Actor Morgan Freeman says he’s “p***ed off” that companies are using his voice — or AI-generated imitations of it — without permission, and he plans to take legal action.
The 88-year-old “Shawshank Redemption” star, known for his signature baritone, said as much during an interview with The Guardian published this week.
“I’m a little PO’d, you know,” Freeman told the outlet. “I’m like any other actor: don’t mimic me with falseness. I don’t appreciate it and I get paid for doing stuff like that, so if you’re gonna do it without me, you’re robbing me.”
The actor went on to say that his lawyers have been “very, very busy” pursuing “quite a few” lawsuits against AI companies that use digital recreations of his voice.
During the same interview, Freeman also expressed his disapproval of the new AI-generated “actress” Tilly Norwood, whose creators are touting as “the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman.”
“Nobody likes her because she’s not real and that takes the part of a real person, so it’s not going to work out very well in the movies or in television … The union’s job is to keep actors acting, so there’s going to be that conflict,” the “Driving Miss Daisy” star said.
While most Hollywood actors have said they don’t think Tilly Norwood should exist, there are plenty who have granted their permission for companies to use AI-generated versions of their voices.
Oscar-winning actors Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine have each signed deals with AI-audio company ElevenLabs, in which McConaughey is also an investor.
McConaughey said he was “impressed” by the company and hoped to “reach and connect with even more people” through the partnership.
Caine said in a statement: “For years, I’ve lent my voice to stories that moved people – tales of courage, of wit, of the human spirit. Now, I’m helping others find theirs. With ElevenLabs, we can preserve and share voices – not just mine, but anyone’s.”
The “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” actor also praised ElevenLabs for “using innovation not to replace humanity, but to celebrate it” and added that it’s “not about replacing voices; it’s about amplifying them.”
