The rapid growth of artificial intelligence in Hollywood has changed the entertainment industry in ways that once seemed impossible. AI tools can now replicate the voices of deceased celebrities and even create fully digital actors. But not everyone in the business supports this shift. Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman said he is frustrated by the idea that a computer program could replace him on screen.
“I’m like any other actor: don’t mimic me with falseness,” Freeman told The Guardian. “I don’t appreciate it and I get paid for doing stuff like that, so if you’re gonna do it without me, you’re robbing me.”
This is not Morgan Freeman - A Deepfake Singularity
The 88-year-old actor, best known for his role in The Shawshank Redemption, said his legal team has already been handling several possible cases tied to AI likeness use. He also commented on reports that an artificial intelligence performer named Tilly Norwood could soon be represented by a talent agency.
“Nobody likes her because she’s not real and that takes the part of a real person, so it’s not going to work out very well in the movies or in television … The union’s job is to keep actors acting, so there’s going to be that conflict,” Freeman said.
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Unlike computer programs, Freeman built his career over more than five decades through years of practice and education. He credited strong mentors for encouraging him early on. “I had the most encouraging teachers you could imagine,” he recalled. “One of my teachers told me, you can go anywhere and do anything you want.”
Freeman joins a growing list of public figures who are speaking out against the use of generative AI in film and television. Actress Jameela Jamil has called digital performers “deeply disturbing,” while director Guillermo del Toro told NPR that he would “rather die” than use artificial intelligence in his movies. Natasha Lyonne from Orange Is the New Black said those who work with AI characters like Norwood should be “boycotted by all guilds.”
See Also: Goodbye Human Actors? Tilly Norwood and the Frightening Rise of AI Movie Stars
Other actors, including Samuel L. Jackson, Jenna Ortega, and Scarlett Johansson, have shared similar objections. Actor Nicolas Cage also spoke against the rise of AI earlier this year. “AI is a nightmare to me,” Cage said. “It’s inhumane. You can’t get more inhumane than artificial intelligence … I would be very unhappy if people were taking my art … and appropriating [it].” ”
As the debate continues, traditional actors like Freeman are pressing for limits on when and how AI can be used in Hollywood. For them, it’s not only about the technology, but about preserving the human skill and artistry that define acting itself.
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