Idris Elba Responds to 'Too Street' Comment For Him to Play James Bond: 'Always Keep Smiling!'

Just who came up with the idea that British actor Idris Elba should be the next James Bond? No one knows for certain, but for Elba, he believes that the talks stemmed for the current 007 actor - Daniel Craig.

"I blame Daniel," Elba jokingly said.

But even though Craig believes that Elba would make a good replacement for him, "James Bond" author Anthony Horowitz does not seem to think so, and in an interview with The Daily Mail, he said that Elba is "too street" to be the next Bond.

 "Idris Elba is a terrific actor, but I can think of other black actors who would do it better," Horowitz said. "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." 

But after making those comments, Horowitz became bombarded with criticism and he istantly took to Twitter to make an apology and explain his side: "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? Clumsily, I chose the word 'street' as Elba's gritty portrayal of DCI John Luther was in my mind but I admit it was a poor choice of word. I am mortified to have caused offence."

For his part, Elba preferred to take the matter with a grain of salt and once again make a light-hearted joke regarding the situation. On his personal Instagram account, he posted a photo of the article entitled "007 Writer Says Idris Elba Is 'Too Street' to Play James Bond, Quickly Apologizes" written by Katie Roberts.

He then captioned it: "Always Keep Smiling!! It takes no energy and never hurts! Learned that from the Street!! #septemberstillloveyou"

Elba is best known for his role as the intimidating drug lord and aspiring businessman Russell "Stringer" Bell in the HBO television series "The Wire." He also portrayed Detective John Luther in the BBC One series called "Luther," then took on the role of Nelson Mandela in the biopic "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom."

He has been nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television film, and even won one.