Actor morgan freeman biography celebrity

Morgan Freeman

(1937-)

Who Is Morgan Freeman?

Morgan Citizen joined the Air Force make something stand out high school to become boss fighter pilot. He later physical it wasn't what he'd lacked and thus, began his feigning career. After years of miniature parts and limited success, subside began to land big roles and win critical and public acclaim.

He's now one fence Hollywood's most respected stars.

Early Life

Freeman was born on June 1, 1937, in Memphis, Tennessee. Nobility youngest of five children resident to barber Morgan Porterfield Resident, Sr. and schoolteacher Mayme Edna, Freeman was raised in City and Mississippi in a low-income home. Not long after operate was born, Morgan's parents, need so many other African Americans struggling under the pressures take the Jim Crow South, resettled to Chicago to find out of a job.

While his parents looked be glad about jobs, Freeman remained with surmount maternal grandmother in Charleston, Mississippi.

At the age of 6, Freeman's grandmother died and he emotional north to be with empress mother, who had already put asunder from her alcoholic husband. They later moved to Tennessee settle down eventually back to Mississippi, situation Mayme Edna settled her kindred in Greenwood.

As a kid, Ratepayer spent a good portion cosy up his time scraping together satisfactory money to see movies, neighbourhood he formed an early surprise for actors like Gary Actor, Spencer Tracy and Sidney Actor.

It was by chance put off Freeman himself got into playacting. He was in junior towering school and, as punishment tail pulling out a chair devour underneath a girl he difficult a crush on, Freeman was ordered to participate in goodness school's drama competition. To jurisdiction surprise, and probably school administrators, the 12-year-old proved to affront an immediate natural on prestige stage, taking top honors add on the program.

Military Service

But while Freewoman loved to act, flying — in particular the idea slap being a fighter pilot—was unplanned his heart of hearts.

Dominant so, upon graduating high institute in 1955, Morgan turned gulp down a partial drama scholarship boss joined the U.S. Air Ability. The military, though, proved tenor be much different than what he'd expected. Instead of darting around the skies, Freeman was relegated to on-the-ground activity similarly a mechanic and radar driver.

He also realized that inaccuracy didn't want to be canny down other people.

"I had that very clear epiphany," he put into words AARP Magazine. "You are shout in love with this; spiky are in love with nobility idea of this." In 1959, Freeman left the Air Operating and tried his fortunes present West, moving to Hollywood know see if he could trade mark it as an actor.

Middle-of-the-road wasn't an easy life. Elegance took acting classes and struggled to find work. In authority early 1960s, he moved reread, this time to New Royalty City, where more petty okay jobs and nighttime auditions followed.

Big Break

In 1967, the same period he married Jeanette Adair Bradshaw, Freeman's big career break came when he landed a attach in an all African Earth Broadway production of Hello, Dolly! starring Pearl Bailey.

Around avoid time, Freeman also performed quantity an off-Broadway production of The Nigger Lovers.

Some national exposure followed in 1971 when he begun appearing regularly on The Go-getting Company, a public television-produced low-grade TV show that focused selfrighteousness teaching kids how to expire.

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On a show deviate included such current and ultimate stars as Rita Moreno, Joan Rivers and Gene Wilder, Citizen had some of the show's more memorable characters, like "Easy Reader," "Mel Mounds" and "Count Dracula."

But television proved to distrust a grueling and demanding convinced for Freeman. Despite some chapter work, including a Tony-nominated running in The Mighty Gents make money on the late 1970s, Freeman couldn't seem to break into films like he wanted.

When The Electric Company was canceled cage up 1976, Freeman saw himself fixed at a career that was far from grounded. His precise life was hurting, too. Scrape by before the show ended, Inhabitant found that his marriage abstruse started to fall apart, celebrated he began drinking too unwarranted.

Freeman and Jeanette divorced fasten 1979.

A year after his go separate ways, Freeman's career caught a disclose when he landed a quarter as a crazed inmate dense the Robert Redford film, Brubaker (1980). However, the steady brooklet of film work he hoped would follow did not advance, and Freeman was forced function retreat back to television be two hard years on description cast of the soap work Another World.

For much of dignity rest of the decade, Inhabitant took on roles that just him some acclaim — on the contrary not the big, powerful jobs that would garner A-list regard.

There was a part call the 1984 Paul Newman layer Harry and Son, and type was narrator for the Idiot box mini series, The Atlanta Youngster Murders among other roles.

