James Bond Author Backtracks on Idris Elba ‘Street’ Comments: ‘I Am Mortified’
Anthony Horowitz, writer of new book in 007 series, apologizes for saying “Luther” star is “too street for Bond”
Debbie Emery | September 1, 2015 @ 9:34 PM
Last Updated: September 1, 2015 @ 9:42 PM
Having sparked outcry for slamming Idris Elba and calling him “too street” to play James Bond, author Anthony Horowitz has backtracked on his statements about the “Luther” star, who is the fan favorite to take over the role of 007.
“I am mortified to have caused offense,” the writer who wrote the latest book in the Bond series, “Trigger Mortis,” tweeted on Tuesday.
Horowitz had been quoted earlier in the day in a Daily Mail interview as saying Elba, 42, 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.”
He went on to suggest other black actors who would be better to inherit the role from Daniel Craig, such as Adrian Lester (“Hustle”) instead.
After getting crushed on social media and turning “Idris Elba” into the top-trending Twitter topic, the 60-year-old writer released a statement to soften the bitter backlash.
I'm really sorry my comments about Idris Elba have caused offence [full statement attached] pic.twitter.com/UD6ouA45Uv
In the original Daily Mail interview, Horowitz also criticized the most recent Bond movies starring English actor Craig. “‘Quantum of Solace’ just went wrong. ‘Skyfall’ is my least favorite,” he said. “I know it is heresy to say so, but it is the one Bond film I have never liked.”
However, he said Craig “is a terrific Bond” and “‘Casino Royale’ is probably my favorite of the films after [Sean] Connery.”
Horowitz, from London, is a novelist and screenwriter specializing in mystery and suspense. His work includes young adult series, “The Diamond Brothers,” “Alex Rider,” and “The Power of Five” series. His work for adults includes novel/play “Mindgame” and two Sherlock Holmes novels “The House of Silk” and “Moriarty.”
“If I were the Bond producers and everyone was pointing me toward one actor, what’s the surprise in that? Honestly, it’s one of those things that if it should happen, it would be a self-fulfilling prophecy; it would be the will of a nation,” he said.
“I just don’t want to be called the first black James Bond. Do you understand what I’m saying?” he continued. “Sean Connery wasn’t the Scottish James Bond and Daniel Craig wasn’t the blue-eyed James Bond. So if I played him, I don’t want to be called the black James Bond.”
The next Bond filming starring Craig, “Spectre,” debuts in US theaters on Nov. 6.
James Bond: 50 Years of 007's Women (Photos)
Eva Green's enigmatic Vesper Lynd broke down Bond's defenses (and the audience's) as the woman whose death in "Casino Royale" (2006) sets him off on a revenge-soaked mission.
Diana Rigg was Bond's equal in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (1968). Her fiery Countess Tracy di Vicenzo even did the impossible, convincing the skirt-chasing 007 to tie the knot ... only to die in his arms moments after he made an honest woman of her.
Ursula Andress set the gold standard for Bond women thanks to her eye-catching performance as Honey Rider in "Dr. No" (1962). Emerging from the ocean in a barely-there bikini, Andress and the spy series helped launch a greater era of sexual permissiveness in movies. She's the original Bond girl, and nothing beats the original.
Has there ever been a more ludicrous villain name than Xenia Onatopp? In "Goldeneye" (1995), the femme fatale crushes her victims while in flagrante delicto. As the deadly diva, Famke Janssen goes over the top with relish.
"Tomorrow Never Dies," with its plodding BMW product placements and goofy plot about a media baron hell-bent on world domination, is one of the worst Bond movies. Paradoxically, it boasts one of the best Bond girls in Michelle Yeoh. Her Chinese spy catches Pierce Brosnan's eye thanks to her mixture of brains and brawn.
Like Yeoh, Halle Berry is a Bond girl for the 21st century in "Die Another Day" (2002). Her NSA agent Jinx is every bit 007's match when it comes to taking down bad guys or tossing back mojitos. Her skin-tight bathing suit is a throwback to Andress and an early age of brain-dead sex bunnies, but Jinx is nobody's plaything.
With a creaky plot that relies on voodoo and Caribbean drug lords, "Live and Let Die" (1973) is a borderline racist curiosity. But as Solitaire, a card-reading psychic, a youthful Jane Seymour has never been more beautiful or beguiling. Is it any wonder it made her a star? To think, we have James Bond to thank for "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman."
Honor Blackman's literal roll in the hay with Sean Connery in "Goldfinger" (1964), is one of the most iconic moments in any Bond film. Her character's name, Pussy Galore, may cause any self-respecting feminist to break out in hives, but Blackman brought fire and danger to a role that could have just been eye candy, making her a Bond girl for the ages.
More villain than vixen, the towering Grace Jones was one of the most distinctive Bond women in franchise history. Watching her character May Day knock the starch out of 007's collar was the highlight of the otherwise dreary "A View to a Kill" (1985).
1 of 9
Eva Green's enigmatic Vesper Lynd broke down Bond's defenses (and the audience's) as the woman whose death in "Casino Royale" (2006) sets him off on a revenge-soaked mission.
