Idris Elba Says He’s Never Truly Been ‘in the Race’ to Play James Bond Despite Years-Long Rumors (Exclusive)

Idris Elba exclusively told PEOPLE he was never actually “in the race” to play James Bond despite years of fan speculation

NEED TO KNOW

• The actor previously admitted he was honored by the Bond rumors, but he said the conversation became “disgusting and off-putting” once it became centered on race

• Elba also opened up about starring in Masters of the Universe, revealing he’s a longtime fan of the franchise 

Idris Elbaclaims he has never been in seriouscontention to play James Bonddespite years of speculation from the Hollywood rumor mill.

Elba, 53, caught up with PEOPLE exclusively at the premiere of his new movie,Masters of the Universe,in Los Angeles on Monday, May 18. During the conversation, PEOPLE asked the actor how he felt about his name being “thrown out” as a potential star of theupcoming 007 reboot.

“My name's not getting thrown out, no way,” Elba replied. “They're going younger. And I wish them all the luck of the world. I can't wait — it's going to be amazing.”

“I'm honestly not in the race ever. I wasn't in the race in the first place,” he added.

TheLutherstar previously opened up about the topic in 2023 while appearing on theSmartlesspodcast, hosted byWill Arnett,Jason Bateman, andSean Hayes.

At the time, Elba admitted he was "super complimented" over the rumors that he could stepinto Bond's shoes, but he also said he was put off by the experience when the conversation became about race.

“We’re all actors and we understand that that role is one of those sort of coveted types. It’s like being namedSexiest Man [Alive]," he said, referring to the PEOPLE title, which he wasawarded in 2018.

"But being asked to be James Bond was like, 'Okay, you've sort of reached the pinnacle,' " Elba continued.

"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 aboutthe 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."

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Bond was last played byDaniel Craigin 2021'sNo Time To Die.Others whohave played 007includeSean Connery, David Niven,George Lazenby,Roger Moore,Timothy DaltonandPierce Brosnan.

Elba's name entered the mix long before Craig's final bow as Bond, when Sony Pictures executive Amy Pascal revealed in a leaked 2014 email that shefelt "Idris should be the next Bond."

Bond aside, Elba is currently busy promoting his latest project,Masters of the Universe, a fantasy-action franchise centered around the hero He-Man.

While speaking to PEOPLE at the L.A. premiere, Elba — who plays Duncan, one of He-Man’s closest allies, in the film — revealed that he has been a lifelong fan of the franchise.

“Masters of the Universewas my thing,” he said. “It was something that I watched a lot as a kid.”

“To get to play Duncan and change him —  make him to look like me — was a real treat. I got to be a bit comedic and big, so I went for it,” Elba added.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“I've done quite a few action films over the last three years,” he continued. “Some a little bit more cerebral action, likeHijack, but this has been a lot of fighting. I have to stay in shape so I can run and punch.”

Read the original article onPeople

byNito

in

May 23, 2026

Idris Elba Says He’s Never Truly Been ‘in the Race’ to Play James Bond Despite Years-Long Rumors (Exclusive)

Idris Elba exclusively told PEOPLE he was never actually “in the race” to play James Bond despite years of fan speculation NEED T...

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Jon Favreau explains why“ Mandalorian and Grogu” doesn't have the classic “Star Wars ”opening“ ”crawl

Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau explain why The Mandalorian and Grogu doesn't open with the traditional Star Wars crawl.

Key Points

• Former Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy previously told Entertainment Weekly that all future Star Wars films would use the iconic yellow text.

• Instead, Filoni and Favreau say they're saving the crawl specifically for Skywalker films.

Notice something missing fromThe Mandalorian and Grogu?

No, we're not talking aboutAhsoka or Admiral Thrawn.The big-screen adaptation of the popular Disney+ show doesn't feature another familiar component of theStar Warsuniverse — the iconic opening crawl.

The apparent omission comes despiteLucasfilmpresident Kathleen KennedytellingEntertainment Weeklyin 2023that those blocks of bright yellow text would continue sliding across the screen in all of the franchise's future films.

Instead,The Mandalorian and Grogu, now in theaters, delivers some opening context in a light blue font that remains stationary against a starry backdrop.

DirectorJon Favreauand his co-writer, Lucasfilm presidentDave Filoni, join EW'sDebunkedvideo series to explain.

"We've only seen the crawl in the Skywalker saga films," Favreau says, referring to the prequel, original, and sequel trilogies. "Solodid not have a crawl.Rogue Onedid not have a crawl."

Filoni notes that all the spinoff films and Disney+ series feature "a blurb that explains some context" thatStar Warsfans should know before they dive headfirst into a galaxy far, far away.

"Ahsokahas a version of a crawl, but we put it in red, and it's strictly vertical. It doesn't go back," he adds. "So we find different ways to do it."

