Back in May, TransLink British Columbia announced that Morgan Freeman would be lending his buttery-smooth voice to a public announcement campaign.
Your @TransLink dreams are coming true: Morgan Freeman to voice Vancouver transit announcements this summer. @mjfree #transit https://t.co/17PA6ywU0X pic.twitter.com/d3Rb4rQcXq
— Stephanie Ip • 葉可怡 (@stephanie_ip) May 22, 2018
It seemed perfect, though the reporter delivering the announcement speculated that Canadian actor Seth Rogen may have been a better choice, because Canadians are all caught up on using Canadian actors for things. I mean Corner Gas is pretty good, but something like 90% of Canadian actors are on low-budget CW shows.
Lots of emails today were along the lines of: "What, there wasn't a Canadian actor who could've done the job?" After some thought, I do have a suggestion: @Sethrogen. I would happily listen to him announce my transit stops all day, every day BUT ONLY IF IT COMES WITH THE LAUGH. https://t.co/o0v5FWlocj
— Stephanie Ip • 葉可怡 (@stephanie_ip) May 23, 2018
Anyway, literally the day after Stephanie Ip made the suggestion, the story that Morgan Freeman was a serial workplace sexual harasser broke. That is some bad timing for Canada, but Seth being Seth actually stepped up and offered to replace Freeman.
Yo if they need a replacement now let me know.
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) May 24, 2018
And today, two months later almost to the day, TransLink announced Seth Rogen would in fact be voicing their public service campaign.
And proving that lightning is capable of striking twice and Canada has more than one star, a suggestion that Nathan Fielder record automated messages for the Vancouver Airport was met with an enthusiastic (for Nathan Fielder, anyway, I imagine it was actually monotone and deadpan) yes.
I will 100% do this https://t.co/nqmnkNQzYt
— nathan fielder (@nathanfielder) July 26, 2018
I wouldn’t be averse to replacing Morgan Freeman with Seth Rogen in everything. Especially Driving Miss Daisy. It would bring a whole new energy to that movie if Jessica Tandy learns about not being a racist through her friendship with a stoned white guy in his 30s. You could even change the ending from that depressing nursing home thing to the two of them getting baked and having a rave where Jessica Tandy raps. I would watch that movie.