Morgan Freeman, 89, keeps working: 'Rode to Ruin' adds cast as his 'keep moving' outlook resonates

Morgan Freeman is back in the entertainment news this week, with a new round of casting for his upcoming Western and his comments about refusing to slow down at 89 circulating widely online.

There is no single headline event behind the attention. Instead, it comes from a casting announcement for “Rode to Ruin,” the Michael Keaton-directed Western he stars in, along with renewed interest in what Freeman has said about aging and work.

What is “Rode to Ruin”?

“Rode to Ruin” is a Western thriller directed by Michael Keaton, who also stars alongside Freeman and Laura Linney. Variety reported on Oct. 22 that the film is in production in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and that Angel Studios has acquired worldwide rights and plans to release it in theaters in 2027.

According to the synopsis, the story follows a retired U.S. Marshal whose 40-year search for his wife’s killer leads him to an aging outlaw who is losing his memory, “and to a buried truth neither man may survive.”

Who just joined the cast?

Variety reported that the film has added:

• Richard Gadd, the Emmy-winning actor and writer, as Clive McKinney, the young, dangerous and charismatic head of an outlaw gang
• Bill Camp, a multi-Emmy and SAG nominee
• Ray McKinnon, an Oscar-nominated filmmaker and actor
• Chris Candy, Travis Hammer, Thom Rivera and Derek Hinkey

The movie is produced in part by Freeman and Lori McCreary’s company, Revelations Entertainment, along with Keaton’s George and Leona Productions. R. Dean McCreary wrote the screenplay.

“Richard, Ray and Bill are the kind of actors who make every scene better simply by being in it,” producer Lori McCreary told Variety.

What has Freeman said about retiring?

Freeman has made clear he has no plans to stop. In a New York Times interview in August, quoted by Variety and TVLine, he said: “I’m like Clint Eastwood on that: Don’t let the old man in. So, keep working. If you can get out of bed and don’t fall down when you do it, then you just count your blessings and keep moving. So, I’ll work as long as I can — as long as somebody says, ‘Do you want to do this part?’”

TVLine featured that line as its quote of the day on Oct. 23. Asked whether there were roles he still wanted to play, Freeman told the Times: “No. I’m pushing 90 now. So, the roles that I wished I had been able to play, Denzel Washington will play.”

He was also candid about the business side. “If they’re going to pay you enough, then you overlook some of the glitches in the script that happen to be there,” he said, according to Variety.

Is that viral Morgan Freeman quote real?

A separate line credited to Freeman, “The best way to guarantee a loss is to quit,” has also been spreading online this week after it anchored a lifestyle article in the Spanish sports daily Marca, International Business Times reported. IBTimes said it could not find an original interview, speech or published work containing that line, so its source is unconfirmed. His documented “keep moving” remarks carry a similar message.

What else is he working on?

According to TVLine, Freeman reprised his role as Secretary of State Edwin Mullins in Taylor Sheridan’s Paramount+ series “Lioness” this year and released a blues album. He also played Thaddeus Bradley in “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,” the latest film in the magician heist franchise.

His late-blooming career is part of why his outlook resonates. TVLine noted that Freeman rose to film prominence around age 50, earning his first Oscar nomination for 1987’s “Street Smart,” and later won the supporting actor Oscar for “Million Dollar Baby.”

FAQ