Howells tells stay-at-home Hollywood stars: 'You've got no balls'

[MORTARDUDE]

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/pol...p?story=407881

Howells tells stay-at-home Hollywood stars: 'You've got no balls'
By Marie Woolf
20 May 2003


The gregarious Culture minister Kim Howells has found a glamorous new subject for his opinions today - Hollywood icons such as Tom Cruise, who do not have the "balls" to fly to Europe because, in his opinion, they fear a terrorist attack.

The timing of Mr Howells' comments may seem surprising, when governments are warning that some foreign travel is dangerous. But the remarks reflect Mr Howell's opinion that the absence of visitors is hitting the UK tourism industry, he tells today's Financial Times.

"These people portray themselves as great action heroes and although we know they use stunt men all the time ... one would assume they would have the balls to do a simple thing like ... fly to Europe and set an example for the rest of the nation," the minister said.

Mr Howells accused heroes of silver-screen action of being "too frightened" to set an example to their fellow American citizens.

Other recent subjects of the minister's criticism include winning entries to the Turner prize, which he described as "conceptual bullshit", as well as the Royal Family, whom he said were "all a bit bonkers".

Mr Howells' latest outburst comes amid fears that stars would avoid the Cannes film festival because they feared being targeted in a terrorist attack.

Cruise has not attended the festival, citing work commitments, but Penelope Cruz has turned up, as has Arnold Schwarzenegger, the star of The Terminator, who arrived last week.

Mr Howells also said that some Hollywood stars appeared to be more frightened of flying than jet-set "grannies from New York". The minister is about to have a chance to research his theory more thoroughly. He is planning a trip to the US this week to promote tourism in Britain.