Honored for lifetime achievement, Freeman still amused by acquired gravitas

Morgan Freeman has been the chauffeur to a cranky old white woman, a no-nonsense high school principal, a prisoner, a detective and the gadget designer for Batman. He’s also been God.

And God — a role he played in the comedies “Bruce Almighty” and “Evan Almighty” — wasn’t even a stretch for this Academy Award-winning actor, who carries enough commanding yet gentle authority to make us all believe his presence has been ordained.

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Okay, so Freeman, who recently celebrated his 74th birthday, may not be omniscient. But he is a revered movie star, one who was recently honored with the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award at a Los Angeles, which airs Sunday night on TV Land ceremony.

Prior to receiving his award, Freeman spent a few minutes on the phone reflecting on his career, including the popularity of “The Shawshank Redemption” and the role that he considers his strangest to date. Yes, that would be God. (A full transcript of this conversation is at washington
post.com/celebritology .)

How did you find out about receiving the AFI honor, and what was your reaction?

Morgan Freeman: I don’t really remember who told me. It’s all been kind of foggy in my mind because, I don’t know — this is a big to-do here. It’s not like getting an Academy Award. You’re just voted into this very unique society of people who have been honored by the American Film Institute. So the closer it gets to the moment, the more I realize what kind of company I am in. And it’s — you know, I come from humble beginnings. I guess a lot of us actors do. But from there to here is, number one, it’s been quite a trip. And number two, to sit and realize this is where you are is sobering.

Sobering because of those words “lifetime achievement”?

Freeman: Not because of the words lifetime achievement. That’s kind of scary. It’s kind of like, hey, you’ve done your thing, now sit down. And I’m not quite ready to do that. But a lot of the people I know — at least three people that I’m in close contact with, Mike Nichols, Clint Eastwood and Sidney Poitier — they didn’t sit down after they got one. So I don’t have to worry too much about it.

Was the theater work you did early in your career crucial to the kind of actor you became?

Freeman: I think theater work was the primary ingredient in preparation to become successful. I was pretty successful on the stage — I was 20 years in New York, so I  built up quite a following among the press and all. However, I always, always, always wanted to be in the movies, so I still felt like I was preparing. “One of these days . . . ”

I would imagine you still draw on that theater foundation now.

Freeman: I guess I’m told that I am a sound man’s joy because I do have a theater instrument. So I can speak clearly rather than having to push to project into a radio mike.

Well, now your voice is considered so authoritative. You could say anything and people would believe you.

Freeman: [Laughs] Somebody suggested that maybe we should do a — what would you call it? You’ll come up with the word for it — we’ll just start reading the encyclopedia. Or the dictionary.