Citing the actor-activist for films dedicated to values beyond entertainment, Mayor Street and WHYY's Patrick Stoner will present Freeman with his prize at a ceremony to be followed by a screening of Along Came a Spider , the actor's current hit thriller. With most actors, you remember the dialogue. With Freeman, you remember the silences. And when he does speak, his mellow baritone resonates long after the film has ended. Let other actors delight in the sound of their own voices.
Freeman gets to the point.
Consider Amistad , when his character criticizes attorney Matthew McConaughey's passionless defense of kidnapped Africans who staged a rebellion during their transatlantic crossing. Now tell us who they are. We know what Freeman is. Like all the acting greats, he has the ability to convey conflicting emotions simultaneously. Ask him a personal question, and it's just the facts, ma'am.