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For Filoni, these blurbs are a way to capture "the serial vibe" of the franchise. "But the classicStar Warscrawl is something that we try to reserve only for saga-type films," he says.

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with ourEW Dispatch newsletter.

Favreau, meanwhile, vividly remembers seeing the very firstStar Warscrawl in theaters as a child.

"Such an iconic opening. So that's why we don't use the crawl for everything inStar Wars," he remarks. "There's so muchStar Warsnow, so Dave has explained, we save it for the saga."

And, sorry to the Skywalkers, but this is Mando (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu's time to shine. The bounty-hunting father-son duo makes the hyperjump from their Emmy-winning seriesThe Mandalorianto the big screen as they head out on a dangerous new adventure. Joining Mando and Grogu on their journey is Sigourney Weaver, who also participated in theDebunkedseries to address a theory that her character, Colonel Ward, might secretly be an Imperial spy.

"Is it possible? Well, it's an interesting question. You know, politics is difficult and creating a New Republic is difficult," she says. "This is a difficult job that she has, and I think she's been in the service a long time, so I guess it's possible, but unlikely that this woman who came up during the rebellion and is an X-wing fighter pilot would spend one second entertaining the idea of spying for the evil empire."

She adds, "I decide! Today! Now! No!"

The Mandalorian and Groguis in theaters now. Watch Pascal, Filoni, Weaver, and Favreau react to even more movie theories in the video above.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

byNito

in

May 23, 2026

Jon Favreau explains why“ Mandalorian and Grogu” doesn't have the classic “Star Wars ”opening“ ”crawl

Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau explain why The Mandalorian and Grogu doesn't open with the traditional Star Wars crawl. Key Po...

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Social Media Star Laura Clery Says Her ‘Worst Nightmare’ Came True After She Was ‘Almost Killed’ by Falling 600-Lb. Fridge

Laura Clery is reflecting on the scary moment her kitchen fridge unexpectedly fell on top of her

NEED TO KNOW

• In a social media post, she revealed that her son was attempting to climb on the appliance, pulling it out accidentally as he did so

• "When I tried to push it back, it fell on me and was fully crushing me," Clery shared online

Laura Cleryis calling the moment her 600-lb. fridge fell on her the "most terrifying night of my life as a single mom."In a series of posts across her social media platforms and her Patreon, the social media star and comedian, 39, revealed that her 7-year-old son, Alfie, was attempting to climb on her fridge when she noticed it "shift slightly" in a way that made her "stomach drop." After running to push it back in place, the appliance suddenly came crashing down on her."The full weight of it slammed me backward into the kitchen island, pinning my lower back and hips," she wrote on herPatreon. "I couldn't move. I tried to push it off and it didn't even slightly budge. It felt like pushing against a building."Clery said she quickly realized that the situation was worse than she expected. "Like, not 'This will be a funny story later' bad. This is 'I might genuinely be in danger right now' bad," she described, adding that her breathing started to "go."

"I could feel it getting harder to inhale, like my body was just slowly deciding to shut down," she said, sharing that her younger daughter Poppy, 5, started to cry.

In a post to herFacebookaccount, Clery shared a photo of herself wearing a neck brace in the ambulance while receiving oxygen. "I want to f#%king sue the contractors who installed this fridge," she wrote to her 14 million followers.

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"This is a nearly 600 pound stainless steel French door fridge that was NOT properly mounted into the wall. Because of that, my 7 year old was able to pull it forward, and when I tried to push it back, it fell on me and was fully crushing me. It nearly killed me. And it could have absolutely killed my child. This should never have been possible. This was negligence," she shared.In another post on Instagram, Clery shared a video of herself being wheeled into an ambulance as she spoke with paramedics. She called the incident the "most terrifying night of my life as a single mom."

"My kids were in the house. I genuinely didn't know if I was getting out of that alive," she wrote. "Thank God my phone was in my pocket and I was able to call 911. Thank god it didn't fall on my kids. It took three firefighters to lift it off me. I'm still shaking."Stephen Hilton, Clery's ex-husband also weighed in on the scary moment, writing on his Facebook account about the incident, "She literally thought she was dying. Still feeling devastated . Go straight to JAIL, whoever is responsible for this …."

Across social media, Clery boasts nearly 25 million followers. She gained prominence through her comedic sketches and characters on platforms like Facebook and YouTube, and documents her life as a single mom. She also talks openly about Alfie's autism diagnosis, and how she has learned to manage it as a single parent.

Read the original article onPeople

byNito

in

May 22, 2026

Social Media Star Laura Clery Says Her ‘Worst Nightmare’ Came True After She Was ‘Almost Killed’ by Falling 600-Lb. Fridge

Laura Clery is reflecting on the scary moment her kitchen fridge unexpectedly fell on top of her NEED TO KNOW In a...

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