Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman Reunite After 35 Years for Civil War Series ‘The Gray House’

Decades after making ‘Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves,’ the friends find new storytelling ground
Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman attended a screening of their new series, The Gray House, on January 22. The two are serving as executive producers of the drama’s eighth episode of Civil War. The series, which premieres on Amazon’s Prime Video on February 26, marks the pair’s first collaboration since Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, made 35 years ago. Costner and Freeman reminisced with ET Online about what they remember — and don’t remember — about making Robin Hood in 1991. “He’s a perfect actor, you know,” Costner said of Freeman. “We got into this mythology of Robin Hood, and he was immediately available as a man, as an actor. We had these sword fights, and we just, we both looked at each other, it was a really good moment for both of us. We knew, almost like [House] Grey, we knew we had a very good script. We knew we had a very good script, the retelling of the Hood, and the whole Robin.” However, Freeman’s memory was not as good as his colleague’s. “I remember having a good time doing it. That’s it. It’s been 35 years and I don’t remember much,” Freeman said with a laugh. The Gray House stars Daisy Head, Paul Anderson, Amethyst Davis and Mary-Louise Parker and is based on real life events. Head plays Elizabeth Van Lew, who, according to the Encyclopedia Virginia, ran a spy ring for the Union from her home in Richmond, Virginia, during the Civil War. Eventually, she was officially recruited by the US government.
Parker plays Van Lew’s mother, Eliza Van Lew, who helped her daughter. After Elizabeth’s father died, Eliza set about trying to free the family’s slaves or make sure they were paid for labor. Davis plays Mary Jane Richards, a former slave of the Van Lew family, who also allegedly worked as a spy under Elizabeth.

“We’re still storytellers at our core,” Costner explained the reason he and Freeman decided to get involved. “We didn’t exactly see a part for ourselves, and Morgan was busy with certain things. But we recognized that as a real piece of entertainment, first and foremost, wrapping itself in a true story.”

Freeman recognized that Costner has made several projects centered on the past. One of his most critically acclaimed films, Dances With Wolves, also took place during the Civil War.

“Kevin’s been involved in history,” Freeman said. “Yellowstone” was back then, and then he did his own project, which was back then. American history is kind of cool. It’s got some good stuff going on in there.”

“This is one that nobody ever even knew about, or thought about,” the Now You See Me actor said. “So stories like that are really worth telling.”