Pierce Brosnan backs Idris Elba to play the next James Bond

The former Bond star also said Colin Salmon, who starred in The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day, would be good for the role

Idris Elba has earned the support of Pierce Brosnan to take on the role of James Bond (Getty Images)

He has been backed by everyone from Kanye West to Jamie Foxx – and now Idris Elba has earned the support of a former James Bond actor to take on the role of 007.

Pierce Brosnan has said Idris Elba could step up to the mark to play the British spy. In an interview with the RadioTimes, he said: “Yeah, he would make a good Bond”.

Brosnan also said Colin Salmon, who the actor starred alongside in The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day as MI6 deputy chief of staff, would be a good fit for the role.

Pierce Brosnan has also backed British actor Colin Salmon for the role (Getty Images)

“Colin Salmon also. May the best man get the job and may Daniel [Craig] bring home the bacon for as long as he wants,” he said.

Elba has been rumoured to play the British spy for a number of years, but his name resurfaced again in 2014 when a hacked Sony email revealed the company thought the actor “should be the next Bond”.

The actor responded to the leaked email in a tweet, saying he was “glad you think I’ve got a shot!”

Kanye West has also backed the Hackney-born actor to take on the role.

He told The Sun last year: “James Bond is a role made for British actors and you won’t find a British actor who has the talent of Idris…A black Bond would be visionary no doubt.”

Elba has previously said he would definitely accept the role if it was offered to him.

In a Reddit AMA in September 2014 he said he would "absolutely" accept the role if it "was offered to me" after being asked by a fan.

Daniel Craig, who is currently filming the forthcoming Bond film Spectre, is signed to do one more movie after its release. He has previously said he would like to leave the franchise afterwards.

“I’ve been trying to get out of this from the very moment I got into it. But they won’t let me go, and I’ve agreed to do a couple more, but let’s see how this one does, because business is business,” he told Rolling Stone two years ago.

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