Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman are absolutely incredible on their own but when they come together, they are a force to reckon with. The two have worked together in Unforgiven (1992), Million Dollar Baby (2004), and Invictus (2009). While Clint Eastwood has both directed and starred in the first two films, he only served as the director of Invictus.
A sports biography, Invictus follows the story of the 1995 Rugby World Cup and how President Nelson Mandela decided to unite his people through it. Morgan Freeman played the role of the President and Matt Damon played Francois Pienaar, the captain of the South African rugby team, Springboks. Years after the film’s release, Morgan Freeman revealed that he had to beg Clint Eastwood to direct the film.
Morgan Freeman Had to Beg Clint Eastwood for Invictus
In an interview with RTE, Morgan Freeman opened up about Clint Eastwood as a filmmaker and called him an “actor’s director.” He couldn’t help himself from gushing on about the actor/director who usually stars in the films he directs. However, Invictus was different.
While the film saw Eastwood taking on the director’s mantle, he did not play a character in it, just like in films like Jersey Boys, Richard Jewell, Breezy, and more.
Talking about Eastwood’s expertise as a director, Freeman told RTE,
I think Clint is an actor’s director. He doesn’t direct actors. He directs movies. He hires actors, and it’s your job. And I love that about him that you establish your own character; you play it and do what the scene calls for. [He’ll] have the scene set up.
Cameras will be where we want them to be. Lights will be where we want them to be. And go for it. He never says action, and he never says cut. He’s his own person on a movie set. Wonderful.
Since Freeman adores Eastwood as a director, he admitted that he had to beg him to come onboard the Invictus train and bring his filmmaking talents along with him.
I begged him to direct Invictus. It’s one of the few movies he directed that he wasn’t in.
Luckily for Eastwood, Invictus turned out to be a great investment for his time. It was nominated for two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and more. Eastwood also won the National Board of Review award for Best Director. Even the critics couldn’t stop themselves from praising the film, Eastwood, as well as Freeman and Matt Damon for their portrayals.
Clint Eastwood On the Making of Invictus
Eastwood took his time to think about the project before saying yes to becoming its director. The filmmakers stated (via Variety) that while he knew a lot about Nelson Mandela, the Rugby World Cup of 1995 was new to him.
So, he took his time and ran with it for a while. He even went to Warner Bros. with the film and even they loved it! Thus, Eastwood decided to say yes to Freeman’s offer.
I had read several things on Nelson Mandela, but the 1995 World Cup and how he used it for reconciliation was new to me. I called back and said, ‘I like this. Why don’t I run with it for a while.’ I went to Warner Bros. and they fell in love with it as well.
Then came the vision for the film. Eastwood stated that it was all about “making it accurate.” According to him, the biggest challenge for him as director was that he didn’t have the chance to meet Mandela, unlike Freeman.
The biggest hurdle was that I didn’t have a chance to talk to Mandela until halfway through the movie. I had an image, but we had to create an atmosphere at the beginning, and for his election, and later, after he went against so much advice, in his way of reconciling the country.
It is so unique in these times. It’s an interesting lesson for the world. It’s hard to believe he could be this person … after having been in the slammer for 27 years. He invited his jailer to his inauguration.
The team of Invictus was dedicated to their art and filmed in all the actual locations including the Ellis Park Stadium where the World Cup happened. It’s quite evident why Eastwood has the reputation that he does.