Ed Gordon talks with actor Morgan Freeman, who's been called one of the most respected figures in modern U.S. cinema. Freeman won his first Oscar earlier this year for best supporting actor for his role in Million Dollar Baby. The 67-year-old actor's latest film Unleashed opens in theaters around the country Friday.
ED GORDON, host: From NPR News, this is NEWS & NOTES.  I'm Ed Gordon.</s>ED GORDON, host: He's been called one of the most respected figures in modern US cinema.      Actor Morgan Freeman, best known for his performances in "Driving Miss      Daisy," "The Shawshank Redemption" and the mystery thriller "Seven," won      his first Oscar earlier this year for best supporting actor for his role      in "Million Dollar Baby."  The 67-year-old actor's latest film      "Unleashed" opens in theaters around the country today.  But the      publicity for the new project is an ongoing endeavor.</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): It's like a campaign.  You're up in the      morning and you're talking, talking, talking, talking, talking, and      you're going to do this--I'm going to do this now for the next couple of      months.</s>ED GORDON, host: And if it's the down part of the job, all things being said, it      ain't so bad.</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): All being--things--what you said--it ain't so bad, no.      Sitting here talking to you, I mean, how bad can it be, you know?</s>ED GORDON, host: Well, we'll see.  Give it a couple of minutes, Morgan.  Give it      a couple of minutes.  Let's talk about the new project and that's      "Unleashed." It's billed as an action-drama.  It's got Jet Li in it.      Some people might be surprised.  Though if they look at the scope of your      work, they shouldn't be surprised.  But why'd you decide to take on this?</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): It's a very human story and a very interesting character to      play in a unique situation.  I'm a black man with a white daughter,      living in Scotland, because my daughter's going to the conservatory there      in Glasgow, and we meet this young--I think he's playing Vietnamese in      this--and we meet this young, very damaged soul and take him in and we      become family.  To me, it was like really metaphorical, you know.  And I      notice I'm going up like my granddaughter does, who's in college, when      she talks.</s>ED GORDON, host: Let me ask you something.  At this point in time in your life,      does every character you have have to speak to you?</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): Yes.  Ed, I have to be into it.  I have to be able to feel      that, yes, I know this person, and I don't have to strain to reach for      any of the dynamics or emotional points that this character represents.</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): (As Sam) Anyway, I've been thinking, you've been cooped up      in here for weeks now.  Wouldn't you like to get some fresh air, stretch      your legs?  It's nice outside.</s>Mr. JET LI: It's nice in here.</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): (As Sam) Ahh.  You're afraid that if you go out, you won't      be able to come back in?  We'll come back, promise.</s>ED GORDON, host: What was it about this character, Sam, that spoke to you?</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): Sam's very human, very deep feeling.  He was not written as      a blind person, and I remember thinking at some point or other, because,      you know, you go over and over the script trying to find what it is in it      that you need in order to make it to work.  And I thought, boy, he needs      to be blind. And I called Luc Besson, the producer, and said, `I want to      play him blind,' and he said, `Oh, wow,' and he thought about it for a      couple of weeks, and he said, `I think it's a great idea.'</s>ED GORDON, host: Do you often lend that kind of poetic license to the people you      play...</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): In...</s>ED GORDON, host: ...find nuances in those characters?</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): Well, yeah, you have to.  That's your job as the actor, to      understand the human part of the character, to make it real.  I was      thumbing through and I came across an old Woody Allen movie, and he talks      almost as if it's not written, and I think a lot of his stuff is just      suggested and then he goes with it, and every few words was `you know.'      Now when you write stuff, you don't write `you know.'</s>ED GORDON, host: Right.</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): But when you talk, people will say, `Uh, and, you know,'      and...</s>ED GORDON, host: You know.  Truly.  When I was doing research for this, I came      across an article and you said in the article, `I'm just hitting my real      stride.' You really believe that or was that good to say at the time?  I      mean, do you really feel that?</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): No, yes.</s>ED GORDON, host: Yeah.</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): Yes.  In life, it doesn't really matter about your age.  It      has to do with your stride.  Truly, it is it.  You know, when I was in my      50s, I felt really powerful, really strong, really in good, vigorous,      robust health and everything, and now I'm approaching 70 and I think I'm      beginning to, like, sort of even flow.</s>ED GORDON, host: But for you, for you as an individual, that the fame that you      now have, you attained it at a relatively late age.</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): Long, slow pace.  Yeah.  At this level, yeah, late age,      which is good, which was for me, I'm a firm believer that things happen      as they should. The universe unfolds just as it's supposed to, you know.      So for whatever reasons, my life going along the way it has, it's a good      thing.</s>ED GORDON, host: Broadway.</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): (Singing) Broadway, Broadway, everybody's happy.  Yes.</s>ED GORDON, host: 1967, your debut with Pearl Bailey in "Hello, Dolly!"</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): Yes.</s>ED GORDON, host: I suspect now that you look back on your career, that must have      been the highlight for you.</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): It was.  It was.  It was.  And a training ground like no      other. I worked on that show for 11 months with Pearl, and in that 11      months, what I watched every show was a total professional, hundred and      ten percent every time out.</s>ED GORDON, host: Is that something that you will continue to do throughout your      career...