Morgan Freeman on Acting, Retirement and the One Star Whose Career He Envies

With his smooth baritone voice and unparalleled screen presence, Morgan Freeman has been a film icon for decades. Whether he’s starring in the 1994 drama “The Shawshank Redemption,” the 1995 crime thriller “Se7en,” or playing God in the 2003 comedy “Bruce Almighty,” you can expect an unforgettable performance from Freeman every time. Although he’s a cinema legend, there’s one actor whose career he can’t help but envy just a little: two-time Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, the Academy Award-winning actor sat down to talk about his acting career and the one type of role he would’ve loved to tackle but never had the chance to. Freeman explained that he never became an action star because, by the time he broke out as a major Hollywood star, he was already 50 years old.

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“See, my career started around my age of 50 — that’s when it took off. Before that, I was working different venues a lot. Twenty years on the Broadway stage. Who I envy is Denzel. Denzel Washington is doing what I wanted to do,” he said.

“The Bucket List” star broke out with the role of Fast Black in the 1987 crime thriller “Street Smart,” for which he also received his first-ever Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Before then, he had made his Broadway debut in 1968 in the play “Hello, Dolly!” starring alongside stars such as Pearl Bailey and Cab Calloway.

Continuing, Freeman shared that his love of film goes back to childhood, adding that going to the movies was one of his favorite things to do when he wasn’t in school.

“I took the jobs that were offered, and I thought I was doing well, and I was. But not those action flicks. I was a child of the movies. I grew up in the movies. When I was a kid and when there was no school, I was in the movies every day. So that’s what I wanted to do.”

However, while he might not have had the opportunity to jump from a moving car or fight off a crew of bad guys, Freeman is still enjoying other creative ventures.

Per the Rolling Stone interview, the 89-year-old actor released a blues album last month, “Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience,” in which he uses his iconic deep voice to guide listeners through the genre’s musical history. Since 2001, he has also been the co-founder of the Clarksdale, Mississippi, juke joint Ground Zero Blues Club and is currently working on a Western film with “Batman” star Michael Keaton.

When asked if he has any plans to retire anytime soon, Freeman told Rolling Stone, “No, I don’t see any point in that.”