James Bond Author Calls Idris Elba "Too Street" to Play the Character, Twitter Reacts

Anthony Horowitz, author of the latest book in the James Bond series, just put his foot in his mouth. Over the weeknd, the writer did an interview with British newspaper The Daily Mail about who he thought should replace Daniel Craig as 007 in the next film adaptation. British actor Idris Elba is rumored to be a strong front runner for the role, but Horowitz doesn't believe he'd be a great fit.

Horowitz described Elba as "too street" to play "suave" Bond, instead of just mentioning who'd he prefer to see in the role. When rumors first began swirling about Elba being the prime contender for the role, he joked around on Twitter about not being sexy enough. This time around, he might not be so jocular. Once news broke about the seemingly racist comments, social media erupted with posts in support of Elba and battling the author's derogatory word description.

"Idris Elba is a terrific actor, but I can think of other black actors who would do it better," Horowitz said in an interview with The Daily Mail. "For me, Idris Elba is a bit too rough to play the part. 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 suggested Adrian Lester, star of the BBC drama series Hustle, as his preferred choice for the leading role.

Many people on social media took extra offense to the word "street," which like the word "urban," is often used to implicate someone's or something's blackness without directly saying the word. The term is commonly used when discussing styles of dress, music, environment and language.

The 42-year-old actor has graced the small screen and major motion films that have not only skyrocketed his popularity, but also shown his diverse talent as an actor. Elba has starred in hit television series like HBO's The Wire and BBC's Luther, while also starring in box office hits like Pacific Rim, No Good Deed, Thor, and Obsessed. One could say his past roles alone have perfectly prepared him to play the debonair spy.

Elba also nabbed a spot on People's "Sexiest Man Alive" list in 2014 and the cover of GQ in 2013, so the question of whether or not he can bring sexy and suave to the table is not really up for discussion. Elba's, who's expected to appear in the upcoming film Avengers: Age of Ultron, has yet to speak on the matter.

Since facing backlash, Anthony Horowitz issued an apology for his comments about Idris Elba to his
Twitter account.

Tags

Idris Elba, James Bond