00:00Thank you, Mr. Red.
00:03My name's Red.
00:05As Morgan Freeman prepares to receive the SAG Awards lifetime achievement honor on
00:08Sunday, Tim Robbins, Freeman's co-star in 1994's The Shawshank Redemption, reveals to
00:13The Hollywood Reporter's Patrick Shanley what makes the legend so extraordinary.
00:18Robbins reveals that he was already a big fan of Freeman before he met him and
00:21recalls of their first encounter,
00:23When we met in person, I was immediately struck by his warmth, his serenity, his calm.
00:28I came to really love him not only as a partner in doing Shawshank Redemption, but also as a friend.
00:33Of Freeman's presence on set, Robbins explains,
00:36There are different types of actors. There are actors who demand attention and focus who can be
00:41really exhausting to work with. With Morgan, his generosity and the giving that he approaches
00:46the work with not only make you a better actor, but also make it so much easier to be on a set.
00:51Robbins reveals that his relationship with Freeman extended past the long days spent filming
00:55Shawshank.
00:56We would hang out on weekends and sometimes have dinner after shooting, he says.
01:00Morgan has a great sense of humor. Occasionally, he would say something out of the side of his
01:04mouth that would make me laugh on the set.
01:06I always felt, going into rehearsal on a new scene, that we had a bond, a common belief in what the
01:12script was, to find every piece of the scene, every detail, every unspoken moment that wasn't
01:17written.
01:18When it comes to the legacy of the film that cemented their friendship and stole the hearts
01:21of audiences worldwide, the actor offers his theory on why it has stood the test of time.
01:26I think one of the reasons Shawshank continues to resonate is that it's one of the few
01:30movies about a loving relationship. Really, a love story about two men that doesn't involve
01:35car chases or is a buddy comedy. It's about two people coming to know each other very well
01:40under very difficult circumstances.
01:42If you're wondering if the two busy and esteemed actors still find time to hang out together,
01:46the answer, happily, is yes.
01:49I still have dinner with Morgan every year or two, reveals Robbins.
01:52Over the years, we've been amazed at the people who would stop us to say that Shawshank is their
01:56favorite movie of all time, or that they've seen it 40 times, or that it changed their lives,
02:00saved them in some way. That's pretty remarkable, and it's quite a gift, I must say.
02:04And it's not just Freeman's acting ability and warmth that Robbins would like to compliment.
02:17What else is there to say about Morgan, he asks? Just that he's a handsome devil.
02:21What's your favorite memory of Freeman and Robbins in The Shawshank Redemption?
02:24Let us know in the comments section.
02:26For The Hollywood Reporter News, I'm Lyndsey Rodrigues.
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