Lashana Lynch has opened up about the possibility of a black actor playing James Bond in the future, and doesn’t want the castimg to be seen as a ‘New Age thing’.
The actress, 32, who was cast as the new 007 Nomi in No Time To Die, spoke out about the reactions to her role from critics.
She told GQ: ‘White patriarchy will always have something to say when it comes to things like that, but the magnitude of it was ridiculous.
‘I was imagining these weird-looking actual trolls with blue hair! On their computers, typing away. For me, none of it is real. As soon as my phone is off or I’m out of the app, it quite literally doesn’t exist any more.’
With the film being Daniel Craig’s last outing as James Bond, there has been much speculation over who might take on the role next, and whether it may be given to a black or female actor, with Idris Elba’s name being in the ring.
Lashana says she would love to see a black actor cast as Bond, but that it shouldn’t be a novelty if the character is no longer white.
She explained: ‘[I’m tired of] the fact that you have to celebrate it, like it’s this New Age thing, like black people have just arrived on the planet.
‘That’s what annoys me about the idea of Idris Elba being “the black Bond”… For my community, those are really big things, but for the world, I need you to not care about it.’
She added: ‘All of the titles need to go and just focus on the job in hand: are you proud of this movie and this character? Do you relate to them? Yes. Stop. Keep it moving.’
Bond producer Barbara Broccoli recently revealed that there is no definite casting for the role just yet, with bosses only planning to choose another actor after the latest movie has been released.
Originally slated for release on April 2, 2020, it was moved back to November 12, 2020 when the first lockdown began, before being moved again due to the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, with release being planned for April 2021 instead.
James Bond: No Time To Die will be released on April 2, 2021.
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