Morgan Freeman reveals his one big problem with The Shawshank Redemption
Incredible film – but some people are never satisfied
You'd think Morgan Freeman would have exhausted all his anecdotes about The Shawshank Redemption by now, but judging by his latest interview with Seth Meyers he's still got plenty left in his locker.
The Oscar-winning actor is rightly proud of the movie that made him a Hollywood legend. "You can't walk down the street without somebody telling you it's their favourite movie," he said.
But there's just one problem.
"Terrible title," Freeman said. OK...
"The original title was Stephen King’s book, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption,” he explained. "Now don't choose 'Shawshank Redemption' when you've got 'Rita Hayworth'!
"They said when I complained – and I did – that it won't fit on the marquee. I said, 'So what?' Just put Rita Hayworth... You’ve got the one-sheet there, it’ll say the rest of it! But they chose not to, and so it took a while to catch on."
And because of that "terrible title", Freeman spent the next few years of his life correcting anybody who wanted to talk to him about it.
"I got a lot of Shimshonk Reduction, ShankSham..." he laughed.
At least they get it right now.
