Actor tipped to be first black Bond

The Daily Telegraph (UK) ^ | December 3, 2004 | By Hugh Davies

[aculeus]

A leading black actor, 6ft 4in Colin Salmon, emerged last night as a front-runner to replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond in the next 007 adventure.

Noted for a deep, commanding voice, the 41-year-old actor already has a recurring role in the Bond series as Charles Robinson, M's suave chief-of-staff.

The chance to promote him, while startling, would not be unexpected. The Broccoli family, who are casting the film, the 21st in the series, are said to fear that the films have become anachronistic.

They told Brosnan they wanted to "go in a new direction".

Initially, this was taken to mean that they were turning away from the special effects and high-tech gadgetry to update Casino Royale, Ian Fleming's first Bond book.

The feeling is that despite the vast profits from the last movie, Barbara Broccoli, whose father Cubby made the early Bonds, and Michael Wilson, her step-brother and partner at Eon Productions, are anxious to make a more hard-boiled thriller.

Speculation about Salmon, who was born in Luton, stems from a sudden rush of unusually large bets on him. Warren Lush, a spokesman for Ladbrokes, said yesterday: "They have come out of nowhere, with sums like £500 apiece. These are huge bets for what is really a novelty wager.

"The suspicion is they may be being placed by people, or spies out there, in the know. So we have temporarily closed the book on the next Bond, as we don't want to get out fingers burned."

Until now, the favourite was Dougray Scott, whose play, Becket, closes in London's West End in a fortnight. Ewan McGregor was also a runner until he accepted his latest stage role.

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[Cronos]

..is it therefore okay for white girls to play the role of Kim in Miss Saigon on Broadway?

Err.... they already have.....

[Cronos]

Now THAT would be funnneeeee

I could never stand the Shaft movies myself, but Drew as Shaft, I WOULD see!

[Rakkasan1]

now that was funny...I was hoping they'd pick Mr.T
,he's been out of work for a while.

"I pity the fool who messes with ma Astin Martin"

[Cronos]

I think he would be a good choice -- though he may be black, he is the epitome of 'Englishness' -- a suave debonair, elegant character. This is not some Eddie Murphyesque 'brotha'. I think folks in the US are brought up with that irritating image of black folks. Here in the UK I've met tons of Black, Indian, Chinese etc. folks who talk, act and sound more English than ethnically English folks. If I were blind, I'd swear they were English.

[cyborg]

Agreed.

[texasbluebell]

After Connery, there is no Bond.

[Cronos]

Oh, the Pink Panther series are hilarious -- but no one can top Peter Sellers. Even as a bumbling Frenchman or a bumbling Indian (in the Party), he doesn't insult the nationalities so much as point out extreme foibles.

[Cronos]

The movie version of the Wild Wild West had Will Smith. I think that one bombed big time. Will Smith is a big draw but a black secret agent cowboy post Civil War?

Will Smith is a wise-ass black brotha who I strongly dislike. This guy, on the other hand is a slick, suave, debaonair character -- exactly what Bond is supposed to be. I wouldn't believe WIll Smith as Bond, but I'd believe this guy could be Bond.

[Cronos]

Actually today's James Bond would work for the EU.

I do think MI5 and 6 are still independent of the Surété and other European intelligence services.

[Tench_Coxe]

Personally, I preferred him as Eddie Arlett's supervisor in 'Keen Eddie'. Shame Fox cancelled that series.

[Cronos]

It is stated explicitly in the novel "Live and Let Die" Bond's contact

And they ran out of James Bond 'books' to make the movies from, before Pearce Brosnan came on board

[sonofatpatcher2]

30 years aog, I though I was right for the part...

Among others, that is!

[Cronos]

As long as they don't pick a black as Bond's woman

you mean you don't want Halle BErry back???

But then, she is half-white. And with the way things are going, I'd guess most folks are no longer exclusively black, white, mongoloid etc.

[Cronos]

Russell Crowe would be better....

Nah, he's the tough-guy kind of image, not really the suave Bond type. Great actor though..

[cyborg]

I was not impressed by his book. Better book is The Myths That Divide Us by John Perazzo. The only thing I found interesting about Horowitz' book is his personal interactions with certain historical figures. Otherwise, his tone reminds me of a religious convert. I can see why the left hates him though, so that's why I like him.

[Cronos]

Oh, you mean Indian James Bonds.

WEll, I think we COULD ask for some Bollywood actors to step in.. Say, one of these guys?

 

 

[cyborg]

Bollywood is VERY prolific, putting out almost a 1,000 movies every year. Some of them are VERY good.

[yhwhsman]

After seeing him in 'The Tuxedo', I think Jason Isaacs would make a great Bond.

[Cronos]

The Timothy Dalton Bond most closely resembles the Bond of Ian Fleming, not the 'fantasy Bond' that we were subjected to with Connery and Moore.

VEry correct

[Cronos]

No way -- Denzel and suave? hmmm... maybe....