LONDON: Actor Morgan Freeman was honoured when asked by former South African president Nelson Mandela to portray him in a film. Freeman has been working on a new movie adaptation of the Mandela biography Long Walk to Freedom, reported contactmusic.com. According to Freeman, there was more to Mandela than most people realise.

“Well, he didn’t ask for me, but when he was asked whom he would like to play the role, he did use my name, yeah. I met him on a number of occasions and I told him I was thrilled he wanted me to be him.

“The first thing you notice about him is his dedication to his country the depth of his character, his soul...The negative side is the heaviest part, the sense of

loss — his mom is dead, his children.