Idris Elba finally breaks silence over Anthony Horowitz's comments that he is "too street" to play the role of James Bond.
The past few days have been interesting for the British actor and Horowitz, who is the author of the new James Bond novel. It all started when Horowitz told The Daily Mail that he found Elba "too rough" and "too street" for the role of 007. The author said, 'For me, Idris Elba is a bit too rough to play the part. It's not a colour issue. I think he is probably a bit too "street" for Bond. Is it a question of being suave? Yeah."
Horowitz even said that he found Elba a "terrific actor," however he claimed that he "can think of other black actors who would do it better."
The author's comments sparked a deluge of feedback on social media. Many were outraged over the author's opinion, which prompted Horowitz to post a public apology on Twitter, reports People. He wrote, "I'm really sorry my comments about Idris Elba have caused offence."
The James Bond author also included a lengthy statement to his Twitter post which read, "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, 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."
Soon after Horowitz's twitter post, the "Pacific Rim" actor took to Instagram to show his fans just how cool he can be, according to Entertainment Weekly. Elba wrote, "Always Keep Smiling!! It takes no energy and never hurts! Learned that from the Street!!"
What a classy response!
