The Star Of ‘Bruce Almighty’ Admits He Was Completely Terrified Of His On-Screen “God”

Working with a Hollywood legend on film is certainly a dream come true, and the 2000s have witnessed no actor more deserving of portraying the Almighty than Morgan Freeman. As part of the promotion of ‘Bruce Almighty,’ star Jim Carrey shared some behind-the-scenes insight about working with the cinematic legend.

Combining the elements of classic Jim Carrey physical comedy with pure professionalism, the actor explained that Freeman’s intimidating aura was so intense that at first, everyone on set felt rather intimidated working alongside him. In other words, you were better off giving your all in each scene or getting outperformed by God himself.

Jim Carrey Found Morgan Freeman Intimidating

Speaking with BBC journalist Stella Papamichael during a 2003 interview, Carrey talked about his off-screen rapport with Freeman. Playing around with his usual comedic persona, Carrey started with a quip: “In short? [Spits on the floor.] I’m kidding.”

As an Oscar-winning star, Carrey said that Freeman is one of those actors who inspire admiration yet leave everyone with a slightly scared feeling. It appears as though Freeman’s natural confidence is too difficult to resist.

“Morgan Freeman, so class! Man, he’s just…cool and kind of scary. He terrified Tom Shadyac—it was hilarious. Tom didn’t know what to do with Morgan,” said Carrey.

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On the opening day of principal photography, Freeman’s characteristic dry sense of humor became obvious when he met Jim Carrey in person for the first time.

“First day I met Morgan, I walk up to him, shake his hand, and say, ‘Hi Morgan, this is so great, I’m so glad you’re doing this movie,’ and he says, ‘Nice to meet you too. Now, never touch me again,’” Carrey added.

Carrey Said Freeman Brought Out The Best In Actors

Throughout the production process, Freeman was constantly making fun of the director, Tom Shadyac. Nevertheless, the star had his reasons for such behavior, which were always rooted in the desire to improve the quality of the production.

Carrey continued, adding that, “He’s just got that way about him. He’s like this laser that goes right to your soul. He raked Tom over the coals something awful through this whole movie—you knew he was joking, but it was still so uncomfortable.”

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To put it bluntly, Carrey finds this sort of behavior extremely impressive. The actor stressed the fact that Freeman’s ability to captivate the audience with just his looks makes him a unique personality and one of the most respected on-screen performers in Hollywood.

“To me, he’s one of those guys that every actor is afraid of, because you walk on screen with him and you’ve got to be ready. Be ready, or he’ll burn your soul,” stated Carrey. Despite Carrey’s exaggerated mannerisms, these words paint a beautiful picture of the actor’s exceptional talents as a filmmaker.

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