Most people have mixed feelings about getting older. No one wants to relive those awkward teenage years, but facing arthritis and bad knees in the golden years can be frightening, as well. But for legendary actor Morgan Freeman, the thought of his 90th birthday — just two years away — brings on another worry.
“Will I still be playing golf? That’s the question,” the Now You See Me actor replied when asked by AARP Magazine.
For Freeman, two phrases live in his head. “Keep moving’ and what Clint Eastwood, 95, says: ‘Don’t let the old man in,'” he said. “The way to do that is to keep getting up in the morning, keep working out in the gym, keep taking your vitamins, keep taking your prescribed meds, and keep moving. Keep moving. That is the secret to it all.”
And that is where golf and his worry come into the picture. “You get the most movement out of golf at my age, mind you,” he explained. “It’s walking, stooping, bending, swinging, cussing. It’s a great sport for older adults. It’s better than bocce ball.”
Not that the Shawshank Redemption actor is trekking all over the golf course, mind you. For one, he and his wife live on a golf course, so they don’t have to venture far when they want to play around. Second, being older and being Morgan Freeman definitely make a difference in terms of leniency.
“I’ve been given dispensation to take the cart into places where normally they would stop the cart,” he admitted. “Age makes a difference.”
“I can get pretty close to the greens with the cart, but you still have to do a bit of walking,” he continued. “I’ve got, everybody probably noticed by now, my right foot is kind of bum. It gives me a slight limp because of the ankle. So I can only walk so much before I wear it out.”
Right up there with golfing is his determination to keep acting as long as possible, which he also equates with the saying “Keep moving.” The idea of stepping away does cross his mind, but it doesn’t last long.
“Sometimes the idea of retirement would float past me but, as soon as my agent says there’s a job or somebody wants you or they’ve made an offer, the whole thing just boils back into where it was yesterday: how much you’re going to pay, where we’re gonna be?” he told The Guardian.
This story was originally published by Parade on Nov 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
