The three actors Morgan Freeman never wants to end up like: “It’s bound to happen”
As an actor, the longer you’re in the game, the more probable it becomes that you’ll be typecast. Just ask Morgan Freeman.
It happens a lot, and while it’s not the worst thing an actor can face, most of them spend their time trying to avoid such a fate, accepting as many diverse opportunities as possible to show off the fact that their talents aren’t restricted to one genre or type of character.
Of course, many actors end up falling into the trap anyway, even when they try to take on different types of projects. And sometimes, they end up falling into the same habits, flexing the same acting muscles every single time, even when they’re playing completely different characters.
For instance, even though he’s done a lot of different projects, it’s hard to see Adam Sandler as anything but Hollywood’s angry man-child, or Jim Carrey as the slapstick contortionist, or Tom Cruise as the industry’s token action guy. Although he’s tried his hand at different types of roles, it’s hard to take Matthew McConaughey away from his leading man persona, a streak he carries well into his rebrand era, no matter how hard he tries to divert.
By contrast, there are countless actors who, no matter what, wouldn’t be caught in the same conversations about typecast actors, ones who have broken the mould easily, despite having a streak of projects that fall into the same types of categories. Morgan Freeman is one of them. Freeman has no doubt done it all, making him one of the most versatile actors in history and in the current Hollywood landscape.
He’s played political leaders, troubled inmates, family figures, friendly heroes, and archetypal villains. Hell, he’s even played god. He’s able to bend to any shape required of him, and often pours in hours of research to ensure his performances are as believable as possible. Mostly, he’s a subtle actor, able to communicate complex emotions with a calmness they don’t teach you in acting school, meaning his ability comes from some deep-rooted understanding of human behaviour and connection.
There is also, of course, his innate understanding of the acting world and what an actor needs to do to make sure their careers remain on the right track, and it’s knowing which paths not to take so that people don’t only view you as one thing. And, in his eyes, three legendary actors took such journeys, cementing their place in one particular arena only.
In an interview with GQ, Freeman explained why he was able to stray from such norms and why The Shawshank Redemption is a notable touchpoint from where the rest of his career flourishes. “A lot of people call [my voice] the ‘voice of God’,” he said, adding that one of the reasons why he chose to narrate the trailer for 21 Savage and Metro Boomin’s Savage Mode II was because it pushed him away from those familiar “nice guy” roles.
He went on, “Henry Fonda was in it, Spencer Tracy was in it, James Stewart was in it, even though he played a couple of bad guys. You don’t really don’t want to be cast into a mould, but after a few years, it’s bound to happen. Every [offer] that’s outside of what you consider [your] mould is fun to do. I got to jump at it.”
Those actors’ careers didn’t falter because of such reputations, but they did teach Freeman about jumping at the chance to do other things when such things come his way. And even if they fail, he’ll at least know he gave it his best shot, pushing himself outside of those typical boxes that so many other actors melt into without much desire to fight back.
