Hackney actor Idris Elba on playing next James Bond

Hackney-born actor Idris Elba has told of how he would “jump” on the chance of playing special agent 007 – but does not want to be known as the first black James Bond.

The Hollywood star, who grew up in Holly Street in Dalston, responded to “a very old rumour” during an interview with a U.S. radio station, saying he would “definitely consider” playing the iconic role.

The 39-year-old is best known for appearing as drugs kingpin Stringer Bell in hit US crime drama The Wire and the lead character in BBC detective series Luther.

But he said he would pull a stunt worthy of Mr Bond himself if asked to follow the likes of Daniel Craig, Sir Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan.

“If Sony decided to call me and said hey, we wanted to do [James Bond], I’d definitely consider it,’ said Elba, a former Kingsland School pupil.

“I’d not only get in the cab, but I’d take the taxi driver out of the car, hostage, jump out while it was moving, jump onto a pedal bike that was just past the door as I got on it, and then get onto a plane - on the wing - and land on top of Sony Studios, slide through the air conditioning, and land in the office.

“I’m never shaken or stirred.”

But Elba, 39, said he hoped Bond fans would look past his race and focus on his acting.

“My Dad and I were talking about this the other day because he said ‘You could do it, would you do it?’ I was like ‘Yeah, I would do it, but I just don’t want to be called the first black James Bond’.

“Sean Connery wasn’t the Scottish James Bond and Daniel Craig wasn’t the blue-eyed James Bond.

“So if I played him, I don’t want to be called the black James Bond.”