Morgan Freeman and Ben Vereen Share Why 'Disregarded' Stories About Black History Need to Be Told: 'It's Important' (Exclusive)

Kayla GrantFri, June 19, 2026 at 3:00 PM UTC

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Morgan Freeman (left); Ben VereenCredit: Anna Webber/Getty; John Nacion/WireImage -

Morgan Freeman and Ben Vereen keep telling the stories of unsung heroes at the top of their list

Speaking to PEOPLE ahead of Juneteenth about their recent project The Gray House, the veteran actors address the importance of telling the stories spread throughout Black history that oftentimes are left untold

Vereen, who stars as Isham Worthy, addresses Hollywood pushback against stories about Black history and emphasizes the importance of preserving and sharing them

For Morgan Freeman and Ben Vereen, telling stories about the unsung heroes throughout Black history is a priority.

While speaking to PEOPLE ahead of Juneteenth about their project The Gray House,the Now You See Me: Now You Don't star and the Roots actor open up about the importance of telling the stories throughout Black history that oftentimes are left untold. Vereen tells PEOPLE the role of Isham Worthy in the show felt like he was continuing a story he started to tell back in 1977 when he starred as Chicken George in the epic miniseries Roots based on Alex Haley's novel.

"It's about our ancestors, and our ancestors will not be erased [and] will not be put aside," Vereen, 79, says. "It's important to me that these stories are told."

Ben Vereen as Isham Worthy in 'The Gray House'Credit: Amazon Prime Video

Echoing his sentiments, Freeman, 89, who's one of the executive producers on The Gray House, adds that a personal goal of his is to shine a light on the contributions of the men and women who shifted the tide in history.

"The American history of Blacks and women. Those stories are almost completely disregarded," he says. "And the mantra is, 'If you want the story told, you have to tell it.' Nobody else is going to do that, so that puts us on the spot."

"We do want our stories told, [and] like Ben says, our ancestors are demanding, so here we are," Freeman continues.

The eight-episode limited series spotlights the true story of three women, portrayed by Daisy Head, Mary-Louise Parker and Amethyst Davis, who helped turn the tide of the American Civil War. Focusing on a Virginia socialite, her mother and their formerly enslaved maid, the story follows the trio as they transform their Underground Railroad into an even more dangerous spy network.

Vereen stars as an Underground Railroad conductor who acts as an advisor, confidant and asset to the women for their spy ring. The veteran actor explains he was "already in that vein of telling our stories" when he signed on for the role, adding how he approached the character.

"When I was approached with this one, I had to really sit back and think about how I would approach him because he's not Chicken George. He's a conductor in the Underground Railroad," he says. "And I think that's an important story that has to be told."

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He adds, "First of all, [I asked] the character permission to enter his spirit, and then from there, [I] go forward."

The producers and cast of 'The Gray House'Credit: Alberto Terenghi/Ipa/ipa-agency.net/Shutterstock

When he began telling people about his role in the series, Vereen shares he was "shocked" by the reaction he'd receive. The Tony Award winner says people who tell him that they didn't "need to hear" about that topic or want "another story about slavery."

"How can you [figure out] where you are, if you don't know where you came from?" he says. "Then you can't even know where you're going, so it's important. It's important. We cannot just erase our history."

The push to get more stories like The Gray House on the big and small screens isn't an easy one. However, Vereen says with the help of "warriors" like Freeman, the stories that matter will be told.

"We need warriors like Morgan, like Lori [McCreary,] and Leslie [Greif,] to go out and beat down the walls because there is definitely a pushback, and we've got to keep pushing forward," he explains.

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The historical drama filled both Freeman and Vereen with a need to seek out, research and tell more untold stories in Black history. For The Shawshank Redemption star, one of the many stories that he has been inspired to tell after working on this project is the untold truths of the Tulsa Massacre.

"That story isn't told, and we're going to tell it," Freeman says.

The Gray House is now streaming on Prime Video.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”