The One Habit Morgan Freeman, 88, Swears By to Stay Young
At 88 and nearing 89, Oscar winner Morgan Freeman says he still feels good and stays upbeat about aging, revealing the simple secret that keeps him feeling young despite physical challenges.
Morgan Freeman is weeks away from 89 and still sounds like a guy with a full tank. He popped up on late night to talk work, aging, and yes, that voice people can pick out from a mile away.
The Eastwood mantra
On The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Freeman was there to plug The Gray House, a Civil War miniseries he produced with Kevin Costner that premieres March 6. The conversation drifted to getting older, and Freeman did not sugarcoat the physical slowdown that comes with it. But his mindset? Still running hot.
"Never let the old man in. Don't let the old man in."
That line, he said, came from his longtime friend and frequent collaborator Clint Eastwood, who is 95. Fallon ate it up and joked that this is exactly why Freeman seems ageless. The two icons have history together: Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, and Invictus are all on their shared resume.
About that 'voice of God'
Fallon also did what everyone does around Freeman: complimented the pipes. Fans still tag him as the 'voice of God' thanks to Bruce Almighty. Freeman waved off the mystique. He does not think his voice is some magical gift; he credits a short stint at Los Angeles City College, where he took voice and diction classes to get control and power behind it.
Where he is now
- Project: The Gray House, a Civil War miniseries Freeman produced with Kevin Costner
- Premiere date: March 6
- Perspective: At 88, he stays grateful, keeps working, and leans on that Eastwood advice to stay present and active, even as he deals with the usual physical hurdles
The read on Freeman right now is simple: keep moving, keep making things, and keep that old man on the other side of the door.