. Idris Elba is objectively a good actor.
At the time not many people had read the books, I still haven't, so not many people would've known to make an uproar. But James Bond movies have been around for years, people get used to the character.
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Original post by MrKmas508
He'll be to old when he in finally starts. Daniel Craig is doing one more bond film after spectre meaning it'll be 2020 when new bonds first film is release. Idris will be 47 in 2020 which is to old.
Roger Moore was 45 when he started playing Bond!
No. James Bond is a spy and, as such, needs to be able to blend into certain environments. This is fine when we're talking about the cocktail parties, casinos and western cities, Elba is a great actor and can play 'suave' no problem, but the problem arises when he, inevitably for a Bond film, finds himself 'in the field'. Spies tend to do most of their work in places like Russia, eastern Europe and Asia and these tend to be places that 6' 3" black fellas stick out like a prolapsed colon.
Original post by Andy98
At the time not many people had read the books, I still haven't, so not many people would've known to make an uproar. But James Bond movies have been around for years, people get used to the character.
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Like I said, racebending isn't anything new. This literally happens all of the time. White actors play black characters all of the time, and there is never any sort of uproar. People simply don't care. White is the default.
Idris Elba is a good actor and would do an amazing job playing James Bond.
Stop crying about it.
Original post by SLClegg
Roger Moore was 45 when he started playing Bond!
Was he?? I thought he was in his late 30's
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Original post by elizah
Where was the outrage when Katniss Everdeen, a girl described as being olive-skinned and having black hair was played by Jennifer Lawrence, a white actor? This is so common that it even has a name, racebending, but apparently, that's fine when it happens to black characters. Idris Elba is objectively a good actor.
Where was the outrage when Morgan Freeman took the part of a ginger (his name is 'Red') in The Shawshank Redemption?
Original post by Andy98
He first played him in Live and let Die in 1973.
Why do people create fake problems? I duno why anyone would care tbh. Anyway James Bond is a boring character that is played out, probs adding a little Jamaican spice may make it more interesting.
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Original post by elizah
Like I said, racebending isn't anything new. This literally happens all of the time. White actors play black characters all of the time, and there is never any sort of uproar. People simply don't care. White is the default.
Idris Elba is a good actor and would do an amazing job playing James Bond.
Stop crying about it.
Idris Elba is a good actor and would do an amazing job playing James Bond.
Stop crying about it.
I'm not denying he's a great actor - I'm just saying he isn't the right guy for Bond. He can do suave and all the characteristics - but the point behind being a spy is to blend in and I'm not being racist but a black guy would stick out like a sore thumb in Eastern Europe
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Original post by SLClegg
Discuss!
I think Michael Fassbender would make a better Bond!
Original post by Andy98
I'm not denying he's a great actor - I'm just saying he isn't the right guy for Bond. He can do suave and all the characteristics - but the point behind being a spy is to blend in and I'm not being racist but a black guy would stick out like a sore thumb in Eastern Europe
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You're denying my other statement. Racebending happens. White actors get cast to play black characters and sometimes, the vice versa is true. Stop crying about it like it's a new big deal, because it's not. Not choosing an amazing actor simply because of the color of his skin is idiocy.
Original post by TheThiefOfBagdad
Where was the outrage when Morgan Freeman took the part of a ginger (his name is 'Red'
in The Shawshank Redemption?
in The Shawshank Redemption?That's my point. Racebending happens and white people play black characters and sometimes the vice versa is true (even though it's quite rare) and people freaking out about Idris Elba, a good actor, playing Bond is ridiculous because this is not a new concept.
Original post by elizah
You're denying my other statement. Racebending happens. White actors get cast to play black characters and sometimes, the vice versa is true. Stop crying about it like it's a new big deal, because it's not. Not choosing an amazing actor simply because of the color of his skin is idiocy.
I'm not denying it happens. I'm simply saying that racebending shouldn't happen in this case.
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i agree that katniss was written as olive skined so the casting people should have made more of an effort in the hunger games to match this profile but at the same time, james bond is written as a white character and as great an actor as idris is, it just wouldnt fit to have a black guy as bond, especially considering that its such an established character through the many films so most people (me included tbh) have a pretty specific mental image of what bond physically looks like so it would only feel right that the new bond resembles the previous one for the sake of continuity. and tbh it would look kindof badly on the frachise as more often nowadays revamped films just change the race of a character and expect it to be a whole new thing, but nothing can really come close to the origonal look.
Original post by Andy98
I'm not denying it happens. I'm simply saying that racebending shouldn't happen in this case.
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Say what you want, not choosing a great actor based on the color of his skin is absolute idiocy, racebending happens and it will happen again.
Original post by elizah
Say what you want, not choosing a great actor based on the color of his skin is absolute idiocy, racebending happens and it will happen again.
You're not listening to anything I write are you?
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Racism being the main factor behind the opposition to Idris was only confirmed to me by Horowitz' suggestion that Idris is too street. The most "street" role he has played was in The Wire, in which he was the refined, cultured man amongst the gangsters. He generally comes across as refined, stylish and oozing suaveness. The street comment would appear to come purely from racial stereotyping.
It is only if I played Bond that there would truly be an issue, as all future attempts at the role would be rendered obsolete.
It is only if I played Bond that there would truly be an issue, as all future attempts at the role would be rendered obsolete.
Original post by Andy98
A: He's too old for it now really
B: I'm all for equality, but I'm not quite sure how they'd incorporate Bond turning black into the storyline
C: From what I've seen he isn't the right guy for Bond, usually Elba plays some gruff bloke whereas Bond is more refined.
Don't get me wrong, I do love the guy; but I don't think he's right for Bond.
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B: I'm all for equality, but I'm not quite sure how they'd incorporate Bond turning black into the storyline
C: From what I've seen he isn't the right guy for Bond, usually Elba plays some gruff bloke whereas Bond is more refined.
Don't get me wrong, I do love the guy; but I don't think he's right for Bond.
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A Daniel Craig is 47 so I think Elba could squeeze out one film before becoming older than him
B I'm sure they would treat it the same way they treated his other changes in appearance. I.e they would make no serious mention of it. And the recent James Bond has moved away from the jokey side so I doubt if they chose him they would make a joke about it either. Just have an scene in my head if somebody asking him if he has tanned whilst abroad on some mission in some boiling hot country.
C just because he has been attached to a certain role before doesn't mean he can't do a good James Bond. Granted if he can't do the more refined side then he will be terrible but if he could I don't really see why not?
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