• The latest batch of police recruits in an Alabama beach town faced an interview board that included law enforcement experts and a civilian who was recognizable by his voice if not by his face: Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman. Freeman, a Mississippi native who owns property in Gulf Shores and spends time in the town of 12,000, was part of a seven-member panel that interviewed nine potential officers for the Gulf Shores Police Department last week, Deputy Chief Dan Netemeyer said Wednesday. The department sometimes asks residents to participate in such screening committees, Netemeyer said. The Oscar winner knows some people who have helped and volunteered to serve. "It was kind of a last minute thing, but he was an active participant," Netemeyer said. Known for roles in movies including "The Shawshank Redemption," "Driving Miss Daisy," "Unforgiven" and "Million Dollar Baby," Freeman sat at a table asking questions with other interviewers including Netemeyer, the police chief, a criminal justice professor and others. "He had a hat on, and he was kind of sitting back. When he introduced himself it was almost like an old 'Candid Camera' scene," Netemeyer said. Even if someone did not recognize Freeman's face, he said, there was no mistake once he spoke. "It was that voice, the same one you hear in the movies," he said. The hiring process is not complete, Netemeyer said, but at least some of the recruits likely will be offered jobs.
• Rosamund Pike, who stars in the Amazon Prime Video series based on Robert Jordan's "The Wheel of Time" books, also took on the task of narrating the audio edition of the late author's fantasy classic "The Eye of the World." "The Eye of the World," published in 1990, is the first volume of Jordan's "The Wheel of Time" epic. Macmillan Audio announced Thursday that the audiobook comes out Nov. 16, three days before the Amazon series airs. The audio is 30 hours long, and includes a vast catalog of pronunciations and characters. It has a list price of $49.99. "I'm excited to bring 'The Wheel of Time' series to life in a different way once again," Pike said in a statement. "'The Wheel of Time' is an especially great series for audiobook listeners to immerse themselves in, and I reveled in voicing the robust collection of unique characters." The Oscar-nominated actor stars as Moiraine Damodred in the "Wheel of Time" series, which also features Marcus Rutherford, Josha Stradowski and Zoe Robins.
