Man with the Golden Pun...Elba echoes Mail
HE’S strongly tipped to go on Her Majesty’s Secret Service as the first black 007.
And yesterday Idris Elba had fun with the rumour – by echoing a Daily Mail headline in a tweet.
Our story on Saturday about the star’s chances of becoming James Bond was headlined ‘The name’s Elba... Idris Elba’ – imitating 007’s way of introducing himself.
Luther star Elba, 45, shared a heavily-filtered selfie on Twitter, in which only the top half of his face is visible, writing: ‘my name’s Elba, Idris Elba’.
The tweet prompted fans to respond with excitement, with one writing: ‘Does this mean what I think it means .... ?’ Another posted: ‘If you’re the next Bond, it will be the first Bond film I ever see.’
A third fan added: ‘Ticket sales for women 18-74 for James Bond movies just maxed out!’ A fourth wrote: ‘Please be 007. Don’t tease us like this – get that contract signed!!’
Elba is 2/1 favourite to take over the role of 007 from Daniel Craig who has indicated he will quit when the next Bond film is released next year. Other coneventually’. tenders include Tom Hardy, James Norton, Aidan Turner and Tom Hiddleston.
Bond producer Barbara Broccoli is said to have stated ‘it is time’ for a non-white actor to take the role, telling her director friend Antoine Fuqua that she felt a black 007 ‘will happen American Mr Fuqua, 52, has said: ‘Idris could do it if he was really tight and in shape. He doesn’t look 45. No one would even know.’
Elba, originally from Hackney, East London, is five years younger than Craig. However, he has repeatedly denied wanting to play Bond. Last year he said: ‘I think I’m too old for that. Running around in cars and ladies and martinis – who wants to do that? Sounds terrible.
‘I keep saying if it were to happen it would be the will of a nation because there haven’t been any talks between me and the studio about any of that.
‘But everywhere I go people want that to happen.’
‘007 ticket sales for women will soar’