Morgan Freeman Hes Right You Know Dutch

Written and directed by Ron Shelton, the comedy Just Getting Started follows Duke (Morgan Freeman), the manager with a mysterious past who is making the luxury Palm Springs resort known as Villa Capri a fun, non-stop party place for its residents. But when ex-military man Leo (Tommy Lee Jones) shows up and makes eyes at the newly arrived Suzie (Rene Russo), information technology triggers a competition between the ii men, that has both hilarious and dangerous consequences.

At the picture show'due south press day, Collider got the opportunity to sit down and chat 1-on-1 with histrion Morgan Freeman, who talked about the entreatment of this project, always wanting to know who he'll be working with earlier he signs on, how much he enjoys doing comedy, why he greatly enjoyed working with Tommy Lee Jones and Rene Russo, his desire to work with Meryl Streep, wanting to do more than light and positive films, and his involvement in directing.

Collider: This seems similar one of those projects that yous do for fun and because you want to spend time with your fellow co-stars, particularly Tommy Lee Jones and Rene Russo. When this was presented to yous, did you know who yous'd be working with?

MORGAN FREEMAN: Oh, yep! I pretty much always know who I'm gonna exist working with. That kind of surprise can be a deal-breaker. But being a fan, specially of those ii, and liking everybody else in the movie, it was surprisingly fun to practise.

And this movie shows the kind of warm-atmospheric condition Christmas that I'thou used to, beingness from 50.A.

FREEMAN: I remember my offset Christmas in Los Angeles was in 1959, and it was 83 or 86 degrees. It was bright and sunny, and everybody was singing "Jingle Bells." I was like, "What is this?!"

Typically, you're the guy they go to for the gravitas and not the low-cal-hearted one-act. Is this something yous'd similar to do more often?

FREEMAN: I ever like diversity in piece of work. I was on Tv for five years, in a children'southward show, and I was terrified. I actually did it for ii years, and then three more than years, and I hated it because I was terrified of beingness locked on television, as somebody like Captain Kangaroo. I did non desire to be Fred Rogers. That'southward non me, at all. But you have a task and quitting a chore when you don't accept another job is stupid, so I didn't. As luck would have information technology, the bear witness closed and I was free. The first intermission-out motion picture I did was called Street Smart, and I played a heavier pimp. I can't tell you how many scripts I got, after that, to play that same character. Gravitas came along and, of a sudden, it was Morgan and gravitas and I was similar, "Tin't I practice something else?!" So, I did Last Vegas and Going in Fashion. I love it! There'due south not much of a challenge to it. It's just fun to exercise.

Was there much improvisation going on, on a film similar this?

FREEMAN: No, in that location was none. Nosotros had i guy who was adept at improv, George Wallace, simply George is a stand-up, so stuff comes out of him. Information technology was like, "George, please shut up, will you?!"

This character is a guy who'south so mannerly that yous don't really remember about what he's doing to con y'all because you lot actually really similar him. He'south a scammer, simply he makes people happy.

FREEMAN: You should like him! He strives for love. He needs to be liked. He's reinvented himself, down here with these people. It's all about love, and all about partying and doing some good for each other.

Were there challenges to finding the right tone with this guy, or is he so charming that it doesn't matter what he's doing?

FREEMAN: It does thing what he's doing, but what he's doing is in the interest of his clientele and in the interest of the people that he's taking care of, so to speak. It turns out that this place is actually owned and run by a corporation. He only manages this one outlet. Information technology's simply business organization for them, but for him, it's about fun. That's how Rene gets into the mix.

Could you e'er have imagined a world where you would exist singing "Silent Night" as a lullaby to Tommy Lee Jones?

FREEMAN: That's an interesting question. One of the things I know is that, in the movies, anything is possible. That's one of those moments. I forgot that's what we did.

How was it to shoot with Tommy Lee Jones?

FREEMAN: Tommy is and so proficient. He's a natural. There's cypher to information technology. It'southward not even work. When you lot get into it with someone who's been there as long as you've been there, and who'south done as good or better work than you've done, that'southward what you alive for. That'southward what it's all about.

This is the starting time fourth dimension you guys had worked together.

FREEMAN: Yeah, simply I know all of his dance steps.

Had you always tried to detect something to work on together, prior to this?

just-getting-started-morgan-freeman-tommy-lee-jones — Paradigm via Lewis Jacobs/Broad Green Pictures

FREEMAN: No, that'southward not what you lot do. You sit back and promise. If something drops into your lap and y'all tin can say, "I know who it would be adept to play this with," then you achieve out. Otherwise, yous're just a part of the mix. When they say, "Nosotros would like you to play this part and nosotros've got then-and-so to play the other office," then you can go, "Fabulous!" I remember when nosotros were gonna do The Bucket List, Rob Reiner sent me the script and said, "Would you do this and play this function?" I said, "Yep, merely simply if Jack Nicholson plays the other part." Then, they reached out to Jack and he said, "Yeah."

Is in that location anyone you'd still really like to work with?

FREEMAN: There are tons of people, but mostly women. I've worked with a lot of men. At that place aren't that many that I oasis't had a shot at. I'd love to work with Meryl Streep. Of course, at that place are a lot of actors that I haven't worked with that I would jump at the opportunity to do so.

Would you desire to do a comedy with Meryl Streep?

FREEMAN: A one-act or anything else, I don't intendance. Whatever it is, I would do it.

Y'all and Rene Russo were both in Outbreak, just you really get to spend time with her in this. What sort of energy does she bring to the set and what do y'all relish about working with her?

FREEMAN: Come on, she's Rene! She's actually extraordinary. She'southward a terrific extra, who does it all. It just seems to come up piece of cake for her. She says information technology's not, simply I can tell.

At this point in your career, what gets you excited about a project and character, and what makes yous go, "You lot know, this is but not for me"?

FREEMAN: I've had a few scripts recently that were just pure downers, and I just don't wanna [exercise that]. If yous've got something on the lighter side or on the positive side, I'd dearest to practise information technology. I don't desire to play a bad guy, unless he's a very interesting bad guy. This is a secret betwixt you and me, simply I'thou thinking more than and more about producing and directing.

What is information technology most directing that interests yous?

FREEMAN: I like to exist in control. It'southward fun to work with both sides of the camera, working with the actors and the crew and making the decisions. You don't really make the decisions by yourself. It's like being the captain of a ship. You've got people that know exactly what their job is, so you don't take to become around telling them. You can only sit back and let it happen. What I learned from Clint [Eastwood] is to control the set. Proceed it tranquility, go along it energized, don't get into situations where there's tension, don't permit it get besides noisy, and movement it along. Actors similar to move. Some actors don't. Meryl Streep likes repeats. She likes to do it again and once again. She worked with Clint on The Bridges of Madison County. Clint likes to practice two or three takes, at the most, simply Meryl wanted to do more.

Only Getting Started is now playing in theaters.