Add Morgan Freeman’s soothing vocals to just about anything, and whatever you’re watching is going to be elevated thanks to his narration. That was clearly the aim with one recent Netflix documentary produced by Steven Spielberg. “The Dinosaurs” proved to be a roaring success. Giving us a detailed look into the land that time forgot through stunning CGI, Freeman’s breakdown of some of the biggest creatures that walked the earth is a great addition to the show, so much so that it’s hard to imagine anyone doing the job.
What’s of concern, however, is that with the growing prominence of artificial intelligence in the movie and television industry, it wouldn’t be hard to replicate the Oscar-nominated actor or anyone else in Hollywood without their approval, given the rapid progression in the field. Thankfully, it was during an interview on CBS Mornings that Freeman made it clear he had no concern about his talent being used without his permission.
When asked if he was worried about AI, Freeman brushed it off simply stating, “I’ve got lawyers.” However, even with that said, the star of films like “The Shawshank Redemption” and “Million Dollar Baby” clarified that if there were ever workarounds for him getting his voice replicated, he’d seemingly allow it, just as long as he saw some results from it in the end.
Morgan Freeman is fine with his voice being imitated, as long as he gets a cut
While Morgan Freeman seemed confident he’d be able to deal with any AI-related problem that rises in the future, it’s worth noting that his voice has already been replicated as the voice of Mark Zuckerberg’s AI. Besides that though, there have been instances where people have done impressions of him which he’s also fine with, similarly, under the right circumstances.
“I think that’s a different outlook on it. I remember that some years ago, an English company paid me handsomely to let someone in England who could sound like me do a thing for me,” the actor explained. “Yeah, that works.” The ad campaign he might be referring to was for the insurance company More Than, narrated by an impressionist known in the TV spot as More Than Freeman.
Additionally, just this year, the big-screen veteran has become the new voice of U.K.-based bread company, Warburtons. Freeman is now following in the footsteps of stars like Robert De Niro, George Clooney, Sylvester Stallone, and Samuel L. Jackson, with Olivia Colman most recently. As the company makes clear in the behind-the-scenes videos, Freeman is most definitely in attendance, along with Paddington. Well, at least it’s good to see he’s making a bit of extra dough on the side.
If you want to get through a few more documentaries on Netflix, check out five of our recommendations here.
