One of the most prolific actors working today, Morgan Freeman has been commanding the screen with a diverse array of impressive performances for nearly 30 years. Born in Memphis, Tennessee on June 1, 1937, Freeman’s father worked as a barber and his mother a cleaner. The family moved around the Midwest frequently during Freeman’s childhood, and he ultimately graduated from high school in Nashville. He turned down a partial drama scholarship to Jackson State University to work in the U.S. Air Force for a few years in the late 1950s.
After his stint in the Air Force, Freeman moved to L.A. where he worked at Los Angeles Community College. His acting career took off when he moved to New York City, dancing at the 1964 World’s Fair and acting in a touring production of “The Royal Hunt of the Sun”. His successful Broadway debut came in 1968 with the all-black production of “Hello, Dolly!”. The 1970s saw Freeman gain prominence as a children’s star in the Children’s Television Workshop show “The Electric Company”, and he took on a small role in the 1973 thriller “Blade”. By the end of the decade and into the 1980s Freeman was working regularly, playing the title role in a film version of Shakespeare’s “Coriolanus” and becoming a regular on the soap opera “Another World” in the early 80s.
Most of his appearances during this period weren’t particularly notable, however in 1987 he received a Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his role as a pimp opposite Christopher Reeve in “Street Smart”. Freeman’s brilliant performance put him on the critics’ radar where he belonged, and a variety of high-profile roles followed, including 1989’s “Driving Miss Daisy”, a Best Picture-winner that garnered Freeman another Oscar nomination, this time for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Freeman gave another outstanding performance the same year in the Civil War drama “Glory” opposite Denzel Washington and Matthew Broderick.
The past 15 years have seen Freeman explode as one of the most sought-after and respected actors in the world. Early in the 1990s he starred with Clint Eastwood in the award-winning “Unforgiven”, in addition to a supporting role opposite Kevin Costner in “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves”. Known for playing wise, fatherly types, Freeman’s greatest role came in 1994 in Frank Darabont’s “The Shawshank Redemption”, which saw him serve as a guide to a troubled young prisoner played by Tim Robbins. Freeman’s heartfelt performance earned him another Oscar nod, and the film remains one of the most crowd-pleasing classics in Hollywood history. An extraordinarily prolific period followed for the actor, and to this day he has starred in at least two films a year. Highlights include his role opposite Brad Pitt in “Se7en”, Steven Spielberg’s “Amistad”, a Presidential role in “Deep Impact”, “Kiss the Girls” (a role he reprised with “Along Came a Spider”), and as a cynical God in the Jim Carrey smash “Bruce Almighty”.
In 2004 Freeman starred in Clint Eastwood’s “Million Dollar Baby” opposite Eastwood and Hilary Swank, finally winning him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. In 2005 Freeman played a memorable role in “Batman Begins” and is currently on screen in the crime drama “Lucky Number Slevin”. The nearly 70-year old actor is not only one of the greatest screen legends of all time, but also exudes a passion and commitment to filmmaking that makes his numerous accolades more than deserved.