Idris Elba has been a hot candidate to be the next James Bond for quite some time now, but a recent interview with the actor revealed what he truly felt about being associated with the iconic role.
According to a recent interview by Chris Harvey of Stuff Entertainment, Elba would rather not talk about the issue of being the next "James Bond."
"Because it feels like I'm campaigning, and I'm not," he said per Stuff Entertainment. "At first, it was harmless - oh, I know, wouldn't it be great? - and now it's started off racial debates."
"I'm probably the most famous Bond actor in the world, and I've not even played the role. Enough is enough. I can't talk about it anymore."
This strong reaction may well be the result of recent news that the "James Bond" author, Anthony Horowitz, commented that the actor is "too street" to portray the role, as per Variety's report.
"For me, Idris Elba is a bit too rough to play the part," Horowitz told Daily Mail. "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."
Horowitz later on apologized for his previous statement after receiving some backlash from Elba's fans.
"I'm really sorry my comments about Idris Elba have caused offense. That wasn't my intention," Horowitz said on Twitter, according to Variety. "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?"
Meanwhile, Elba also shared details about the return of "Luther" in season 4 and his personal connection to his character.
"In this season, I dealt quite unashamedly with the loss of my old man," Elba told Stuff Entertainment.
"My dad died two years ago and I brought all the heartbreak and mourning of his loss into the work, without a doubt. John and I are quite similar in certain ways: lone people who are absolute workaholics."