Morgan Freeman Hated Shawshank Redemption: Here's Why

Despite starring in one of the most beloved films of all time — the kind that loops endlessly on cable and tops every IMDb list — Freeman has grown visibly tired of being asked about it. "Let's stop talking about that one," he said in a Vanity Fair retrospective, before cutting the conversation short.

And it's not just media burnout. Freeman had a rough time making the movie. "Most of the time, the tension was between the cast and director," he said, recalling multiple "bad moments" with director Frank Darabont. He wasn't a fan of Darabont's perfectionist streak either: "Having to do something again and again for no discernible reason tends to be a bit debilitating to the energy."

There were other creative clashes too — including Freeman flat-out refusing to shoot the film's original ending. He didn't go into detail, but it was one of many points of friction on a surprisingly tense shoot.

"Extreme moments of tension," he called them, blaming "personality stuff between different groups."

And even after the film wrapped, Freeman still had problems with it — starting with the title. On Late Night with Seth Meyers, he called it "terrible" and said it hurt the movie's marketing:

"Nobody could say, Shawshank Redemption. What sells anything is word of mouth. Now, your friends say, 'Ah, man, I saw this movie, the… what was it? Shank, Sham, Shim? Something like that. Anyways, terrific.' Well, that doesn't sell you."

He had a point. When Shawshank opened in 1994, it made just $16 million during its original run — far below expectations for a prestige studio drama. It didn't become a hit until years later, thanks to home video and endless TV reruns.

Ironically, Freeman had never done narration before Shawshank, and it kickstarted his second career as Hollywood's go-to voice of wisdom. But none of that has softened his feelings. To him, it's just another job that won't go away.