PREMONITION

Oscar Winner, 88, Says He Knew ‘Early On’ He’d Win One

Turns out he knew what he was talking about.

Hollywood royalty Morgan Freeman has said he knew “early on” in his career that he would eventually win an Oscar. The 88-year-old, who won the statue for Best Supporting Actor for the 2004 film Million Dollar Baby when he was pushing 70, said that knowledge helped him stay humble in his journey to superstardom. The win “didn’t change me one whit,” he told the AARP. “I kind of knew early on that I would eventually get [an Oscar],” the four-time nominee said. That was crucial for not letting his ego get the better of him, he said. “It didn’t change me… I hope it didn’t change me. Because the only change you can expect after you’ve gotten an Oscar is maybe your price goes up a tiny bit, and your job prospects go up a bit. That’s the one thing or two things, I guess, you could look forward to. Other than that, don’t let your ego get the best of you.” Morgan has starred in over 100 movies in his career, and 30 since he won his Oscar, seemingly an indefatigable engine. “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,” he added. “That is the secret to it all.”