Anthony Horowitz has apologized for saying in a recent interview he felt Idris Elba was “too street” to portray James Bond.
Horowitz, whose Bond novel Trigger Mortis will hit shelves next week, said his comments came off “clumsily.”
His tweeted an apology late Tuesday:
Idris Elba responded to the ‘controversy’ on his Instagram page:
A photo posted by Idris Elba (@idriselba) on
We’re glad Elba took the high road. No need to let the Horowitz’s remarks phase him.
“For me, Idris Elba is a bit too rough to play the part,” Horowitz recently told The Daily Mail. “It’s not a color issue. I think he is probably a bit too ‘street’ for Bond. Is it a question of being suave? Yeah.”
Horowitz ultimately chose another black actor, Adrian Lester, as his ideal choice to replace Daniel Craig as 007.
Horowitz was dragged all day on Twitter for his remarks, with many seeing his “too street” comment as coded language to disparage African-Americans.
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