David Oyelowo, a British-Nigerian actor, says he is keen to become the first black James Bond.
The filmmaker, who has quickly become one of Hollywood’s most sought-after talents, said the significance of him playing the role is not lost on him during a chat with The Times.
Famed for his role as an MI5 officer on the British drama series ‘Spooks’ and Martin Luther King Jr. in the 2014 biographical drama film ‘Selma’, Oyelowo said playing a character like James Bond would “expand horizons”.
He added that it will give a generation of black youngsters a superhero to identify with.
“The significance of someone like me playing a role like James Bond is not lost on me. It is going to be something that will expand horizons,” he said.
“One of the most beautiful things I have seen in America on Halloween is white kids running around in Black Panther costumes.”
“I did not have a superhero to identify with growing up on a council estate in Islington. It was all Superman. That these things are very important is not lost on me.”
To claim the coveted 007 tuxedo, Oyewolo would have to fend off interest from the likes of Idris Elba, Cillian Murphy and Tom Hardy.
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