We Got This Covered: Joseph Kosinski had said that you and Tom Cruise had been trying to make a movie together for some time. What took so long and was it a case of scheduling, looking for the right story or a combination of both?
Morgan Freeman: Now when we say we want to work together and we were looking for something to do, that’s not an active thing. Were that the case, I would’ve been in Mission Impossible 1, 2 or 3. But when the right project comes along, it has sort of a domino effect. Everything falls into place. I think this is like the perfect genre for me to be involved with Tom in, so I no longer resent not having worked on anything with him before (laughs).
We Got This Covered: You first met Tom Cruise back in 1990 at the Academy Awards when you were both nominated for Best Actor (Freeman for Driving Miss Daisy, and Cruise for Born on the Fourth of July). What were your impressions of him?
Morgan Freeman: The first time I saw him was in Risky Business. He was awesome! I mean, when his parents walked out of the house and he slid into frame in his jockeys and did that whole thing? It’s like this kid is awesome! I don’t know if there is anything that he has done that I haven’t seen and appreciated. I’d seen stuff he did way before that like that fairytale movie Legend. He’s just born to do this.
We Got This Covered: Your character’s costume is one the more distinct ones you’ve worn in a movie recently. Do you have any impact on the way your character is dressed, and how much of it is a challenge and how much of it is an asset to you?
Morgan Freeman: Costume is always an asset. With a normal costume, you have a lot of say about if you’re wearing suits or ties, what color you want, how it’s going to be cut, stuff like that. But when you’re wearing a special costume, and of course costume is probably the second ingredient in character, the script being first, I always find that the costume does a lot to cement your character and to put it firmly in mind. This costume, I remember going for the fitting, it took maybe half an hour to get into it. But then I looked at it and I walked all over the office showing it off, and it was, shall we say, instructive.
We Got This Covered: Having made movies for so long now, is working on Oblivion like another day in the office for you, or do you enjoy every single day?
Morgan Freeman: I enjoy it every single day. I’m born to do this too. It’s not like I have to get up every morning Monday through Friday and go to a job. You do a movie, however long it lasts, it begins and it ends in a relatively short period of time. In a given period of time, let’s say a year, you can have three, four or five different experiences, which is kind of exciting.
We Got This Covered: We saw you recently at the red carpet premiere for Oblivion where fans were shouting out your name and you were getting your picture taken with them. Is it still exciting for you to have the love of the public?
Morgan Freeman: I was watching The Tonight Show with Jack Paar, and one of my favorite movie heroes Humphrey Bogart was on. Humphrey was asked a similar question about pictures and autographs and the public, and Bogart said “I don’t owe the public anything but a good performance.” I tried to take that to heart, but not quite so.
Somebody once told me “no, no, you belong to us. You’re in the public,” so you can’t quite get away from it. I don’t do autographs, they’re a waste of time, but photographs stay. Touching someone’s hand, hugging a beautiful lady, all of that works out very well. I wanted to adopt Humphrey Bogart’s dictum but it doesn’t work for me. I think I owe the public a little bit more than just a good performance. I owe them just a little bit of time… if I’m cornered (laughs).
That concludes our interview but we’d like to thank Morgan for taking the time to talk with us. Be sure to check out Oblivion, in theatres this Friday.
