LONDON - The author of the new James Bond novel apologized on Wednesday after he said that British actor Idris Elba is “too street” to play 007. In an interview with the Daily Mail newspaper published over the weekend, Anthony Horowitz, the author of the new Bond novel “Trigger Mortis,” said Elba is “too ‘street' for Bond.”
Elba, 42, has been rumored to be among the actors considered to replace Daniel Craig as the next Bond. He would be the first black actor to play the spy should he be cast.
“Idris Elba is a terrific actor, but I can think of other black actors who would do it better,” Horowitz was quoted saying. “It's not a color issue... Is it a question of being suave? Yeah.”
Horowitz said Wednesday he was thinking of Elba's gritty detective role in the BBC crime drama “Luther” during the interview, and didn't mean to cause offense. - Reuters
