Earlier this year, former James Bond actor Roger Moore landed himself in hot water after expressing that Idris Elba shouldn’t play the British Secret Service agent because he isn’t “English-English,” and now new 007 author Anthony Horowitz has found himself in a similar controversy after stating that Idris is probably “too street” to play the famed character.
In an interview with The Daily Mail, Horowitz said the following:
“Idris Elba is a terrific actor, but I can think of other black actors who would do it better. 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.”
A black actor he thinks would be wonderful in the role? Adrian Lester.
Thoughts?
Update: Horowitz has apologized for his poor word choice.
I’m really sorry my comments about Idris Elba have caused offence [full statement attached] pic.twitter.com/UD6ouA45Uv
— Anthony Horowitz (@AnthonyHorowitz) September 1, 2015
