With a career spanning over five decades. Morgan Freeman is known to be one of the most acclaimed actors of his generation. Over the years, the actor has starred in some of the most iconic films of all time, including Bruce Almighty, Million Dollar Baby, and The Dark Knight. However, there is one film in particular that Freeman would rather not talk about.
In one of his interviews with Entertainment Weekly, Freeman revealed that he doesn’t have fond memories of filming the $73 million-grossing movie, The Shawshank Redemption.
Morgan Freeman on why he doesn’t like his most popular cult classic movie
During the conversation, Morgan Freeman revealed that he isn’t so keen on talking about his 1994 critically acclaimed masterpiece The Shawshank Redemption. He reflected on how he does not have any fond memories of shooting the project.
“That was a strange production,” Freeman said. “There were moments of extreme tension on the set. Between the producers and actors, between the director and actors, between everybody. Just this personality stuff between different groups. Very strange. Let’s stop talking about that one.”
The Shawshank Redemption was a critical success, however, it did not perform quite well at the box office. With Freeman’s comments explaining that the filming process was notoriously difficult, with long hours and tense relationships between the cast and crew, it’s understandable why Freeman would want to put The Shawshank Redemption behind him.
Morgan Freeman’s reluctance toward his Oscar-winning role
Having won the Best Actor Academy Award for his role as Ellis Boyd ‘Red’ Redding in the movie, Morgan Freeman’s performance in The Shawshank Redemption is often considered understated and nuanced. Bringing deep humanity to the role, Freeman portrayed the character of a convicted murderer who befriends Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) in Shawshank State Penitentiary.
Critics believe that the actor perfectly captured Red’s sense of humor, his resilience, and his deep-seated longing for freedom, making his performance one of the many reasons why The Shawshank Redemption is considered a classic film. Hence, the fact that Freeman refuses to talk about it is quite sad.
Apart from his acting skills, one of the most memorable aspects of Freeman’s performance was his voice, which is interestingly calming yet authoritative at the same time. Considered to be his most iconic performance, The Shawshank Redemption remains a classic film despite the reluctance of the actors to talk about it.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
