Jared Harris Has The Right Attitude Toward 'Morbius' And 'Harry Potter'

By Andrew Sanford | Celebrity | September 27, 2024 |

By Andrew Sanford | Celebrity | September 27, 2024 |

One of my favorite Hollywood stories may be a bit apocryphal. I’m not going to look up whether it is or not. Instead, I’ll give you my butchered retelling, acknowledging that none of it may be true.

So, Dustin Hoffman was galivanting around the set for Hook or something. He’s all done up in his Captain Hook costume, mustache and all. However, the dude just can’t get into character. No matter how hard he tries or how big the sets are, something is missing. So, he consults with famed actor Laurence Olivier, who was visiting the set at the time (or was dead). “How do you get into character, Laurence?” Hoffman asked. “Braaaaains,” a re-animated Oliver told him. Then, he famously said, “Try acting, Dustin.”

Hoffman had been taking things too seriously, even though the movie he was working on (I’m starting to think it wasn’t Hook) didn’t call for it. Most roles don’t. Yes, some require deep introspection. It can be understandable for actors to prepare. However, there is no excuse for someone to use acting as an excuse for being mean to PAs and sending used condoms to co-workers. It’s not that serious! Especially if your movie is about a Spider-Man adjacent vampire.

That’s how actor Jared Harris handled the infamous Spidey spinoff Morbius. Harris played Dr. Emil Nicholas in the twice-failed Sony picture. When asked about his time in the Sony Spider-Man Universe, Harris revealed that he has a healthy “sense of humor” about the whole thing. “I have got a mortgage to pay, you know,” the actor explained to i News. “Sometimes you say yes to things because you need to make money.”

Harris has, essentially, adopted Olivier’s undead attitude when it comes to movies like Morbius. “I have observed that those types of films do well if you have a sense of humor,” he said. “You can’t treat it as though it’s Shakespeare. So yeah, that movie could have done with a more mischievous sense of humor.” I don’t know if I agree Morbius would have been better if it was funnier, but I would like to see a funny Michael Morbius!

What I don’t want is an eight to ten-season adaptation of the Harry Potter books on Max. While I’ve never been a big fan of the source material (or its creator), I can admit that the movies are still culturally relevant. People make a yearly tradition out of watching them. I want them as much as I want a new adaptation of The Lord Of The Rings (I don’t). What’s that? Jared Harris shares my correct take on this as well? Do tell!

Harris’s father, Richard Harris, played Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter films. Jared was recently asked by The Independent if he would like to play Dumbledore in the new show. “No thank you,” Harris succinctly said. Then, he took his obvious answer a step forward. “I mean, why do it? I don’t understand. The films were fantastic — leave them alone.”

So, Harris is big on not taking certain kinds of movies too seriously. He also doesn’t want any part of Max’s “Let’s Make It 2001-2005 Again” plan. I’m starting to think he may have a pretty good head on his shoulders! A head full of juicy brains that would be perfect for a zombified Laurence Oliver to sink his teeth into!