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Introducing the first ever black James Bond…and it’s not Idris Elba

Published 16:33 13 Aug 2015 BST

Updated 16:38 13 Aug 2015 BST

JOE
Introducing the first ever black James Bond…and it’s not Idris Elba

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A black actor will finally play 007...sort of.

It has been announced that David Oyelowo, who earned raved reviews for his depiction of Martin Luther King in recent biopic Selma, will play James Bond in the new
audio book of the latest Bond novel by Anthony Horowitz. It's not quite the ground-breaking moment in cinematic equality we were hoping for, but Oyelowo is chuffed to bits after being asked to perform the role - even if it is for his commanding vocals rather than his dashing good looks. "I am officially the only person on planet Earth who can legitimately say, ‘I am the new James Bond'," said the British actor. "Even saying that name is the cinematic equivalent of doing the ‘to be or not to be’ speech." Oyelowo's casting may however be a precursor to a black actor playing Bond on screen. The talented 39-year-old revealed that the original idea for his casting came from a very influential source. "I was asked specifically by the Fleming estate, which is really special," he explained.

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Introducing the first ever black James Bond...and it's not Idris Elba