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A day after his 74th birthday June 1 (which he spent shooting a public-service film for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital) and just before receiving the AFI Life Achievement Award on June 9, the Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman spoke with The Hollywood Reporter after checking his birthday e-mails.

The Hollywood Reporter: Congrats on your AFI honor. Are there any clips from your early work that you're hoping don't get shown at the dinner?

Morgan Freeman: No. It's not that I'm proud of everything I've done; I just don't care. All my work has always been out there.

THR: Speaking of your work, what do you recall most about your early days on the PBS children's show "The Electric Company"?

Freeman: My agents and I agreed that I would do the show for a couple of years, enjoy it and then move on -- but I stayed with it for five years. My best memories are of the first couple of years when we were doing a lot of very creative, free-range stuff.

THR: Was any of it improvised?

Freeman: Attitudes were improvised. We had to stick with the script because it was like we were on a medical show. We really did have an agenda.

THR: Has the current glut of broad, often crude comedies and those with over-the-top action limited your role choices?

Freeman: I have a lot of things to attribute lack of work to -- such as getting older. Older actors, we don't get into those high-action films. Too much stunt work. Bad knees and ankles, fragile bodies. There's sufficient work, however. I don't feel left out.

THR: Have you started filming "The Dark Knight Rises"?

Freeman: We start in about three weeks in the U.K. Then we'll be in Pittsburgh and Los Angeles.

THR: What is it about your working relationship with Clint Eastwood that has resulted in so much good work ("Unforgiven," "Million Dollar Baby," "Invictus")?

Freeman: I've always been a big fan of his acting and directing. When we got together on "Unforgiven," I found him very easy to work with and listen to. He doesn't direct actors -- he hires them. The process is very different. It's very much a collaborative effort. It's one of the great things about him and why so many actors love him so much.

THR: Did Nelson Mandela give you his impression of "Invictus"?

Freeman: He didn't say it in so many words, but I got the impression he wasn't offended. When we showed him the film, he nodded and smiled a lot. During the scene when he comes out of prison, he leaned over to me and said, "I know that fellow."

THR: You're one of the few African-American actors to have played the president of the United States ("Deep Impact"). Do you think that opened the doors for a candidate like Barack Obama to be elected?

Freeman: I don't think so. The public will accept a lot of things in the movies that they won't accept in real life.

THR: Have you met Obama?

Freeman: I've met him on a number of occasions. He's a very nice guy. He might be just a little bit too regular to be the president of the United States 'cause he's a young guy, he likes to play basketball, and I've noticed that he has a Chicago walk. Watch him when he walks up to the podium. He doesn't walk up one, two, three, stop. He goes one, two and one, two. He's got a little bit of a beat to it.

THR: "The Shawshank Redemption" is one of my favorite movies, but it didn't do well at the box office.

Actress Estella Warren was freed on bail Tuesday afternoon after being arrested on suspicion of DUI. Police say she crashed her Toyota Prius into three parked cars and then resisted arrest.
The 40-year-old Planet of the Apes actress and former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model was arrested about 11 p.m. on Monday in West LA near the West Hollywood border in the 600 block of North Harper Avenue, Los Angeles Police Officer Rosario Hererra said.
Warren reportedly resisted arrest at the scene, City News Service reported. While being booked at the Wilshire Station, she also allegedly attempted to flee by wiggling out of her handcuffs and kicking an officer before being caught.
Warren was booked on battery on a police officer and driving under the influence, police said. She was released at 2:35 p.m. after posting $100,000 bond, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department website.