1 of 3 | Hugh Jackman arrives on the red carpet at the 68th Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on June 8, 2014. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI |
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SYDNEY, Sept. 4 (UPI) -- Australian actor Hugh Jackman says he was once approached for the role of James Bond but decided to turn it down. Now, he says he'd "seriously consider" taking the part.
During an appearance on Aussie TV show The Project this week, Jackman said at the time he was asked to play Bond, he was "just about to do X-Men 2," and believed it wasn't the right time. But 12 years later, and among the preexisting controversy surrounding the potentially available part, Jackman is throwing his name in the ring.
Jackman is fairly busy with his Back to Broadway production, which he is bringing to his home country as Broadway to Oz. "I'm about to take off a big one from my bucket list," he said in an announcement video posted on social media.
In a later statement, Jackman said the montage stage show is "a dream come true...This is the show I've always wanted to bring home."
Jackman's interest in playing Bond reemerges just as actor Idris Elba responded to 007 creator Anthony Horowitz' comments referring to him as "too street" for the leading role.
"Always keep smiling!! It takes no energy and never hurts! Learned that from the Street!!" Elba wrote in an Instagram post featuring the Daily Mail headline.
Soon after the article was published, Horowitz took to Twitter to publicly apologize for his words. "I'm really sorry my comments about Idris Elba have caused offence," he said. "That wasn't my intention. I was asked in my interview if Idris Elba would make a good James Bond. In the article I expressed the opinion that to my mind Adrian Lester would be a better choice but I'm a writer not a casting director so what do I know?"
"Clumsily," he continued, "I chose the word 'street' as Elba's gritty portrayal of DCI John Luther was in my mind but I admit it was a poor choice of word. I am mortified to have caused offence."
