News Digest

Salmon says he’s ‘bored’ of skin colour talk after being tipped to be the next Bond

Screen star Colin Salmon has said that he is fed up with references to his skin colour after he was tipped as the next James Bond. The Musketeers actor has been linked alongside Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom star Idris Elba as the future 007, taking over from Daniel Craig in the coveted spy role. The actor, who has starred as MI6 deputy chief of staff Charles Robinson in three Bond films, Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999) and Die Another Day (2002), added: “ I’ve been in this country since birth and if you’re only considering the colour of my skin I get bored.”

I believe I can do it but one of the reasons I don’t really get into the debate is people keep talking about a black James Bond, how a black man should play him.

Colin Salmon, speaking to Radio Times magazine

Daniel Craig is currently filming Spectre, his fourth film as the special agent. Former 007 star Pierce Brosnan has previously said: “He (Elba) would make a good Bond. Colin Salmon also. May the best man get the job and may Daniel (Craig) bring home the bacon for as long as he wants." Another ex-Bond actor Sir Roger Moore recently hit back at allegations he implied something racist when asked about Elba succeeding Craig in the role. The veteran actor was quoted as saying the next 007 should be "English-English”. Sir Roger wrote on Twitter: “An interview I gave to Paris Match implies I said something racist about Idris Elba. That is simply untrue. Lost in translation.”