Skepta hopes to reach immigrants with ‘Tribal Mark’
Grown tired of black Bond debate
SKEPTA HAS grown “bored” of debates about whether an actor of colour could play James Bond.
The 41-year-old rapper makes his film debut in Tribal Mark, which centres on a black undercover secret service agent, and Skepta has revealed that he’s grown tired of conversations over “who was going to play the black James Bond”.
He told the BBC:“It wouldn’t make sense if loads of white actors kept asking to play Black Panther, because he is black.”
Bond has been played by white actors since the start of the film franchise. But in recent years, various actors of colour, like Idris Elba, have been linked to the coveted role.
Skepta is now making his first foray into the movie industry, and the rap star didn’t have any hesitations about making the switch.
He explained: “For so long I have only made three-minute snapshots of songs and videos, but I thought to myself, ‘Why don’t we try and flesh that out?’
“I want to try and tell a story with as much of the real emotion as possible.”
Tribal Mark features a 90 per cent minority ethnic cast and Skepta has ambitious plans for the project.
He previously said in a statement: “I’ve always wanted to get into making films, and now feels like the perfect time.
“We’ve been working on this project for a while, and it’s one that’s extremely important to me. It’s a story that many immigrants will understand and connect with, as it reflects a journey many have gone through – and this project is for them. Our goal is to expand this into a growing world of action and adventure.
“There are plans for TV shows and movies, and I hope that kids who watch it will come to see Tribal Mark as their new superhero. This has been a new experience for me, wearing many hats like producing, co-directing, and acting.”