5) Oscar Isaac
It’s sad to say, but any actor considered ‘not white enough’ is probably still going to find it hard to convince people they can play Bond for a long time yet, which likely rules Ejiofor out. And yeah, Oscar Isaac – as a Guatemalan-born American – is probably on paper similarly not “English-English” enough to pass the Roger Moore test. But consider this: Isaac is not just one of the best young actors around – he’s also played just about every nationality there is.
In his career, the former Llewyn Davis has played Russian, Cuban, Middle-Eastern, Mexican, Welsh-Italian, Colombian, and American-Polish. Oh, and he’s also played an English monarch. Anyone arguing about Bond’s ethnicity will be too confused to be angry about the casting of this guy, perhaps the most chameleonic lead actor of his generation, and someone who’s just as adept at playing charming, calculating, and occasionally ruthless when the part calls for it.