On the surface, Morgan Freeman and Clint Eastwood seem unlikely friends, especially because of their strong, opposing political affiliations. In actuality, the silver screen legends have done three films together during their careers, Unforgiven (1992), Million Dollar Baby (2004) and Invictus (2009). Moreover, the actors have vocally praised each other during interviews and have maintained a strong friendship and admiration throughout their careers. Freeman is especially fond of Eastwood’s directing, describing Eastwood’s sets as “comfortable” and stating this about his direction style: “He is so enabling. He is so out of your way as an actor and he likes to watch actors play. He expects you to know what you are doing and he’s going to take two giant steps back and let you do it.” Eastwood has shown his admiration for Freeman in a more subtle way, not speaking about their friendship in public, but through casting him in his films.

In truth, Eastwood and Freeman’s characters have very similar friendships in both Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby (unfortunately we can’t examine Invictus because Eastwood is solely behind the camera). Because we watched the film, we as a class should remember their relationship in Unforgiven: two retired gunfighters who have remained close friends long after their violent partnership in the Wild Wild West had ended. In a way, Ned Logan (Freeman) humanizes the myth that is William Munny (Eastwood), confirming the Schofield kid’s tales about Munny because he was an eye-witness, but stipulating that it was actually worst than stories say. Logan and Munny have an unspoken pact between them because of their past, with Logan dropping his comfortable lifestyle to support Munny as he helps the Kid collect the bounties. However the extent of their friendship is truly seen when they try (and barely succeed) at killing the first cowboy, Davy Boy.

In this scene, the psychological damage of their gunfighter partnership is evident, with Logan being unable to even shoot the gun and Munny struggling through every bullet. However, Munny’s act of “finishing the job” reveals the depth of their friendship because it shows that he understands Logan’s struggles but at the same time, he can rise above his similar struggles with his past and complete the job. Munny’s strength and loyalty to his friend is also scene in the last moments of the film when he initiates his own revenge cycle because of Logan’s death. Though many would begin running for the hills at the mention of a partner getting beaten to death, Munny is able to rise above his struggles and finish the job, in the name of a friend.

As mentioned before, a similar character relationship between Eastwood and Freeman is seen in Million Dollar Baby, where Eastwood plays an elderly, retired boxing trainer and Freeman plays his assistant, who is also an elderly former boxer. Unlike Unforgiven, it is Freeman’s character that pulls Eastwood out of retirement, encouraging him to coach Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), even though she is “too old” to begin a boxing career. Throughout the film, the two actors have amazing friendship chemistry, having funny interactions like this:

And touching moments like this: (SPOILER ALERT)

All in all, Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman truly have an amazing friendship that all began with a Western film.