Morgan Freeman: ‘Keep Moving, That’s the Secret of It All’

Is there somebody that you looked up to on your way up?

Heavens, yes. Yes, yes, yes. I had a mentor, Sidney Poitier. And a favorite character actor, Gary Cooper.

What did you like about Gary?

He was always right up to the money. He was always Gary Cooper, for one thing —  “Yup. Nope.” And Sidney Poitier was that Black actor who broke a mold.

Freeman won an Oscar for his role in 2004's "Million Dollar Baby."

Warner Bros/Everett Collection

How did life change after you won the Oscar in 2005 for best supporting actor, Million Dollar Baby? Did it change you?

It didn’t change me one whit. I kind of knew early on that I would eventually get one. It didn’t change me. I hope it didn’t change me. Because the only change you can expect after you’ve gotten an Oscar is maybe your price goes up a tiny bit and your job prospects go up a bit. That’s the one thing or two things I guess you could look forward to. Other than that, don’t let your ego get the best of you.

Good advice. What was the best advice you ever got?

The best advice I ever got was “Never look for trouble.”

Who gave you that?

A conductor on a train.

And what do you tell the young people you work with today? Do you give them any professional advice?

I try not to. That’s not my lane, really.

What about your grandkids? Do you impart any wisdom on them?

Yeah, some. I got so many of them! One thing is “Just keep learning,” [another is] “Don’t fool yourself into thinking you are something you’re not. Stay in your lane. Learn what that is. Make the best of it.”

What do you and your grandkids like to do together? 

They are all ages, scattered all over the place. Most of them say they just want to spend some time. [I say] “OK, well, we’ll see what we can do about that.”

Freeman, pictured with Jessica Tandy, says 1989's "Driving Miss Daisy" was a defining moment for him as an actor.

Alamy Stock Photo

Do you have things still on a to-do list, on a bucket list?

No, no. I’m really quite comfortable right here now. All I am is an itinerant actor —  nobody’s judge, nobody’s instructor.

What do you think about seeing 90 on your horizon?

Will I still be playing golf? That’s the question.

How’s your game?

I’m pretty good at it, I must say. I mean, for a hack, I’m pretty good!

Who do you play with? Friends, your kids, other movie stars?

My wife, mostly. We live on a golf course, so we just go play together.

Are you still walking the golf course, or are you taking the cart?

Both. I’ve been given dispensation to take the cart into places where normally they would stop the cart. Age makes a difference. So I can get pretty close to the greens with the cart, but you still have to do a bit of walking. I’ve got, everybody probably noticed by now, my right foot is kind of bum. It gives me a slight limp because of the ankle. So I can only walk so much before I wear it out.

What do you like so much about golf?

Remember we were talking just earlier about keep moving? You get the most movement out of golf at my age, mind you. It’s walking, stooping, bending, swinging, cussing. It’s a great sport for older adults. It’s better than bocce ball. 

Do you like to sit down and binge-watch any TV? What’s your latest binge?

The Righteous Gemstones. I’ve been bingeing on that now.

Freeman in 2009's "Invictus."

Alamy Stock Photo

What movie best represents your career?

Now you put me on the spot. Driving Miss Daisy sits way up there. And so does Invictus. Actually, I like a lot of them.

Do you have any regrets?

Ah, yeah, I have at least a couple. At least a couple. You want to know names? I’m not going to tell you.