LONDON — The author of the new James Bond novel “Trigger Mortis” apologized Tuesday after he said that British actor Idris Elba is “too street” to play 007.

“Idris Elba is a terrific actor, but I can think of other black actors who would do it better,” author Anthony Horowitz was quoted in the Daily Mail. “It’s not a color issue … Is it a question of being suave? Yeah.”

Horowitz said Tuesday he was thinking of Elba’s gritty detective role in the BBC crime drama “Luther” during the interview, and didn’t mean to cause offense.

– From news services reports