Freeman plays Batman's tech wizard Lucius Fox, who hooks Bruce Wayne up with a much-publicized "Batwing" plane in Dark Knight Rises. Next year, Freeman will star with Tom Cruise in sci-fi epic Oblivion, and with Batman franchise co-star Michael Caine in illusionist heist film Now You See Me.
Larry Busacca/Getty ImagesMorgan Freeman keeps many secrets in The Dark Knight Rises, in which he reprises his role as Wayne Enterprises CEO — and Batman ally — Lucius Fox.
But in real life, the Oscar winner expresses his thoughts freely and openly: he tells Newsweek, for instance, what he really thinks about the legalization of marijuana and gay marriage.
Here’s Freeman addressing his vocal support of the former:
“Marijuana! Heavens, oh yeah. It’s just the stupidest law possible, given history. You don’t stop people from doing what they want to do, so forget about making it unlawful. 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.”
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On his attitude toward same-sex marriage:
“I grew up in the South but I started dancing in my twenties when I got out of the Air Force, and studying dance, you’re surrounded by gay guys all the time. You get to know them and you have to shift gears!”
On the politics of the Christopher Nolan-directed Dark Knight Rises, featuring villain Bane (Tom Hardy) leading an Occupy Wall Street-style rebellion:
“Chris talked about it and he didn’t really have anything like that in mind during the writing of The Dark Knight Rises, so this is one of those situations where people can read into it what they will. But I think that (the disparity in wealth) has happened before, and there’s going to have to be a shakeout. When all of the wealth gets into the hands of so few people, there’s going to be a shakeout, and this is the wrong kind of country for that sort of thing. This isn’t serfdom or an oligarchy. We won’t exist for very long like that.”
As THR previously reported, Freeman donated $1 million to Priorities USA Action, a Democratic super PAC working to assist President Obama’s re-election campaign.
In a statement Wednesday, Freeman credited Obama for doing “a remarkable job in historically difficult circumstances.”
“He ended combat operations in Iraq, put in place sensible reforms of Wall Street, saved the auto industry and protected the health care of every American,” Freeman said. “He has led our nation to be more tolerant and placed impressive, accomplished women on the Supreme Court.”
Freeman is currently filming the sci-fi action movie Oblivion alongside Tom Cruise.
The Dark Knight Rises, the third and final installment of Nolan’s blockbuster Batman trilogy, hits theaters Friday.
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