Plus, find out why the actor says right now it's 'all rumor-ville.'
Once again, Idris Elba proves he’s the bigger man.
Recently, Anthony Horowitz, author of the James Bond novel, Trigger Mortiz, said that Elba, a longtime fan favorite to play 007, was “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.”
Now, the Golden Globe-winning actor has responded in a truly awesome way:
Elba Instagrammed a screenshot of the headline with the caption, “Always Keep Smiling!! It takes no energy and never hurts! Learned that from the Street!!” He added an emoji smiley for good measure.
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“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 in mid-August, before the controversy began.
As for now, he claims any casting news is “all rumor-ville” and says, “I’m not speaking to the James Bond people. They are not speaking to me. So if it was to happen, there you go -- the will of the nation.”
Horowitz later apologized for his comments, saying, “I’m really sorry my comments about Idris Elba have caused offense. That wasn’t my intention.” He went on to say that he chose the word “street” because “Elba’s gritty portrayal of DCI John Luther was in my mind but I admit it was a poor choice of word.”
Meanwhile, Elba has received even more support online from fans wanting him to play the super spy. Our favorite tweet comes from Jackée Harry (the mom from Sister, Sister!).
Co-signed.
Now, remember when Elba joked about his mysterious bulge pictures?