An Actor In Love With His Craft

Morgan Freeman was once described by The New York Times as the greatest actor in America, and his Seven costar Gwyneth Paltrow called him the sexiest man alive.

Freeman's new film, Nurse Betty, costarring Renee Zellweger and Chris Rock, opens this Friday. CBS News The Early Show Entertainment Reporter Mark McEwen says it's a film so different that even Freeman himself isn't sure how to describe it.

"I always just narrow it down to being a black comedy, no puns intended," quips the actor.

In the film, Freeman plays Charlie, a hit man who breaks the No. 1 rule of the job: He falls for the only witness, Nurse Betty.

"Strangely enough," explains Freeman, "I think that because of his job, he never gets involved with people. And in this situation, he gets more and more knowledge of…who he's dealing with. And once he gets to her childhood, that's it. He's a lost cause… He can't control himself anymore."

Comedian Chris Rock plays his sidekick, and Freeman calls him "a very intelligent young man. And he 's very professional. Very professional. The intelligence and that professionalism put him in a learning mode that is very effective, very quick."

Freeman recalls that the movie that put him on the map was Street Smart. He adds, "I called myself a successful actor because I was working in New York stage. Pretty good. Bu I always wanted to do movies. My whole life thrust was to be in the movies,and I couldn't seem to break...into that. And then along came this...this part."

His favorite movie, though, is Glory, because he views movies and television powerful teaching tools. Movies in particular seem to resound with history lessons.

Very few people knew that black soldiers had fought during the Civil War, or any other war before Korea, says Freeman. Glory taught the world the true facts.

"A movie like that just nailed it," he says. "And people set up real straight, said, 'Gosh. I never knew that.' That's powerful."

Ask him what makes him happy, and Freeman will reply that it is his work and the possibilities it opens to him. And, yes, he does feel like he is living a fairy tale.

"Sometimes, when I'm out at sea, and I'm on my sailboat, I remember sitting up in the apartment in New York, dreaming about doing just that, you know?" he explains. "Or I'm sitting on one of my horses, and I'm up in the woods, and it's just me and my horses. And here I am living this fantasy life."