T.I. Recalls The Time Morgan Freeman Got Him Fired From A Movie

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Legendz Of The Streetz Featuring Rick Ross, Jeezy,  T.I., Trina And DJ Drama - Atlanta, GA
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 01: T.I. performs onstage during the Legendz Of The Streetz tour at State Farm Arena on April 01, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Morgan Freeman’s frustrations with T.I. resulted in the rapper getting fired from his role in “Las Vegas.”

T.I. has undoubtedly held down his own among those we consider to be the greatest of all time in hip-hop. He later branched out into film but he didn’t necessarily leave the greatest impression on Morgan Freeman.

During his recent appearance on Club Shay Shay, Shannon Sharpe asked T.I about the time “a famous actor got mad at you during a table read.” Tip chuckled before responding, “Say no to drugs, kids.”

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 25: Tip 'T.I.' Harris attends the premiere of Disney And Marvel's "Ant-Man And The Wasp" on June 25, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images)

T.I. confirmed that the famous actor was Morgan Freeman, though he regarded it as one of those hard-learned lessons.

“Just to be honest, I wasn’t prepared,” he said. “That was an opportunity I should’ve taken more seriously. I completely accept accountability and I’ve grown from that.”

Tip added that Morgan Freeman made him feel terrible once he called the rapper out in front of everyone. However, he understood that he needed to grow from that situation.

“That’s something I needed in my journey because that – it was like a shock to the system,” he said. He added it was a wake-up call to ensure that no one would be able to chastise him again. 

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 23: Morgan Freeman backstage during the American Black Film Festival Honors Awards Ceremony at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 23, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

T.I. previously discussed landing a role in 2013’s Las Vegas during an episode of expeditiously. He explained that he left a studio session and got to the table read where he began nodding off. That’s when Morgan Freeman called him out in front of everyone. He later received a call from his manager who told him, “Morgan Freeman said he won’t work with you. They don’t want you.”

During his conversation with Sharpe, he said that he does feel as though he could’ve had a positive contribution to the film. However, Tip said Morgan Freeman didn't deserve blame for the outcome.

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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