Idris Elba recently got candid about the prospects of him becoming the next James Bond. During an appearance on an episode of Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes’ podcast, “SmartLess,” Elba spoke about speculations regarding the role. When rumors of the possible casting began swirling in Hollywood, the 50-year-old revealed he was “super complimented.”

“We’re all actors, and we understand that, that role is one of those sorts of coveted types. It’s like being named Sexiest Man Alive,” he said. “But being asked to be James Bond was like, ‘Okay, you’ve sort of reached the pinnacle.'”

However, the Daddy’s Little Girls star revealed he was put off when talks about the role centered around race. “Essentially, it was a huge compliment that every corner of the world — except for some corners, which we will not talk about — were really happy about the idea that I could be considered,” he added. “Those that weren’t happy about the idea made the whole thing disgusting and off-putting because it became about race. It became about nonsense, and I got the brunt of it.”

Earlier this year, Elba informed The Guardian that he was far from being cast as Bond, last played by Daniel Craig in 2021’s No Time To Die. “I love the Bond franchise. I’m very close to the producers,” he said. “We were all kind of laughing about the rumors because they are just that. I can’t speak for [the producers], but from my perspective, there’s never been any sort of truth to any of it. It’s a compliment, and it’s an honor — but it’s not a truth.”

In January 2022, Barbara Broccoli, one of the franchise’s lead producers, unveiled in an interview that Elba had “been part of the conversation.” “Well, we know Idris, I’m friends with him, and he’s a magnificent actor,” she said. “It’s been part of the conversation, but it’s always difficult to have the conversation when you have someone in the seat.”