'Potter's' Harris Rants Against Cruise, Madonna

Nov. 7, 2001 -- Don't confuse cantankerous Irish actor Richard Harris with the kind school headmaster he plays in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone or the wise emperor he played in Gladiator.

While in London for the premiere of the much-anticipated first Potter film, in which he plays Dumbledore, the 71-year-old actor lashed out at the celebrities who usually attend such events.

Harris is quoted in Showbiz Ireland as saying such stars are "spoilt" and that "they'd go to the opening of an envelope — any big occasion, they're always there. Anything for exposure. We can do without them. What I hate about our business today is the elitism. So-called stars ride in private jets and have bodyguards and dietitians and beauticians."

The actor, whose heyday included roles in Camelot, Hawaii and A Man Called Horse, then got personal: "Tom Cruise is a midget, and he has eight bodyguards, all 6' 10", which makes him even more diminutive. It's an absolute joke. Actors are unimportant."

He also dissed Madonna, who spends much of her time in London with British hubby Guy Ritchie, saying she hadn't shown up at the premiere because she would not be able to understand the film.

Harris says he only agreed to join the Harry Potter franchise after his granddaughter Ella threatened never to speak to him again if he didn't — although at contract time he was also reported to have held out — and received — a share of the film's massive merchandising profits.