“That’s Why Sailors Used To Wear Them”: Morgan Freeman Reveals Why He Rocks Gold Hoop Earrings
In his youth, the award-winning actor initially adopted these adornments, inspired by other actors he witnessed on the big screen, as he reportedly aspired to emulate their style and charisma.
However, Morgan faced a challenging journey to establish himself in the industry, and it wasn’t until he reached the age of 49 that he eventually achieved his breakthrough with the 1987 film Street Smart, playing Fast Black.
Upon securing this role, Morgan promptly solidified his position as one of the most gifted actors in Hollywood and eventually earned an Oscar in 2005.
Even though the charming narrator went on to act in multiple blockbuster films including Bruce Almighty, The Dark Knight Rises, and Deep Impact, gaining a fortune estimated at $250 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, Morgan has never traded out his iconic gold hoop earrings.
The actor explained why sailors used to wear them, which inspired him to do the same
Back in 2019, the actor wrote in a Facebook post: “These earrings. I get asked all the time about them. The truth is, these are worth just enough for someone to buy me a coffin if I die in a strange place. That’s why sailors used to wear them and that’s why I do.”
Morgan has been reportedly a true sailor for many years, with many miles behind him, and who, in his own words, has been practicing sailing “as a particularly effective antidote to healing from Hollywood.”
According to the Giornale della Vela magazine, the producer’s sailings have usually included Long Island Sound, Block Island, the Elizabeth Islands, Cape Cod, the Maine coast, and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.
“I’m an avid sailor, a dyed-in-the-wool blue-water man,” Morgan said
Back in 2010, Morgan revealed that it was a pirate movie with Burt Lancaster, who wore an earring, that initially inspired his own style.
He told Fox News: “I thought that was sexy. Then I learned that sailors wore gold earrings to pay for funerals if they died in foreign lands. I’m a sailor so that nailed it.”
He also said in a separate interview: “I always wanted an earring. It has to do with my attachment to the sea. When I was around 35 I was separated from my wife and she said, ‘I’m going to pierce your ear.’ I’m an avid sailor, a dyed-in-the-wool blue-water man.”
He wrote on Facebook that his golden hoops are worth just enough for someone to buy him a coffin if he died in a strange place
Despite Morgan’s obvious admiration for the culture of sailing and the ocean, fans speculated about other reasons behind his golden hoops.
A Redditor wrote: “Freeman is concerned about being buried in a foreign land? I bet he wears them because he thinks it makes him look badass.”
Another person theorized: “Another theory is that it dates back to Ancient Greece when you needed to pay the ferryman Charon to cross the River Styx to the land of Hades. If you die on land, your family would place coins on your eyes so you had the required fee.
“If you’re a sailor the best way to ensure you always have the payment is to have a gold or silver earring. Or, it’s superstition and there’s no point trying to explain it.”
“I knew he was a pirate at heart,” a separate individual chimed in.
Morgan’s fans thought his reasoning behind his signature jewelry made him “cooler”
