The 2005 racism scandal that rocked James Bond: “I think it’s a rather below the belt allegation”
During Pierce Brosnan's final years as James Bond in the early 2000s, Black British actor Colin Salmon emerged as a leading candidate to inherit the iconic role. Salmon already held an established place in the franchise as MI6 operative Charles Robinson across three Brosnan-era films, and Brosnan himself publicly endorsed Salmon as his ideal successor based on their professional chemistry during casting sessions.
When Daniel Craig received the role instead, Salmon's established character was entirely excised from Craig's debut film, Casino Royale. Salmon responded by contending the decision stemmed from racial discrimination, pointing out inconsistencies in how the studio retained some legacy characters like Judi Dench's M whilst removing others. EON Productions firmly denied any racial motivation behind the casting choice, dismissing Salmon's allegation as unfounded. The incident became part of ongoing cultural debates about racial representation and authenticity arguments within the Bond franchise.
- Colin Salmon, a Black British actor already established in the Bond franchise as MI6 operative Charles Robinson, was publicly championed by Pierce Brosnan to succeed him as 007 in the mid-2000s
- Daniel Craig was cast instead and Salmon's character was removed from the reboot; Salmon alleged racial discrimination motivated the decision
- EON Productions rejected the accusation as unfounded, whilst the dispute contributed to broader debates about diversity and representation in Bond casting