Quotes by Morgan Freeman

I hate the word homophobia. It's not a phobia. You're not scared. You're an asshole.

I seldom get into the mood of the story. It's acting. I go in, I act, I quit. I don't take anything away from it.

I am passionate about what is going on with the oceans, mainly because we are for some idiotic reason, really screwing it up. I mean, we're really killing the ocean. It's like putting out the sun. Without it, there is no us.

Don't be different just for different's sake. If you see it differently, function that way. Follow your own muse, always.

The public feels that if it's on the Internet and you can access it, you deserve it. You haven't committed any kind of crime. We may even have to rename piracy. But in any case, we have to confront it.

I'm not digging tunnels, I'm not building buildings. My work is not hard, my work is refreshing, my work is pleasant. The more the better. Lying around and getting no job is debilitating.

There's an exercise we do where someone is sat behind you and you're asked to close your eyes and fall backwards. That's acting.

I have to deal with being famous. Sometimes I have to tell people I don't do autographs, thank you very much. At certain places, I refuse to have my photograph taken.

From early childhood, my thrust was to get into the movies.

I'm not a comedian. I don't make things funny if they're not funny. I don't invent funny stuff.

If you sat down and you wrote a script, you may write something that's way beyond what you've ever seen me do, but if you thought of me to do it, I would be flattered to be asked to do something other than be wise.

Being blind is as simple as closing your eyes. The blind don't act any different than you or I. You never see a blind person going around saying, 'I'm blind.' So if you want to play blind just close your eyes and keep them closed and fare thee well.

But I was 22 before I took my first dance class. I had never been athletic, so I was very stiff; I still am. I think what I got mostly from dance was carriage.

If you dream you've got to dream that it's going to happen. Remember that. If you dream you have to imagine that it will actually happen.

In growing up, I was a child of the movies. I went to the movies every given opportunity, and that's pretty much what has informed a lot of my choices.

Working on stage is really a great voice developer.

Very often, you know, you stop walking because you say, 'Well, I'm tired of climbing this hill. I'm never going to get to the top.' And you're only two steps from the top.

You know, the ancient Egyptians had a beautiful belief about death. When their souls got to the entrance to heaven, the guards asked two questions. Their answers determined whether they were able to enter or not. 'Have you found joy in your life?' 'Has your life brought joy to others?'

Your job is always the same if it's a juggernaut or if it's just one of these little jewels of a film that's gonna wind up at the Laemmle or something, so your job doesn't change whatsoever... give it your best shot.

Which lady would I like to meet? Um, I don't know that there's anybody left that I didn't meet. But the one that I really wanted to meet died and that was Princess Diana. I really wanted to get to know her. I like her.

If you're not living on the edge then you're taking up a little too much space.

A scientist sounds like a scientist because the things that come out of their mouth don't stumble, that's all. If they said, And the, um, a microwave, uh, you know, then you don't sound right, but if you can just get it out without stumbling then you're going to sound fine.

In my home, who is my boss? If you ask my wife she'll say certainly not her. She claims that she can't make me do anything and so she's not my boss. I am. I'm pretty sure, maybe.

Nobody is trying to save energy. We're trying to shift our use of fuel. Forget saving energy; if we get the right kind of energy, there are endless amounts.

I'm easy going for the most part but sometimes in the morning if I didn't sleep well I can be kind of grumpy. But my grumpiness doesn't have that much to do with my dissatisfaction with my station in life.

They're talking about kids who have grand mal seizures, and they've discovered that marijuana eases that down to where these children can have a life. That right there, to me, says, 'Legalize it across the board!'

I'm making a great effort because sometimes life is not enjoyable. Sometimes it's painful and sometimes it's stressful, sometimes it's agonizing even, so I think once you get around those humps: strive for pleasure and peace.

If I stay at home, I'm not famous. I'm only famous when I'm out in the streets, so I don't go out on the streets much.

I just wanted to be an actor. It's better to be well-rounded.

Is listening important? I can't think of a single walk of life where it wouldn't be.

I don't need any more press. I get enough when I work, but environmental causes is one place where you can get me to open my mouth. And put my foot in it if necessary. I think the only thing I do that gives me any bragging rights in terms of energy conservation is sailing. Just using wind power.

Even through my good-looking youth, I wasn't called on for any romantic parts, which is okay. What I was called on to do, I enjoyed doing. The funny thing about life is that if you live long enough, I think, you'll get every wish you ever had. It'll all come true.

I was always ambitious. I always wanted to be more than I was....I always wanted to be a movie actor.

I know people are saying they like you. I'm not being insulted or pushed around or anything. People are coming up because they like me. Nevertheless, I can't be everybody's...none of us can. I hate saying no to people.

I want to be up there, being lauded and applauded and given all these and on the red carpet, waving at the hordes of people.

The surest way to lose at any endeavor is to quit.

Playing is no challenge; every time that you get a role you get to go play with other people in the sandbox and so there is no challenge, real challenge. The challenge, the major challenge is getting the work, finding the sandbox.

I believe it doesn't really matter where you work as long as you work. Keep sharpening your teeth.

It's just the stupidest law possible... You're just making criminals out of people who aren't engaged in criminal activity. And we're spending zillions of dollars trying to fight a war we can't win! We could make zillions, just legalize it and tax it like we do liquor. It's stupid.

These walls are funny. First you hate 'em, then you get used to 'em. Enough time passes, you get so you depend on them. That's institutionalized.

