Cast a wider net, Patel says
‘Creative pool’ needs to be more diverse
Dev Patel would rather see more diverse roles in action franchises rather than casting a black or Asian James Bond.
Director Armando Iannucci has cast Patel as David Copperfield in the filmmaker’s new adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel, titled The Personal History of David Copperfield, slated for release in May.
Patel, best known for his breakout role in the 2008 hit movie Slumdog Millionaire, was asked in an interview with Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper if he’d like to play novelist Ian Fleming’s superspy in a similar example of colour-blind casting.
But Patel said it would “never happen” since he did not “fit the bill” due to his gawky persona.
Although Patel thinks discussion of a black or Asian 007 is great, he believes the focus should be instead on giving writers and directors of colour the chance to create their own iconic characters.
“It’s a great discussion, because what you’re seeing is the audience, the general public, wanting a change,” he said. “But on the other hand, why does it have to be Bond? The idea is to diversify the creative pool — the writers, the directors, the producers.
“That way, we’re giving birth to more diverse stories. So that means we don’t all have to be seagulls fighting for one chip on a plate. Hopefully there are roles for everyone. It doesn’t have to be Bond. It can be a different MI6 agent, or whatever.”
In No Time To Die, set for release in April, Daniel Craig will return for his fifth — and he says final — outing as Bond, having taken over the role from Pierce Brosnan in 2006 for Casino Royale, the first time Fleming ’s debut Bond novel had been given a serious big-screen treatment. (A 1967 version starring Peter Sellers, David Niven and Woody Allen is generally discarded as being a campy spoof with little connection to the original plot beyond its title.)
Early reports suggest that in No Time To Die, the 25th official film in the franchise, Bond’s 007 number has been reassigned to a new (black) agent, played by Captain Marvel sidekick Lashana Lynch. But Lynch’s character, Nomi, is not meant to be Bond, just an agent with his old number.
When pushed, Patel did name two candidates he’d love to see take over from Craig as the actual Bond.
“My vote is for Idris (Elba),” he said. “I think he’d be amazing. Or my boy Daniel Kaluuya would be a great Bond.”