O-O-No! Bond can’t be black or female
RALPH IN ROLE ROW
HOLLYWOOD star Ralph Fiennes sparked a row after saying James Bond should not be played by a black actor or a woman.
The actor believes ethnic minority or female stars should have their own action films.
Fiennes, who took over as spymaster M from Dame Judi Dench, is preparing to start work on the 25th 007 movie, which has the working title Shatterhand.
The 56-year-old said: “I would like to see a great black actor inhabit a Bond-like persona but not necessarily in the same franchise.
“I think we could remake the idea of a Bond as a woman or as an actor of any ethnicity in another vehicle.” His remarks triggered a furious backlash online.
One critic tweeted: “Fiennes has lost the plot.” Another said: “The best actor should play James Bond – that is the only criteria, nothing to do with religion, race or ethnicity.”
But others backed the actor, claiming Bond’s creator Ian Fleming intended the spy to be white.
One said: “Write a new character for him. That’s fine. Won’t go anywhere near a black Bond because we all know he’d have been cast just because he’s black.”
Another wrote: “Happy to see a black actor play an MI6 agent or similar but don’t make him Bond.”
Fiennes’ view was supported by Graham Rye, who runs James Bond 007 Magazine.
He said: “I agree 100%. Nor should Bond be an Oriental or Asian actor, the same way a Caucasian should never be considered to play Shaka Zulu, Jawaharlal Nehru or Genghis Khan.”
RALPH Fiennes says James Bond should not be black or a woman.
His remarks have left fans shaken, not stirred…