Marketing only really works with word of mouth.

I've never had any intimate relationships with a dolphin.

I don't do cold. My reaction to cold is drastic. I'm a southern boy.

I've always been really hot on westerns. All my life growing up, cowboy, cowboy, cowboy.

If your life turns out to be good and you have a tremendous amount of luck in your life, it's a good thing to turn around and make it work for others.

I have four children and nine grandchildren. I'm presently wearing out my second wife.

Donald Trump is the Honey Boo Boo of rich people.

My earrings are worth just enough to buy me a coffin if I die in a strange place. That was the reason why sailors used to wear them.

I always wanted to be a fireman, a cop, an Indian chief, a doctor, a lawyer. I always wanted to be all these things, so I am drawn to these kinds of characters.

I once heard a wise man say there are no perfect men. Only perfect intentions.

If we don't save the oceans, if we don't do something about what we're doing to the oceans, as well as the planet at large, we're going to be really sorry.

I'm a firm believer that things happen as they should. The universe unfolds just as it's supposed to.

Attacking People With Disabilities is the Lowest Display of Power I Can Think Of.

We humans are more concerned with having than with being.

As long as you feel like a victim, you are one.

You measure yourself by the people who measure themselves by you.

Literacy could be the ladder out of poverty.

Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen -- that stillness becomes a radiance.

If you want to see a miracle, be the miracle.

Challenge yourself; it's the only path which leads to growth.

I was raised in Mississippi, so heat and humidity is my bread and butter. It keeps me going. I can't stand cold weather.

How do we change the world? One random act of kindness at a time.

All my life, all my life that I can, as far back as I can remember, I saw my first movie when I was six years old. And since then I wanted to do that. I wanted to be a part of that.

I don't know what my favorite film of mine is... But I think the most important film I was in was 'Glory.'

Man is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice and endurance.

I like the character roles. Somewhere back there I really came to the conclusion in my mind that the difference between acting and stardom was major. And that if you become a star, people are going to go to see you. If you remain an actor, they're going to go and see the story you're in.

I find it difficult to watch myself... I find it boring.

Dr. Martin Luther King is not a black hero. He is an American hero.

And some places you been before are so great that you don't ever mind going back. Some places you been before you don't ever want to go back, you know, like Montreal in the Winter.

I like the blues a lot. I grew up on it.

Let me be the first to tell you, drinking alcohol is the worst thing to do in cold weather. Hot soup is the best because the process of digesting food helps to warm you up.

If you live a life of make-believe, your life isn't worth anything until you do something that does challenge your reality. And to me, sailing the open ocean is a real challenge, because it's life or death.

I don't want a Black History Month. Black history is American history.

As you grow in this business, you learn how to do more with less.

I want to thank everybody and anybody who ever had anything to do with the making of this picture.

I'm not intimidated by lead roles. I'm better in them. I don't feel pressure. I feel released at times like that. That's what I'm born to do.

This kid came up with Napster, and before that, none of us thought of content protection.

It's what I learn from the great actors that I work with. Stillness. That's all and that's the hardest thing.

Most of the time it's the role. Sometimes it's the story and sometimes it just the paycheck. It's the little movies that come out as stories or the fact that I have work to go out, you know what I'm saying, you can only be out so long without work, you start getting antsy.

I knew at an early age I wanted to act. Acting was always easy for me. I don't believe in predestination, but I do believe that once you get where ever it is you are going, that is where you were going to be.

I've been living with myself all of my life, so I know all of me. So when I watch me, all I see is me. It's boring.

The best way to guarantee a loss is to quit.

Martin Luther King Jr. is remembered as our prince of peace, of civil rights. We owe him something major that will keep his memory alive.

When I was doing theater, I was very successful at believing that I was great, God's gift to the theater.

I joined the air force. I took to it immediately when I arrived there. I did three years, eight months, and ten days in all, but it took me a year and a half to get disabused of my romantic notions about it.

I do know there are a lot of people who seem to be in my corner, and that's, of course, wonderful. I'm really more interested in the nomination than in the award, because I think the nomination just puts you within a group of outstanding actors.

Not only do I have to live, right, I have to get some cash for my troubles -- it's a scary thing, and people need to start to think about the messages that they send in the movies.

Life doesn't offer you promises whatsoever so it's very easy to become, 'Whatever happened to... ?' It's great to be wanted. I spent a few years not being wanted and this is better.

I am going to stop calling you a white man and I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man.

It can have an enormous effect because big budget movies can have big budget perks, and small budget movies have no perks, but what is the driving force, of course, is the script, and your part in it.

My parents were working in a hospital in Memphis. But I didn't live there for any length of time that I remember. The first thing I remember is the town in Mississippi that I live in now, Charleston.

I feel fine, I don't care who the director is. All you have to do is know what your doing -- all of us -- everybody in the business -- that's all you ask anyone -- you know your job, I know mine, let's go do it.

And that if you become a star, people are going to go to see you. If you remain an actor, they're going to go and see the story you're in.

Give me something interesting to play and I'm happy.

Was I always going to be here? No I was not. I was going to be homeless at one time, a taxi driver, truck driver, or any kind of job that would get me a crust of bread. You never know what's going to happen.

I can only be so long without work before I start getting antsy.

People hear that and say I'm being modest, but I am not a modest person, but I have to be truthful about what I'm doing and what I'm doing is channeling.

I don't get off on romantic parts. But I often think if I had had my dental work done early on, well, maybe.