Morgan Freeman is an iconic and veteran actor from the 1980s and 90s Hollywood, known for starring in some of the best movies ever made. From Se7en to The Shawshank Redemption, the actor has become a Hollywood icon.

Starring in a movie titled Unforgiven back in 1992, Morgan Freeman was genuinely terrified of his co-star and fellow actor Gene Hackman. With director Clint Eastwood at the helm of the project, Freeman was all the more terrified that he might just get whipped accidentally because Hackman’s acting was so good and yet so terrifying!

A still of Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman from Unforgiven (1992)

Morgan Freeman Was Afraid That He Might Get Whipped For Real!

With director Clint Eastwood, there is always a fear of something becoming too real for the actors that might potentially endanger their lives. Eastwood has been known for reaching some extreme heights to get true emotion out of an actor and Morgan Freeman was no exception.

Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman in Unforgiven (1992)

Starring alongside Gene Hackman, Freeman, and Clint Eastwood created the 1992 movie titled Unforgiven. 

During one of the most sadistic and brutal scenes of the movie, Morgan Freeman was kept in jail and Gene Hackman’s character was whipping him to force him to change his story. Being one of the hardest scenes to watch, Freeman revealed that the fear on his face was a true emotion that he felt.

In an interview, the Se7en actor talked about how Hackman proceeded to say in his ear “I’m going to hurt you, and not gentle like before. But bad”. This sent a shiver down Freeman’s spine as the actor thought that he would get whipped for real.

“The essence to me of acting is listening. Gene leaned into my ear and he said, and I’ll paraphrase this, ‘I’m gonna ask you some questions, and if your answers don’t match up with the answers that I’ve already got, I’m gonna hurt you.’ I believed him.”

The trio emerged unharmed after the movie ended but received critical and worldwide acclaim for the 1992 movie. Although Freeman was terrified of the role, the actor admitted that Clint Eastwood is his favorite director of all time.

Morgan Freeman Reveals Clint Eastwood Is His Favorite Director

Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven

After working with the notable director numerous times, Morgan Freeman did admit that Clint Eastwood is his favorite director of all time. The Bruce Almighty actor gave two reasons for his love for Eastwood and they seem pretty reasonable!

“The first thing is his speed. He just doesn’t fool around. We’ve got it, let’s move on. Number two, he doesn’t fool around with actors. He hires you to do the job, so he ain’t doing it for you. He respects the actors. And everybody who’s ever worked with him will come away with that feeling. This guy is tops.”

Unforgiven received a rating of 8.2/10 on IMDB and 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and is currently available to rent on Apple TV+ in the U.S.