Morgan Freeman has an unusually candid philosophy when it comes to choosing his projects, a big enough paycheck can make up for a script that isn’t quite up to par.
Speaking to The New York Times in an interview published August 2, the veteran actor explained his approach to weighing job offers.
“If somebody offers you a job, it’s very nice if they’re offering you also an exciting script, but in reality, two or three things come into play,” Freeman said.
“What are they going to pay you? If they’re going to pay you enough, then you overlook some of the glitches in the script that happen to be there.”
Freeman noted that script issues aren’t necessarily a dealbreaker even when he does flag them, saying that raising concerns with a project’s writing tends to work itself out over time.
“Sometimes you can mention things that are in the script that don’t quite work out for you and by and large, that gets worked out.”
He also made clear he has no intention of slowing down.
Speaking separately to The Guardian, he said thoughts of retirement tend to evaporate the moment a new offer comes in.
“Sometimes the idea of retirement would float past me but, as soon as my agent says there’s a job or somebody wants you or they’ve made an offer, the whole thing just boils back into where it was yesterday: how much you’re going to pay, where we’re gonna be?”
The 88-year-old actor, who is set to turn 90 next June, has continued to stay busy across film in recent years, with credits including Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, Gunner and My Dead Friend Zoe.
He’s also stepping into new territory this month, with a blues album set for release on Friday, August 7.
