James Bond should not be black, says first black Bond villain Yaphet Kotto
The first black actor to play a James Bond villain has said that the iconic character should always be played by a white man.
Yaphet Kotto, who starred as Dr Kananga alongside Roger Moore's 007 in 1973 hit Live and Let Die, insisted in a recent interview that the films should follow the “literally correct” in the original novels.
“[Bond] cannot be black,” he told Big Issue. “James Bond was established by Ian Fleming as a white character, played by white actors. Play 003 or 006 but you cannot be 007.”
Kotto, 75, added that he finds it “ridiculous” when people say all roles should be open to black actors. “If I say I want to play JFK, I should be laughed out of the room,” he said.
“Black men should stop trying to play roles created by whites. These roles are not written for black men. We have pens [to create] roles that no one else has established.”
