Veritable national treasure, Morgan Freeman was forced to call out a disruptive audience member who talked through his SAG Lifetime Achievement Awards acceptance speech. Known for iconic roles in The Shawshank Redemption, Driving Miss Daisy and Bruce Almighty, the 80-year-old was naturally a top contender for the coveted award. And his speech certainly delivered.
However, while everyone in the audience was hanging off his every word, one unidentified guest chose to talk all the way through Freeman's acceptance speech, but of course, the actor didn't let him get away with it.
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Morgan Freeman attended the Screen Actors' Guild Awards last night to accept his SAG Lifetime Achievement Award, but instead of getting the respect and silence that he deserved, one obnoxious audience member decided to talk through his acceptance speech.
The Million Dollar Baby actor was just about to address the crowd when he became distracted by someone chatting away in the front row. Despite all eyes being on him, he decided to address the heckler. "Hey ... I'm talking to you. Yeah, hey," he said. "Okay, well you just stand out to me. That's all," Freeman added.
When the disruptive audience member finally got the memo, the actor launched into his acceptance speech.
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Addressing the crowd, Morgan Freeman stated: "These moments in one's life usually will call for an entire litany of thank yous. I can't do that because I don't know all of your names, so I won't try."
He then went on to thank his family and business partner, before adding "This is beyond an honour, this is a place in history."
The actor also touched on Hollywood's
debate during his short speech, using his awards statue as a talking point. "I wasn't going to do this; I'm going to tell you what's wrong with this statue. It works from the back, but from the front, it's gender-specific. Maybe I started something?" he remarked.
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Freeman was awarded the prestigious honour by Rita Moreno - returning the favour after he presented her with the same award back in 2014. The pair have known each other for 50 years, after first having worked together on The Electric Company, an educational children's series broadcast in 1971. Moreno introduced her friend and fellow actor by saying, "Morgan is way more than just an actor, narrator, producer, humanitarian. This man is a national treasure."
As of now, Morgan Freeman has earned a Screen Actors Guild Award, two Golden Globes and an Oscar. He is also credited as a dedicated humanitarian, committed to breaking down racial barriers.
Freeman is only the 54th recipient of the annual SAG lifetime achievement prize. Other honourees include the likes of
Carol Burnett, Debbie Reynolds, Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore.