</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): No, I don't think so.  I...</s>ED GORDON, host: ...want to get back to it?</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): No.  I...</s>ED GORDON, host: No.</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): No, no, no.  I spent 20 years on the stage trying to get      into movies, and so every play was going to send me to the coast.</s>ED GORDON, host: Right.</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): So now I'm in the movies, I'm quite content.</s>ED GORDON, host: I know, though, one of the ways that you give back and people      can reach out and see and touch is the love you have for the blues and      wanting to keep it alive.  Now you do a lot to make that happen.  One of      the things that I know you're involved in is a festival.</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): Well, I have a blues club in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and      we hold Clarksdale up as being the ground zero for the blues.  You know,      that's the fable of Robert Johnson selling his soul to the devil at the      crossroads there.</s>Mr. ROBERT JOHNSON: (Singing) Now two and two is four, four and two is      six. You gonna keep on monkeyin' round here friend-boy, you gonna get      your business all in a trick.  But I'm cryin', baby.  Honey, don't you      want to go...</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): And there, we have maybe three or four festivals right      around that area from the King Biscuit in Arkansas right on into      Clarksdale, and they go on mostly in the summer and around September.      And also, what we have to give thanks for is the fact that now there is a      music trail that people have discovered and are using, and they start in      Nashville.  They go to Memphis, Clarksdale and New Orleans, or they'll      start in New Orleans and go the...</s>ED GORDON, host: Work their way back, yeah.</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): ...work their way back.  And we are actually still      considered the center of that, you know, and people come from everywhere.      It's amazing.</s>ED GORDON, host: Morgan, I'm curious.  You talk about people coming from      everywhere, and one of the things that I've noted in my years of      interviewing, when I talk to musicians about the blues and about jazz,      American jazz, some African-American musicians are disappointed in that      we have, to a great degree, let that legacy go.  When you go to many      blues clubs, when you go to many jazz clubs, ofttimes that audience will      be white or European.  Are you disappointed that African-Americans are      not holding on to a legacy that really is ours?</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): Well, no.  I think it does behoove us, not just      African-Americans but Americans, because it is America's own music.  You      go from the blues all the way up into rock 'n' roll, and I spoke to a      jazz musician in Los Angeles just last week, just saying hello, and he      said, `How is your blues club going?' and I said, `It's going wonderfully      well.' He said, `You know, no blues, no jazz.' The fact that the music      does evolve--we have to accept that.  What we need to hold on to is just      what you said, however, the knowledge that this is important music, and      the blues is actually our classic music.</s>ED GORDON, host: I told you off-mike, I'll tell you in front of everyone,      congratulations.  I've not seen you obviously since the Oscars, but so      well-deserved.</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): Well, thank you so much.  It's wonderful to hear from so      many people that they think it was well-deserved.</s>ED GORDON, host: I'm curious, watching it, and I have been to the event and      watching it on TV, and often you don't always get the energy in the      theater by watching it on TV, but it seemed to me almost palpable when      your name was called, the applause and the genuine, I think, outpouring      of gratitude.  Did you feel that from your peers?</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): Oh, yeah, that's one of the things that I feel like I'm      blessed with, that I'm well-thought-of, and, you know, you can take that      with you throughout life if you know you're well-thought-of.</s>ED GORDON, host: Do you consider yourself, whatever this phrase means, an actor's      actor?</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): Yes.  I think all of us who feel that we draw from each      other, that's what that term means to me.  Onstage, I get from you, and      if I get from you, I can give to you, you know.  So acting is about      trust, really.</s>ED GORDON, host: You said during the acceptance speech for the Oscar, `I want to      thank everybody and anybody who ever had anything...</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): ...ever had anything at all to do with the making of this      picture, but I especially want to thank Clint Eastwood for giving me the      opportunity to work with him again and to work with Hilary Swank.  This      was a labor of love.</s>Mr. CLINT EASTWOOD: You have big holes in your socks.</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): Oh, they're not that big.</s>Mr. CLINT EASTWOOD: Didn't I give you money for some new ones?</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): These are my sleeping socks.  My feet like a little air at      night.</s>Mr. CLINT EASTWOOD: How come you're wearing them in the daytime then?</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): Because my daytime socks got too many holes in them.</s>ED GORDON, host: It seems again, in just standing from afar, there was a genuine      friendship and respect that you have with and for Clint Eastwood.</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): Yeah.  Professionally, he's a gem.  He's a polished      diamond.  He makes work easy and fun.  He's a class act, you know, and an      enormous amount of talent.</s>ED GORDON, host: Well, perhaps that's why you like him so much, because he      mirrors exactly what you are:  a class act, a man with an enormous amount      of talent. Morgan Freeman, congratulations once again on the Oscar.      Well-deserved, long time coming.  Always a pleasure to talk to you.</s>Mr. MORGAN FREEMAN (Actor): It's my pleasure, indeed.</s>ED GORDON, host: Morgan Freeman's new movie "Unleashed" opens in theaters today.</s>ED GORDON, host: Coming up, the military announces widespread base closings across the      country. What will it mean?  And speed and death in Los Angeles caught on      tape.</s>ED GORDON, host: This is NPR News.