US Weekly compiled a fun batch of photos of fictional African American Presidents of the US from TV and film and I thought it’d be cool to share some of my faves. As I said before, the pessimist in me never believed that I’d live to see an African American elected to the highest office in the land and, yet, that day has come. But, before Senator Barack Obama became President-elect Obama we were introduced to a few fictional African American Presidents in movies and on TV:

James Earl Jones became “president” in the 1972 film The Man and Morgan Freeman became “president” in the 1998 film Deep Impact (about the improbability that a meteor could crash into Earth and destroy mankind). My fave fictional African American Presidents are the Palmer brothers, David and Wayne, who ruled the country in a few seasons of the hit FOX TV series 24. President David Palmer, I gotta say, is my fave fictional President of all time. But with the election of Barack Obama as our Nation’s leader, there is no longer a need for Hollywood to create fictional African American leaders … I guess they’ll have to resort to creating fictional female presidents (like in the upcoming new season of 24) instead. It’s pretty remarkable how far this country has come with one Presidential election.

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People magazine reports that actor Morgan Freeman, who most recently played Lucius Fox in Batman: The Dark Knight, is in “good spirits” despite being hospitalized in a Memphis, TN medical center (he was airlifted from Mississippi after his accident there) after suffering a pretty heinous car accident this past Sunday night. Here is a pic of Freeman’s rolled vehicle and an official statement released by Freeman’s rep that updates the actor’s condition:

Morgan Freeman is in good spirits and is planning to have surgery after sustaining injuries in a car accident Sunday night, the actor’s rep said in a statement Monday afternoon.

The Dark Knight actor, 71, was listed in “serious” condition after a late-night car accident. Freeman was driving in Tallahatchie County when the accident happened at about 11:30 p.m., according to Mississippi Highway Patrol. He was removed from the wreck using the jaws of life, then airlifted from the accident scene to the Regional Medical Center at Memphis.

Wow! I’m not sure I was quite aware of the severity of his car accident … I had no idea he had to be removed from the wreckage with help from the jaws of life. He’s very lucky that he only suffered the injuries that he did … even still, I imagine it can’t be easy for Morgan Freeman right now. He is such a positive man, I am wishing him a very speedy recovery and I am very much looking forward to the day when I can update his condition when he is finally able to be released from the hospital.

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TMZ is reporting, by way of Media Takeout, that Academy Award winning actor Morgan Freeman (who can currently be seen as Lucius Fox in Batman: The Dark Knight) was involved in a car accident in Mississippi late last night which left him hospitalized. At the time of the initial reporting, no real deets were available about the state of his injuries, only that he was able to talk as he was taken away to the hospital:

TMZ has learned that Academy Award winning actor Morgan Freeman, 71, has been injured in a serious car accident in Mississippi. Cops tell us the “Dark Knight” star was in a one car accident around 11:30 PM last night north of the small town of Ruleville. He was airlifted from the accident scene to a hospital in Memphis, Tenn. We’re told alcohol is not suspected as a factor in the wreck, news of which was first reported by MediaTakeout. Freeman’s condition is unknown, but state troopers tell us he was talking at the scene before he was taken to the hospital. The condition of an unidentified female passenger in the car also is unknown.

This is very sad news, Morgan Freeman is one of my fave actors and I hope that he is doing well. I’m sure there will be more information available in the next day or so but in the meantime I think we should send all our good thoughts and well wishes to Morgan and his female passenger.

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Batman: The Dark Knight held it’s first premiere, a black carpet event, at the AMC Loews Lincoln Center in NYC last night. All of the principal stars of the movie were in attendance (many of them matched up with their partners) including members of the late Heath Ledger’s family (who opted out of talking to any press as they walked the carpet). Here are a few pics from the black carpet arrivals at last night’s premiere:

There were lots of jubilant smiles and happy faces … it’s nice that the stars of The Dark Knight can celebrate their new movie (reportedly a tour de force for Heath Ledger) without having to cast any mournful sadness on the event over the loss of Heath Ledger. After the jump, check out more pics from the black carpet arrivals at the movie premiere and a few photos of some of the attendees at the movie’s afterparty at the Mandarin Oriental …

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