Craig "We're ready for a black bond"
Pud2002
Posts: 65MI6 Agent
Copied this from IMDB:
Craig: 'We're Ready For A Black Bond'
6 November 2008 4:01 AM, PST
Daniel Craig is thrilled Barack Obama has triumphed in the U.S. presidential election - because he believes the African-American politician's victory means the world may be ready for a black James Bond.
The Quantum of Solace star, who received his fair share of criticism when he was named the first 'blonde Bond', believes the role of the secret agent could be played by actors of any race.
And Craig insists Obama's win indicates that audiences are ready for different ethnicities to be represented in the public eye.
He says, "After Barack Obama's victory I think we might have reached the moment for a coloured 007.
"I think the role could easily be played by a black actor, because the character created by Ian Fleming in the '50s has undergone a great deal of evolution and continues to be updated.
"I've always been a fan of Obama. The political ideas that have emerged from his speeches seem to me to be genuine."
Sorry but no, nothing against black people, but the films are straying to far from tradition as it is and some things need to be kept to how it was written.
Craig: 'We're Ready For A Black Bond'
6 November 2008 4:01 AM, PST
Daniel Craig is thrilled Barack Obama has triumphed in the U.S. presidential election - because he believes the African-American politician's victory means the world may be ready for a black James Bond.
The Quantum of Solace star, who received his fair share of criticism when he was named the first 'blonde Bond', believes the role of the secret agent could be played by actors of any race.
And Craig insists Obama's win indicates that audiences are ready for different ethnicities to be represented in the public eye.
He says, "After Barack Obama's victory I think we might have reached the moment for a coloured 007.
"I think the role could easily be played by a black actor, because the character created by Ian Fleming in the '50s has undergone a great deal of evolution and continues to be updated.
"I've always been a fan of Obama. The political ideas that have emerged from his speeches seem to me to be genuine."
Sorry but no, nothing against black people, but the films are straying to far from tradition as it is and some things need to be kept to how it was written.
Comments
As for a black Bond, never. Ian Fleming's character was a white British agent and he should always stay that way.
Personally I'm a little more worried about the use of the word 'coloured' in that quote!
Bond is white and that's the end of it
@merseytart
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
I don't take any of these comments seriously. I find it extraordinarily unlikely that Bond will ever be gay, black or female. It just wouldn't happen just as Superman will never be Scottish, Sherlock Holmes will never will be a kid (actually, that did happen
Fact: DC is human and likely has opinions on world events.
I think his comment that public acceptance for any black actor's entry into his profession is more a friendly and compassionate reflection on the world's progress at large.
I would pay good money to see that.
Kevin Bacon is slated to replace Samuel L.Jackson in the sequel to Shaft? The reason is that the producers wanted to explore new directions with the character of John Shaft, a black detective who (as it turns out) can easily be played by a white guy.
And did you hear the other news? There's a new Green Hornet movie coming out with...Seth Rogen(?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!) and , in a casting curve which should suprise the fans, Queen Latifah as Kato.
Green Hornet fans who questioned the wisdom in not putting an Asian actor in the role (Jet Li or Stephen Chow, for instance)have been criticized for thinking in narrow terms.
Until we reach the day when James Bond is not one character but a successive collection of characters with the title James Bond...until THAT happens...this conversation is completely and utterly irrelevant.
James Bond is NOT an interchangeable character who every few years changes his heritage. Fleming wrote him as white dude...lets all leave him at that, shall we?
However...if the day comes when anyone can be cast as Bond, some suggestions:
Chow-Yun Fat could have played 007 in his sleep a few years ago.
Wesley Snipes is one suave, dangerous actor. Ditto for the younger version of Billy Dee Williams.
And you know somewhere in Bollywood there has to be any number of guys that could probably step into 007's shoes without breaking a sweat.
And if we're speculating here: Bruce Lee. Look at Enter The Dragon, thats a close to a Bond film as you can get. Bruce Lee as 007 in an alternate film universe is the stuff dreams are made of.
But in this film universe right now...James Bond is who he is. Until that changes...Colin Salmon (who would be terrific) can only watch helplessly from the sidelines.
"Its an inspired plan, Goldfinger."
Fashter than a shpeeding bullet...
As for quoting Mr Craig - I keep thinking of something Farscape and Stargate actor Ben Browder once said. "I am often scared of saying things, in case they end up printed on a t-shirt!"
I do think where that gist is coming from goes back to the acceptance controversy that Craig had to weather and how he approached the matter by perfecting the Bond essence to the point that it surpassed the "established" character externals, at least for those who count the most, the movie going public (with special distinctions in age demographics), the critics unhampered by Bond fandom, the studio accountants, etc.
Therefore, from an argument of "essence," "yes we can" overcome traditional barriers to change if the effort is pure, powerful and noble enough. (do we have a waving flag smiley?)
7. LALD 8. TWINE 9. Skyfall 10. AVTAK 11. CR 12. TLD 13. YOLT
14. TMWTGG 15. Moonraker 16. TSWLM 17. Thunderball 18. FRWL
19. Dr. No 20. DAF 21. LTK 22. DAD 23. QoS 24. Spectre 25. NTTD
To contradict myself (I love doing that, perhaps because it's so easy), here is my suggestion for a black Bond:
Idris Elba:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0252961/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27811331/?gt1=43001
How do you reply to this without coming off sounding like a Klansman?
Re-writing history(even film history) for the sake of appeasement is a preposterous thing. Years ago, when Ted Turner attempted to colorize B/W films, he was largely ridiculed for literally destroying what made those films so beautiful to watch. Attempting to recast films that have traditionally been played by whites is the same premise IMO.
Would anyone believe these movies recast-
Zulu- 150 black British soldiers defend a fort against 4000 white African tribesmen armed with spears.
The Dirty Dozen- 11 black (and 1 token white) GIs go undercover and infiltrate a Nazi stronghold during WWII. Presumably the Nazis will be too preoccupied with Jews to notice their pigmentation.
The Sound of Music- A black woman and her band of Asian children go skipping about the Alps singing rap songs.
James Bond is a product of the Cold War. He is a character who was able to infiltrate Soviet and Eastern Bloc countries- BECAUSE HE WAS WHITE. And while that Cold War theme has largely been abandoned, it was in place when the series had it's largest body of successes. To change it now, you'd have to completely change the concept of the series. Basically, you'd be left with a name- James Bond.
I would'nt have any problem with a spy series written for and about blacks. I wouldn't even have a problem with rewritten series like Matt Helm or Derek Flint, as they were no where near as successful as the Bonds, so the characters could easily be changed. But Bond is a white guy- no matter how you chew it. If Fleming had written him as black, I'd have just as much trouble accepting him as white.
20 years from now, when they do the inevitable biopic about Obama, would they cast a white man in the part?
Sorry,but never will there be a black Bond.
No, because that's pretty much Obama's surname now: 'Barack Obama: First Black President'. There's nothing about James Bond's character that is informed or driven by his colour, ergo him being played by a non-white actor is not impossible.
there is a jane bond! it happens to be a porno. wen i was searchin for quantum of solace it came up (the dvd that is). check it out! http://www.zavvi.co.uk/jane+bond-Jane-Bond-DD7/761778/q.r10.1/p.jsf