Idris Elba Responds To “Too Street” To Play James Bond Comments

Last weekend, Bond novelist Anthony Horowitz (“Trigger Mortis”) told The Daily Mail that he would rather see Adrian Lester (Hustle) become the first black actor to play James Bond than fan-favorite Idris Elba (Luther), who he said was “too street” for the role of the dapper spy.

The internet pounced on those remarks, believing they were offensive. Though, I’m assuming most people that were “offended” probably just reacted based on the sensational headlines and didn’t take the time to read Horowitiz’s full-comments. Yes, it is okay for Horowitz to believe Elba isn’t “suave” enough to be 007. That doesn’t mean he’s right, nor does it mean he is wrong. As The Dude would say, “Yeah, well, that’s just, like, your opinion, man.”

Even so, Horowitz felt compelled to apologize for his comments on Tuesday. “I’m really sorry my comments about Idris Elba have caused offense. That wasn’t my intention,” Horowitz wrote on Twitter. “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?”

On Tuesday as well, Elba responded to Horowitz’s initial comments. “Always keep smiling!! It takes no energy and never hurts!” he posted on Instagram. “Learned that from the Street!! #septemberstillloveyou.”

On Wednesday, Variety published an excerpt of an interview they conducted in mid-August with Elba, in which he discussed the overwhelming support he has received from fans who want to see him become the next Bond. “If human beings want to know if there’s any connectivity between all of us, the one thing I’ve heard around the world universally is that, ‘You’ll be great at James Bond!’” Elba told Variety. “If it should happen, that’s proof there’s connectivity amongst human beings. If everyone wants something, they can make it happen. That would be true.”

A cryptic message from the past sends James Bond on a rogue mission to Mexico City and eventually Rome, where he meets Lucia Sciarra (Monica Bellucci), the beautiful and forbidden widow of an infamous criminal. Bond infiltrates a secret meeting and uncovers the existence of the sinister organisation known as Spectre. Meanwhile back in London, Max Denbigh (Andrew Scott), the new head of the Centre for National Security, questions Bond’s actions and challenges the relevance of MI6, led by M (Ralph Fiennes). Bond covertly enlists Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) and Q (Ben Whishaw) to help him seek out Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux), the daughter of his old nemesis Mr White (Jesper Christensen), who may hold the clue to untangling the web of Spectre. As the daughter of an assassin, she understands Bond in a way most others cannot. As Bond ventures towards the heart of Spectre, he learns of a chilling connection between himself and the enemy he seeks, played by Christoph Waltz.

SPECTRE will be released in the UK on October 26, and in the US on November 6, 2015.