Morgan Freeman on AI trying to replicate his voice I ve got lawyers

Oscar and Golden Globe winning actor, Shawshank Redemption. Actor Morgan Freeman, we're already talking about the movie, and the classic of film, Shawshank Redemption. So Freeman has starred in more than 100 movies in his six-decade career, thank you very much, from Driving Miss Daisy, seen it, Million Dollar Baby, seen it. Glory. Seen it. Glory says seen it. His iconic voice has provided gravitas, you could say, to films and docu-series alike, from Bruce Almighty to Life on Our Planet, my personal favorite, March of the Penguins. His latest docu-series looks at the over 165 million year history of the dinosaurs on Earth, and the forces that shaped their evolution. The snow king, an early relative with a thick insulating coat of feathers. He's perfectly adapted for life in a world this cold. But his feathers also serve a more sinister purpose. Those visuals. Morgan Freeman, we're happy to say, joins us now in the studio. I have to talk about the visuals of this. So much to talk about with you, Morgan Freeman, welcome. Number one, we were all marveling over your voice, because I know everybody does. It's been said about you that you make everything sound important when you speak. But what is interesting to me is this was not the voice you were born with. How did this happen to you? I went to school and studied voice and diction. And if you learn how to get your voice lower, which is very simple exercises, and one that worked very well is yawning. Yawning? Yawning. Ah, tend to relax, throw both people tight up in here. And that just sort of helps ease you down. No, but I love your voice so much. Everyone does. But let's talk about this project with Steven Spielberg. You and Steven together. How did this come about? Did he call you? Did you call him? What happened? Well, I couldn't call him. I didn't know anything about it. But he called. And, you know, you go through these channels. Yeah. And I said, of course. Yeah. What do you want me to do? Jump off a building? I'll do it. But were you interested in dinosaurs? Because what's so it's four parts. I had no interest in dinosaurs whatsoever. But doing a voiceover for such a great project. I mean, the visuals. Yes, that's the thing, Morgan. Visuals. Yes. So I'm glad I did it. Yeah. Computer generated graphics. It's it jumps off at you at the screen. And I have to say people out there watching, please figure out a way to watch it on a big screen so you can appreciate the majesty of these of what we're seeing on the screen. So, Mr. Freeman, Gail was talking about your iconic voice. And we've seen recently with the increased use of artificial intelligence in film and television that A.I. is trying to replicate iconic voices and even the likeness of actors like yourself. How are you contending with that? What's as you see this play out? I got lawyers. Exactly. Because because what if they were to compensate you, though? You don't have to. You don't actually have to do anything, but they use your voice to create a character and you get paid. Is that OK? 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. Oh, wow. Yeah, that works. OK. Yeah. You're fine with that. As long as you're fairly compensated for. Exactly. Yeah. But people have tried to use A.I. to mimic your voice. Have your lawyers been busy actually trying to fight that? Tamp that down? Yes, yes, yes. I'd love to hear about your new project, The Gray House with Kevin Costner. Tell us a bit about that. Oh, well, now you give don't let's not give the wrong impression. He's not in it. Well, he's worthy. I know. But the two of you executive co-executive producers. Yeah. He came on board. I don't know how many years ago because we've been dealing with this project for maybe 15 years. Are you and Kevin Powell's? Yes. I've been together. Yeah. Yes. Before. I think everybody I work with becomes a pal. Oh, that's nice. You know, it's sharing something. But this is about going to be your pal. I'm telling you, it's going to be it would be the honor of a lifetime. Why do you say that? Why do you have so much energy? He does. And every time the camera comes to him, he's laughing. Yeah, he is. Yeah. You've you've captured it very, very well. The thing with you and Kevin that you're producing, it involves female spies. True. Yes. This is a story. And it's based on fact for Southern women got together. Somehow they pulled themselves together. Two were family members, mother and daughter. And one was a woman who had grown up in this household and had literally gone off to Liberia, couldn't hack that jungle. We have to tease this because their computer is going to cut us off, Mr. Freeman. Thank you so much for being here. Mr. Freeman, your pal. Yes, my pal. You just made his day. I think that qualifies me for being called Morgan. Oh, you just made his day. You can stream the dinosaurs on Netflix starting March 6. We'll be right back, folks.