Morgan Freeman once picked his “number one favourite” movie of all time
Not only is Morgan Freeman the proud host of the most velvety and comforting voice in recorded history, but his acting talent is still yet to meet its match after six decades of Hollywood success. Whether narrating Luc Jacquet’s March of the Penguins or investigating heinous sins in David Fincher’s Se7en, Freeman never fails to bring apt intensity and authenticity to his roles.
Freeman has many unique abilities. One is, naturally, his lilting voice. A comforting croon that seems to fill every screen it is lucky enough to narrate. But Freeman has a few other traits that have made him an indispensable part of Hollywood. He is both natural yet purposeful, something he has gained from his decades treading the boards. But his greatest quality is feeling entirely timeless.
As his on-screen versatility suggests, Freeman is a man of refined and varied taste. Outside of acting, Freeman explores a deep passion for music, especially the blues. In his hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi, the Shawshank Redemption actor owns The Ground Zero Blues Club, which, just before opening in 2001, he described as “a traditional blues, gut-bucket juke joint à la Robert Johnson or whoever else”.
When he’s not getting down to a bit of Robert Johnson or doing his thing on set, Freeman loves settling down to watch a blockbuster. In 2011, the actor sat down with Rotten Tomatoes to pick out some of his all-time favourite movies.
Although Freeman, now 86, mainly stuck to his 20th-century classics, he saved a spot for Baz Luhrmann’s hit 2001 musical Moulin Rouge. “I think one of the best movies ever made was Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge,” the actor praised. “It was just an extraordinarily well-done film. Editing, directing, costuming — just everything about it was perfect.”
Elsewhere, Freeman revealed his admiration for fellow Hollywood veteran Clint Eastwood, naming his 1976 movie The Outlaw Josey Wales as another favourite. “Clint Eastwood’s The Outlaw Josey Wales — one of my favourite, favourite films.”
“I don’t know what it is about The Outlaw Josey Wales that sticks… Oh, I do know what it is: it’s the relationship with Chief Dan George,” Freeman explained. “The narration, as it were, of Chief Dan George in that movie, you know. He’s so dry, and it’s humorous but true.”
It would appear a rather difficult feat to supersede a “perfect film” or even a “favourite, favourite” one, but among his selections, Freeman managed to land on a categorical “number one favourite.”
“My number one favourite film was the first film I ever saw – I was six years old before I ever went to the movies – and that film is the original King Kong. It’s still, I think, the best King Kong.” The picture has rightly gone down in history as one of the most impactful pictures ever put to film. It shimmers with the same timeless energy as Freeman himself.
Although Peter Jackson received high praise for his 2005 rejuvenation of the classic kaju, many, including Freeman, find it hard to overlook the monochrome nostalgia of the 1933 original. Directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, the pre-Code era classic follows the original tale of the hundred-foot primate who causes a stir in New York City.
Watch the trailer for the original King Kong below.
