The character Morgan Freeman is desperate to play: “I always wanted to do one of those roles”
Morgan Freeman is one of the most iconic actors to exist, with a name and voice that has defined decades of groundbreaking work in films like Seven, The Shawshank Redemption and The Dark Knight Rises, sparking a reverent reaction from global audiences. After lending his voice to characters in animated movies like The Lego Movie and bizarrely voicing God twice in Evan Almighty and Bruce Almighty, the idea of a career bucket list seems obsolete to someone like Freeman, however the actor recently revealed the one character that he is yet to play.
Freeman is currently starring in Lioness alongside Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldana, an original series created by Taylor Sheridan that follows a marine and CIA agent who works with the daughter of a terrorist organization to destroy it. The actor plays the US Secretary of State who finds himself in constant conflict with the CIA, with a more prominent role in the second season after having a guest role in the first season.
With a role like this, it seems as though Freeman has played it all, however, he recently said, “…My bucket list is pretty much scratched out now. There were a few things that were still there that were missed, but they’re earlier on; I couldn’t do it now to save my life. But when I grew up, as a little boy, I’d always get up in the morning and strap on my guns. I’m a gunfighter, so I always wanted to do one of those roles”.
Given the over-saturation of the action genre and Freeman’s presence in high-stakes dramas and thrillers, this statement makes you wrack your brains and look back on the entirety of his career. Has there really not been one role where he’s played a gunfighter?
But when you really think about it, Freeman usually plays the more measured and mature characters, the ones who don’t haphazardly fire their guns and instead use words to de-escalate any situation. He’s become famous for his portrayal of the weather authority figure who has simply seen too much, such as the haggard detective in Seven who has become worn-down by the evils of the world and the right-hand man to Bruce Wayne, but never playing the one who causes the chaos, instead being the one to metaphorically clean it up. Always the bridesmaid, but never the bride.
However, Freeman may finally play this kind of character in the upcoming season of Lioness. His character is tasked with destroying a Mexican drug cartel, and given the bloody history of previous films and shows associated with this mission, perhaps the actor will finally have a chance to delve into the role that has been a long time coming.
However, even if this doesn’t become a possibility for Freeman in the second season, the actor has expressed how grateful he is to be working with Sheridan, saying, “The very fact that I am working with him on one of his projects. I’m like everybody else — I started watching Yellowstone and I just got to make it to the next season, the next show. And then he comes up with these other shows — 1883, 1923 — and the writing is so catchy. You’re grabbed by the very writing itself. The man is astounding. So, there you go. What’s the surprise? The surprise is that I’m there, too, now”.
