Morgan Freeman honored with lifetime achievement award at SAG Awards

Credit: Christopher Polk

Credit: Christopher Polk

Legendary actor Morgan Freeman was presented with the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award at the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards — one of the most prestigious honors in the entertainment industry — which was given to him by longtime colleague and friend Rita Moreno.

“Morgan is way more than just an actor, narrator, producer, humanitarian. This man is a national treasure,” Moreno said.

When he came to the stage, the 80-year-old icon traded a few playful jokes with Moreno, before moving on to the thank you’s.

“These moments in one’s life usually will call for an entire litany of thank you’s. I can’t do that because I don’t know all of your names, so I won’t try,” said Freeman. “This is beyond honor. This is a place in history.”

But towards the end of his speech, Freeman commented on the SAG award statue:

“I wasn’t gonna do this, but I’m gonna tell you what’s wrong with this statue,” he said. “It works from the back. From the front, it’s gender-specific. Maybe I started something.”

About the Author