‘I’d Love to Play 007 . . . But I Don’t Want to Be Known as ‘The Black James Bond’

It’s been rumoured for a while now that Idris Elba is set to become the next James Bond.

And the hunky British actor and sometime-singer will excite millions of female fans out there after admitting he would ‘definitely consider’ the role.

He said the it was ‘a very old rumour’ that he had been asked to play special agent 007.

But producers might come running when they hear how committed he is to his work.

The 39-year-old, who hails from Hackney, in North London, revealed he’d pull a stunt worthy of the role.

‘If Sony decided to call me and said hey, we wanted to do [James Bond], I’d definitely consider it,’ he told U.S. radio station NPR.

‘I’d not only get in the cab, but I’d take the taxi driver out of the car, hostage, jump out while it was moving, jump onto a pedal bike that was just past the door as I got on it, and then get onto a plane–on the wing–and land on top of Sony Studios, slide through the air conditioning, and land in the office.

‘I’m never shaken or stirred.’

But Idris said he hoped fans would look past his race and concentrate on his acting skills.

‘My Dad and I were talking about this the other day because he said ‘You could do it, would you do it?’ I was like ‘Yeah, I would do it, but I just don’t want to be called the first black James Bond’. Do you understand what I ‘m saying?

‘Sean Connery wasn’t the Scottish James Bond and Daniel Craig wasn’t the blue-eyed James Bond.

‘So if I played him, I don’t want to be called the black James Bond.’

The actor is best known for playing best known for playing drug baron Stringer Bell on HBO hit The Wire.

He says he didn’t define the character as a black drug dealer.

‘I didn’t come to America to play black roles. I came to America to play roles. And Stringer Bell, being my first character, was a smart drug dealer. In my opinion, he’s black, but that’s not the point.

‘The point is, this is a man who’s caught between two worlds. And that complex balance he’s in, is what made the drama.’

The actor is already busy with his detective series Luther which has just been snapped up for a third series.

He told The Sun: ‘I was blown away by the reaction to series two. People really got on board and getting an Emmy nomination for Luther is the icing on the cake.

‘We’re looking at returning with some equally great storylines and characters–and hopefully an Emmy award.’