Morgan Freeman

Morgan: (on movies) People need to start to think about the messages that they send in the movies.

Morgan: (on the air force) 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.

Morgan: (on acting) 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.

Morgan: (on acting) 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.

Morgan: (on sailing) 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.

Morgan: Well, I don't know about low moments, but I know the worst role I did was that play on Broadway. It was a three character play - would-be comedy - and I think the funniest thing about it was the one night the lead actor just completely forgot every line.

Morgan: Back in the 70s when the black exploitation period started, all the New York actors were going to Hollywood, starring in it, making $40,000. I said to my agent whose name was Jeff Hunter, picked me up from the first stage play I did in New York. I said, "Everybody's going out there and they're working. I'm sitting here languishing. I should go - don't you think I should go out to Hollywood?" "I don't think so," he said, "When they want you, they'll send for you." It worked. Though they didn't want me for a long time.

Morgan: The reason actors, artists, writers have agents is because we'll do it for nothing. That's a basic fact - you gotta do it.

Morgan: Everywhere I go, everywhere I go, everywhere I go. People say, 'Love your movies. Shawshank Redemption' or they say 'Shooshunk' or 'Shankshout - Best movie I ever saw.' It opened the same year that Dumb and Dumber opened. It made $35m at the box office - domestic. Dumb and Dumber made $110m. Duu-uh.

Morgan: 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.

Morgan: I gravitate towards gravitas.

(Morgans advice to the South African film industry) Morgan: Trying to emulate Hollywood is a mistake, because the Hollywood way is not always the best way. You don't need large amounts of money to make a film.

Morgan: The studios are not going to do it until someone proves it will work. So that's what we'll do.

(after winning the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Million Dollar Baby) Morgan: I want to thank everybody and anybody who ever had anything to do with the making of this picture.

Morgan: There's no mystery to it. Nothing more complicated than learning lines and putting on a costume.

Morgan: Anyone anywhere in the world who has the service will have front row seats right in the comfort of their own home. Think about that.

Morgan: It is not so much that people are frustrated (with studios)... They see opportunities.

Morgan: We want to give people what they want, when they want it. We are following the wave.

Morgan: We call on anybody who has even the thought (of giving) to get beyond the thought and help these people.

Morgan: 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.

Morgan: I'm not one for blaspheming, but that one made me laugh.

Morgan: (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.

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

Morgan: It's sort of well-known that anytime any catastrophe happens anywhere in the world, they can count on the United States for help.

Morgan: 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.

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

Morgan: Getting a standing ovation was kind of humbling that so many people are so happy that I have been named for this award. A lot of people say you're due - maybe you are, maybe you aren't - it's an accolade.

(on Clint Eastwood, best director) Morgan: If he hires you, he hires you because he feels like you know what to do. And he's very, very largely out of the way. He directs the picture, you do the acting. I love that, and I think that most of the people that he works with love that.

(on a double win for black actors) Morgan: It means that Hollywood is continuing to make history. We're evolving with the rest of the world.

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

Morgan: 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. 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.

Morgan: I always tell my kids if you lay down, people will step over you. But if you keep scrambling, if you keep going, someone will always, always give you a hand. Always. But you gotta keep dancing, you gotta keep your feet moving.

Morgan: Is there a movie I think I should have won the Oscar for? Yeah. All of them.

Morgan: I don't know what my favorite film of mine is...But I think the most important film I was in was Glory (1989)

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

Morgan: Once you've gotten the job, there's nothing to it. If you're an actor, you're an actor. Doing it is not the hard part. The hard part is getting to do it.

Morgan: 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.

Morgan: I have never acted he has never been cast in a romantic lead or has been cast opposite a female love interest in any movie he starred in.