There is a bit of a controversy going on in America (where else?) that besides the Obamacare controversy, Obama gun control controversy, Obama is black controversy, North Korea controversy, the Iraq invasion controversy, Lincoln didn’t win the Oscar controversy, music/video pirating controversy, the immigrant controversy, bank bail out controversy, drone controversy, oil pipeline controversy, Ray-J controversy, baseball doping controversy, legalized marijuana controversy and FBI spying on the internet controversy some people still have the energy to be indignant at Morgan Freeman’s AMA (Ask Me Anything) interview on Reddit recently, claiming that it seems the interview itself was a hoax and that was not the 70 year old award-winning actor but some PR shill pretending to be Morgan Freeman.
Reddit’s AMA format has become quite popular as of late for celebrities to try and reach or get back new fans that have tuned out of the usual forms of mass media for promoting their newest projects. Morgan Freeman was scheduled to chat for an hour about all things Morgan Freeman but from the sounds of it, he chose it mostly to discuss his new project Oblivion or give short answers that many decided were not Morgan Freeman-like based on various evidence such as the use of too many exclamation points !!!!! or answers such as being into acting ‘for the money’.
That’s pretty serious stuff to accuse said actor and website of being involved in this type of internet shenanigans. As we all know the internet is based on integrity, grammar and porn. Merely posting a picture of Morgan Freeman apparently sleeping while also apparently being on AMA caused all sorts of ripples in darkened computer rooms throughout America.
So while America covers up their mild outrage after another mass shooting in ‘Pickaspot, Anywhere’ by focusing instead on what a lame internet interview Morgan Freeman or his PR person was, perhaps it’s best we take a look back on his illustrious career and see if this guy deserves the hate;
In a career spanning nearly five decades, it’s pretty evident that Morgan Freeman was never going to be playing Crack Addict #2 in some straight to video cops and robber shoot’m up. He has long acquired roles that spoke of the nobility and authority a black man could have, no matter what genre and as is evident for a man that has played God, the audience is accepting of that. He is a role model to black actors everywhere and together with James Earl Jones combine for two of the most distinctive and respected voices in entertainment. Kanye West should be taking notes on how to walk the walk and talk the talk from these two legends.
Nobility
For a man who started his career decades ago with a certain popular children’s program it may seem peculiar that he gravitates towards roles that demand respect. Be it in law enforcement or the ultimate top cop in Bruce and Evan Almighty, it’s easy to see that ever since his early years, Morgan Freeman is a stickler when it comes to roles he accepts, starting as the infamous Count Dracula in the Electric Company.
Law Enforcement
Mr. Freeman always looks good in a uniform or a beaten-down fedora and trench coat and he knows it. Never willing to be just another ‘cop on the beat’ it appears when he’s not actually running the force (coming up in a different category) never has he credited with a police rank below lieutenant. He’s the type of officer who always seems on the cusp of retirement, has the weight of society on his shoulders and one can almost sense that despite his weariness, he really doesn’t have time for any shenanigans. I think it’s safe to say his most memorable role was as Detective Lt. Somerset in Se7en.
1981 Texas Detective Michaels
1981 Eyewitness Lieutenant Black
1989 Johnny Handsome Lt. A.Z. Drones
1995 Se7en Detective Lt. William Somerset
2000 Under Suspicion Captain Victor Benezet
2003 Guilty by Association Police Lieutenant Redding
Religious Icons
It’s pretty difficult to be black and also considered a religious icon because let’s face it, it’s pretty dominant Caucasian-esque deity world in film. Never mind the portrayal of JC as being as translucent as Willem Dafoe or the others that have came after him but it’s safe to say we won’t ever see an A-list actor taking on the role of any controversial Messiah-based film in the near future. However, Morgan joined a select few artists to play God, joining George Burns, Alannis Morrissette and that cut-out thing from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Plus, only he and George Burns have been called on to repeat their performance as the Almighty One (as far as I know). Safe to say, few people look better in a white suit than Mr. Freeman. And before Denzel Washington took his turn as the Islamic leader Malcolm X, Morgan Freeman was all like ‘ah, been there, done that”.
1981 Death of a Prophet Malcolm X
2003 Bruce Almighty God
2007 Evan Almighty God
Military
Again, not content to be anything low on the military command tree like a private or corporal, Freeman has always been seen in an authoritative position. Even in the Civil War themed Glory, Mr. Freeman ranked as high as Sgt. Major. Ignore that technically he was outranked by Mathew Broderick for in an era that most black people were ranked behind pack horses and rail carts (see Blazing Saddles) it was good to see Mr. Freeman still pushing to be shown as having a legitimate military presence, despite his skin colour. I’d have to go that for his best military role, his turn as the lone Muslim in Costner’s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves stands out. He was never considered less important than any other and by the end of the movie, he was seen as the near equal as any other member of the merry men.
1989 Glory Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins
1991 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Azeem
1995 Outbreak General Billy Ford
2003 Dreamcatcher Col. Abraham Curtis
2006 The Contract Major Frank Carden
Boss Men/Authority Figures
I first remember Freeman as Principal Joe Clark, the inner-city principal of a run-down school that carried a baseball bat. I think was where he really came into his own as being an authority figure that rang truthful to movie audiences. Although it took him nearly 10 years to rise up to being the President in the near-future not-Armageddon Deep Impact, it has become hard to imagine that whenever studio heads are discussing having a minority in a position of power Morgan Freeman’s name is not at the top of the list.
1985 The Execution of Raymond Graham Warden Pratt
1989 Lean on Me, Principal Joe Clark
1990 The Bonfire of the Vanities Judge Leonard White
1998 Deep Impact President Beck
2006 Lucky Number Slevin The Boss
2007 Gone Baby Gone retired police chief Jack Doyle
2008-12 The Dark Knight Trilogy head of development bat toy division Lucius Fox
2008 Wanted Sloan
2009 Invictus Nelson Mandela
2013 Olympus Has Fallen Speaker cum President Trumbull
2013 Oblivion Morpheus Sr. aka Beech
Doctors
Who doesn’t love doctors? Nearly every doctor played on film is shown as an actual human hero, saving lives, screaming at orderlies and telling the stars that they really need to slow things down. Hardly any Dr. is shown in a negative light. Except for maybe Dr. Doom. and Dr. Octopus and Dr. No. Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Dr. Giggles, Dr. West…
where was I?
Morgan Freeman tends to play the other type of doctor, the kind you respect and don’t worry if he is suddenly going to kill you and wear your skin as a face.
1982-84 Another World (TV series) 82-84 Dr. Roy Bingham
1987 Fight for Life (TV movie) Dr. Sherard 1987
1997 Kiss the Girls Dr. Alex Cross
2011 Dolphin Tale Dr. Cameron McCarthy
Special Mention
Few actors get to play themselves in a movie for any extended amount of time. The few recent ones that come to mind are Jean Claude Van Damme in JCVD and John Malkovich in Being John Malkovich. In 2010′s 10 Items or Less, Freeman is only billed as ‘Him’ but i think it’s safe by this time in his career, we all know who ‘him’ is.
2006 10 Items or Less Him
No comments:
Post a Comment