News

How Morgan Freeman and Samuel L Jackson deal with people who get them confused: “You’re lying, but I understand”

Even though they’ve got plenty of things in common, there’s no reason for anyone to get Morgan Freeman and Samuel L Jackson confused, apart from the obvious elephant in the room that would put any case of mistaken identity down to pure ignorance.

They’re both older Black gentleman, and that’s about it. Freeman is a decade older than Jackson but has always been one of those actors who feels like they were 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 an old man waiting for their body to catch up, whereas the latter is in his mid-70s and could easily pass for a decade and a half younger, if not much more.

Bruce Springsteen opening his set in Montreal with the Ghostbusters theme

Between them, they’ve racked up over 350 credits covering film and television, lent their names to some stone-cold cinema classics, a bounty of box office bonanzas, cult favourites, risible flops, and forgettable flicks. Freeman has a competitive Oscar for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ thanks to Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby, while Jackson has an honorary gong for his contributions to the industry, but that’s where the similarities begin and end.

Maybe it’s something to do with the fact they’ve largely been kept apart despite enjoying shared status as two of Hollywood’s most prolific, popular, and in-demand veterans. The first—and so far only—time they’ve shared an ensemble was in the entirely forgettable buddy caper sequel Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard.

Despite having such distinctly different careers, enduring as multi-generational icons and even having their own signature style of line delivery, Freeman admitted to The Talks that people continue to get them mixed up, conceding that “Sam and I go through this back and forth” and share war stories whenever they meet in person.

“I was in Dallas, Texas, one time waiting to change planes, and a guy walked over to me,” Freeman recalled. “I was wearing my cap and sunglasses. Not to hide from anybody, but, you know, you dress the way you dress. The guy came over and said, ‘I know you’re trying to be incognito, but I recognise you, Samuel L Jackson. I said, ‘No, I’m not’. He said, ‘You’re lying, but I understand.’”

Freeman revealed that “Sam has the same story,” with countless people mistaking him for Freeman. “That’s the reason why Sam will come on stage, and he’ll say first off, ‘I am not Morgan Freeman,’” his not-at-all doppelganger offered, but for some reason, folks can’t seem to wrap their heads around the fact the actors and legends are two entirely—and very different—people.

Freeman tells people he isn’t Jackson, Jackson tells people he isn’t Freeman, and on and on it goes as it has done for years. Realistically, all it would take is a working set of eyeballs, but somehow the memo keeps getting lost in translation.

Related Posts

Who Is Samuel L. Jackson’s Wife? All About LaTanya Richardson Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson has been married to LaTanya Richardson Jackson for over 40 years When Samuel L. Jackson and LaTanya Richardson Jackson say they’re in it for the long haul, they mean…

Eazy E’s Daughter ReeMarkable Introduces Son Hendrix with New𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 Shoot Recreating Iconic Photo of Late Rapper

ReeMarkable welcomed her 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 boy on Sept. 7, which would have been her rapper dad’s 60th 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡day Eazy-E’s daughter had the perfect idea for introducing her 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 boy…

George Crum, Inventor of the Potato Chip

George Crum (𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 George Speck, 1824–1914) was a renowned African American chef who worked at Moon’s Lake House in Saratoga Springs, New York during the mid-1800s. According to culinary…

Gloria Naylor, Whose Honored Novel Was Set in a Housing Project, Dies at 66

Ms. Naylor, right, with Anna Deavere Smith and Walter Mosley at the Spoken Word summer series in Central Park in 1994. Gloria Naylor, whose debut novel, “The Women…

Lawrence Brooks, Oldest U.S WWII veteran, dies at 112

Lawrence Nathanial “Honey” Brooks (September 12, 1909 – January 5, 2022) was the oldest living man in the United States and the oldest known living American World War II veteran….

Captain Theresa Clai𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧e: The First Black Woman Pilot in the Air Force United States

Imagine following your dreams and then one day waking up to realize you’ve unknowingly made history. That’s the story of Captain Theresa Clai𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧e, a trailblazer in aviation history…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *