Outrage: ‘James Bond’ writer blasted over Idris Elba snub

Zoe Saldana expresses anger and disappointment over Anothony Horowitz’s comments regarding the British actor

LOS ANGELES: American actor Zoe Saldana launched a four-letter tirade apparently aimed at James Bond writer Anthony Horowitz, after the novelist said Idris Elba was “too street” to play the famous fictional spy. Skyfall star Daniel Craig currently holds the title, but it is about to be passed over to another actor that fits the bill.

Saldana, 38, who appears with Elba in the upcoming Star Trek Beyond, didn’t name Horowitz but said she was angered by “cowardly” and “stupid” comments made in a newspaper interview last year by “one of the writers” of Bond. “What kind of ignorant comment to make is that?” she said. “Just say ‘I don’t see James Bond as a black man.’ I would respect that more than hiding behind some cowardly, stupid answer,” added Saldana, who is herself of Dominican and Puerto Rican heritage, in an interview with AFP. The actor, in Los Angeles to promote the latest instalment of the Star Trek franchise, was almost certainly referring to 61-year-old Horowitz, who was commissioned by the estate of Bond creator Ian Fleming to write the 2015 novel Trigger Mortis.

Horowitz was asked, in an interview published by Britain’s Daily Mail in August last year, for his thoughts on 43-year-old Elba, the favorite at the time to replace outgoing Bond actor Daniel Craig. “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,” he was quoted as saying.



Saldana said Craig, too, was known to have “a hard edge to him” before being hired for 2006’s Casino Royale, the first of his four Bond films. However, he had not been held back by his reputation. The actor, who plays communications officer Nyota Uhura in the movie trilogy which rebooted the iconic Star Trek sci-fi film and television series, accused Horowitz of insulting Elba’s character.” Just because (Idris) is black and he’s a DJ and he has one of the coolest walks I’ve ever seen in man, he’s thuggish? Really? So when he played Mandela he played him like a thug?” Saldana told AFP.

Idris Elba is a British actor best known for essaying the roles of Russell Bell in HBO series The Wire and Detective John Luther in BBC series Luther. He has also made notable appearances in Pacific Rim, Prometheus, Thor: The Dark World, American Gangster and Takers. The actor was nominated four times for the prestigious Golden Globe Awards out of which he won once, for the Best Actor in a Mini Series or Television Film category. Earlier this year, Elba was named in Time magazine’s list of 100 Most Influential People in the World. He will next be seen in Star Trek Beyond, The Dark Tower and Thor: Ragnarok.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 15^th, 2016.

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