Idris Elba To Quit Acting As Chances of Becoming Next James Bond Dwindle? 'I'm At Peace,' He Says
Idris Elba intends to make a full commitment to his music profession. He said he'll be staying away from acting for the next years in the meantime. Does this have to do with his alleged dwindling chances of being the next James Bond?
Could be, could be not.
According to Elba, his reason is mainly because he wants to focus more on music, he did not say he finds anything wrong with the acting world.
The 49-year-old "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" star told Vanity Fair for the magazine's 2022 Hollywood Issue that he intends to "draw away from acting job" in the next years and devote his whole focus to music-making.
Elba previously starred as a DJ in Netflix's Turn Up Charlie series and has dabbled in various musical undertakings, including playing at Coachella in 2019 and serving as the deejay for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's wedding celebration.
"Some may think, 'Well, it will be the death of your acting if your music's s---.' I've dealt with the internal struggle of that over the years. So now I'm at peace and I've chosen: This is what I'm doing, and I'm going to do it. Some will love it and some will hate it," Elba said of pursuing music to Vanity Fair.
"The thing about making music is it's a very consuming process. It's very difficult to shoot a movie and then go off into the studio or make a song. It's like trying to build a soufflé while making a brick wall," he added.
The British actor recently told People magazine that he has been a fan of music since he was four years old, when he was "mesmerized by the turntable going round and round."
He said being able to perform at Coachella was his greatest dream, and he actually made it, albeit at 46.
"I've worked my whole life to play at Coachella. I made it at 46!" he said. "I nearly passed out when I found out."
This is not the first time though that Elba said he wants to focus on music and stay away from acting. As early as 2013, he already said so as much.
Back in 2013, Elba revealed that on that year, he's already going to put all his mind on doing music.
"This year, I'm not going to work as an actor and I'm going to put my mind into music. It's a progression thing with me. I want to make music but I don't want to shove it down people's throats. People are just barely getting to know me as an actor. But I do it from the heart, I'm not doing it for money - I just enjoy doing it," he said.
Meanwhile, Idris Elba is not really shunned from being part of the James Bond franchise. While the chances of being the next James Bond is dwindling, he's a good candidate to playing a villain for the movie, as earlier reported.
"Idris has had informal talks with the studio and he has been told there is a role in the next Bond film for him if he wants it. He won't be the title character, but they do recognise the amount of pull and respect he commands, and they want to work with him on a completely original character for the next instalment. It is still very early days for the conversations but, so far, it looks like it would be the role of a villain," a source told the Sun UK.
If this is true, Elba will join Christoph Waltz, Mads Mikkelsen, Dave Bautista, and Rami Malek as a modern Bond villain.
