CULVER CITY, Calif: Standing on the soundstage where Fred Astaire once danced and Dorothy skipped down the yellow brick road, Morgan Freeman accepted the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award. Clint Eastwood, Sidney Poitier, Helen Mirren, Samuel L. Jackson, Tim Robbins and Forest Whitaker were among the stars who feted Freeman during a ceremony Thursday at Sony Studios. In a room filled with hundreds of his colleagues and friends, the 74-year-old Oscar winner listened to star after star share what they admire about him and his work. Freeman is the 39th recipient of the AFI honor, which recognizes those whose talent helps advance the art of film. Previous honorees include Poitier, Eastwood, Astaire, Elizabeth Taylor, Steven Spielberg and Alfred Hitchcock.
