Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an Academy Award-winning American actor and film director.
Biography
Freeman was born June 1, 1937 in Memphis, Tennessee, to Morgan Porterfield Freeman (a barber who died in 1961 from liver cirrhosis) and Mayme Edna, a cleaner; he has three older siblings. Freeman's family moved frequently during his childhood, and had lived in Greenwood, Mississippi, Gary, Indiana, and finally Chicago. Freeman made his acting debut at the age of eight, playing the lead role in a school play. At the age of twelve, he won a state-wide drama competition, and performed in a radio show based in Nashville, Tennessee, while in high school. In 1955, he turned down a partial drama scholarship from Jackson State University, choosing instead to work as a mechanic in the United States Air Force.
Freeman moved to Los Angeles in the early 1960s, and worked as a transcript clerk at Los Angeles Community College. During this time, he also lived in New York City, working as a dancer at the 1964 World's Fair, and in San Francisco, where he was a member of the Opera Ring music group. Freeman made his acting debut in a touring company version of The Royal Hunt of the Sun, and also appeared as an extra in the 1965 film, The Pawnbroker. He made his off-Broadway debut in 1967, opposite Viveca Lindfors in The Niggerlovers, before debuting on Broadway in 1968's all-black version of Hello, Dolly!, which also starred Pearl Bailey and Cab Calloway
Personal life
Freeman was married to Jeanette Adair Bradshaw from October 22, 1967, to 1979. He has been married to Myrna Colley-Lee since June 16, 1984. He has two sons, Alphonso and Saifoulaye, from previous relationships. He adopted his first wife's daughter, Deena, and the couple also had a fourth child, Morgana.
Freeman currently lives in Charleston, Mississippi. He has a private pilot's license, and co-owns and operates Madidi, a fine dining restaurant, and Ground Zero, a blues club, both located in Clarksdale, Mississippi.
Freeman has come out publicly against the celebration of Black History Month and does not participate in any related events, saying that "I don't want a black history month. Black history is American history." He says the only way to end racism is to stop talking about it, and he notes that there is no "white history month." Freeman once said on an interview with 60 Minutes' Mike Wallace: "I am going to stop calling you a white man and I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man." On Saturday, October 28, 2006, Morgan Freeman was honored at the 1st Mississippi's Best Awards in Jackson, Mississippi with the Lifetime Achievement Award award for his tireless works on and off the big screen. "He's been like a father figure to me," related C. A. Webb, the event's founder. "Mr. Freeman is one of those men who you cannot help but respect, no matter what role he plays." Freeman received an honorary degree of Doctor of Arts and Letters from Delta State University during the school's commencement exercises on May 13, 2006.
In November 2006, Freeman is scheduled to start filming his next project, Rob Reiner's The Bucket List. The film will star him and Jack Nicholson as dying men who must fulfill their list of goals. The film is tentatively scheduled to be released in 2007.
Awards
1987 Nominated for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, in Street Smart.
1989 Nominated for Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as a chauffeur, in Driving Miss Daisy.
1994 Nominated for Academy Award for Best Actor, in The Shawshank Redemption.
2003 Received the Crystal Globe award for outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
2005 Won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, in Million Dollar Baby.
2006 guest of honour at the Cairo International Film Festival
Morgan Freeman's Photos
Filmografy
2008 The Dark Knight Lucius Fox
2007 Evan Almighty God
2006 Edison Force Ashford
The Bucket List
Lucky Number Slevin The Boss
2005 An Unfinished Life Mitch Bradley
War of the Worlds (Narrator)
March of the Penguins (Narrator) limited release
Batman Begins Lucius Fox
Unleashed Sam
2004 Million Dollar Baby Eddie "Scrap Iron" Dupris
The Hunting of the President (Narrator) limited release
The Big Bounce Walter Crewes
2003 Bruce Almighty God
Dreamcatcher Col. Abraham Kurtz
2002 The Sum of All Fears DCI William Cabot
High Crimes Charlie Grimes
2001 Along Came a Spider Dr. Alex Cross
2000 Nurse Betty Charlie
2000 Under Suspicion Victor
1998 Deep Impact President Tom Beck
Hard Rain Jim
1997 Amistad Theodore Joadson
Kiss The Girls Dr. Alex Cross
1996 Chain Reaction Paul Shannon
Moll Flanders Hibble
1995 Se7en Detective Lt. William Somerset
Outbreak Brig. Gen. Billy Ford
1994 The Shawshank Redemption Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding
1993 Bopha! director only
1992 Unforgiven Ned Logan
The Power of One Geel Piet
1991 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Azeem
1990 The Bonfire of the Vanities Judge Leonard White
1989 Glory Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins
Driving Miss Daisy Hoke Colburn
Lean on Me Principal Joe Clark
1987 Street Smart Fast Black
Fight For Life Dr. Sherard made-for-television
1984 Teachers Al Lewis
1981 The Marva Collins Story Clarence Collins made-for-television
1980 Brubaker Walter
1978 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Uncle Hammer made-for-television
1971 The Electric Company television series