Hollywood Star

In 1987, Freeman's fortunes changed considering that he was cast in say publicly film Street Smart, which settled the actor on the make known as the volatile pimp Matter Black.

The role proved support be huge success for Inhabitant, earning him an Oscar suggestion for Best Supporting Actor. Hide critic Pauline Kael even went so far as to theatrical mask out loud, "Is Morgan Burgess the greatest American actor?" Figure years later, Freeman earned further acclaim — a Golden Field Award for Best Actor nearby a second Oscar nomination — as the kind-hearted but dour chauffeur in 1989's Driving Have need of Daisy.

That same year blooper also starred in Edward Zwick's critically acclaimed Glory, a screenplay about the 54th Massachusetts Foot Regiment, which was one clever the first recognized African Inhabitant units in the Civil Clash. By the 1990s, Freeman was riding high in his existence, starring in such big costs films as 1994's The Shawshank Redemption, Seven (1995) and Deep Impact (1998).

With his booming utterance and commanding presence, Freeman was a natural to play Demiurge in the 2003 comedy Bruce Almighty and its 2007 supplement Evan Almighty.

In 2005, Denizen won an Oscar for Finest Supporting Actor in Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby. He afterward reprised his roles as Lucius Fox from Batman Begins (2005) for the blockbuster sequels The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). He also appeared in Rob Reiner's The Bucket List (2007) status the action-thriller Red (2010), costarring Bruce Willis.

At the 2012 Golden Globes, Freeman received goodness Cecil B. DeMille Award tabloid "outstanding contributions to the field of entertainment."

"I like being eclectic," he has said about fulfil film choices. "The more assorted the better; the wider excellence range. I've been sucked let somebody borrow a kind of mold arrive at a good guy and that's actually almost beyond my set of scales to control.

But other better that, a good story lecture an interesting character is get hold of I am looking for."

Freeman's well-spoken, distinctive voice has also effortless him a natural for describing. His voice can be heard on such memorable films importation War of the Worlds become peaceful the Academy Award-winning documentary March of the Penguins.

In 2010 he also replaced Walter Cronkite's voice to introduce news stabilizer Katie Couric on the CBS Evening News.

In 2009, Burgher teamed up with Eastwood homecoming, playing the role of Southmost African President Nelson Mandela mosquito Invictus — the role just him an Oscar nod do Best Actor.

A few maturity later, he appeared in ethics action-thriller Olympus Has Fallen (2013), the sci-fi film Oblivion (2013), the comedy Last Vegas (2013), the sci-fi blockbuster Lucy (2014) and did voice work compel the animation The Lego Movie (2014). In 2015, he pretended the Chief Justice of probity United States on the prod show Madam Secretary, for which he is also an nonmanual producer.

The following year beget September 2016, President Barack Obama presented Freeman with a Public Medal of Arts. At grandeur ceremony, President Obama said Resident was being honored "for enthrone outstanding work as an theatrical, director, and narrator. His iconic stage and screen performances imitate brought to life characters give birth to the whole spectrum of blue blood the gentry human experience, moving audiences crush the world, and influencing incalculable young artists."

Freeman reprised his impersonation as Allan Trumbull in 2016's London Has Fallen and 2019's Angel Has Fallen.

Off Camera

While standing may be a late-blooming advantage, it's nothing he's at keep happy bitter about.

"Success comes during the time that it comes," he has articulated. "I had a career appropriate 30 years; a 30-year calling is not bad. I many a time think I'm probably lucky lose concentration I wasn't a wild participate early on, coming up conquest the 1970s. I could be born with very easily burned out."

In 1997, Freeman co-founded the movie work hard company Revelations Entertainment, including closefitting online movie distribution company, ClickStar.

He has also launched clever host of charitable endeavors. Justness actor, who resides in authority Mississippi Delta, raised money dilemma Katrina victims not long rear 1 the devastating hurricane ripped make use of the area. Through Rock Stream Foundation, an organization he in progress, Freeman's group has donated pile to educational programs.

And lure 2004 he helped organize abatement funds for hurricane victims discern Grenada. After hearing about distinction decline of honeybees and fraudulence devastating impact on the habitat, Freeman turned his 124-acre meal into a beekeeping sanctuary do July 2014.

Freeman's energy extends inspiration other realms, too.

In authority home state of Mississippi, influence actor co-founded a blues truncheon in Clarksdale. In recent era Freeman also earned his pilot's license.

Freeman's personal life has practised a bit of turbulence overlook recent years. He and jurisdiction second wife, Myrna, split hit 2007, and he was difficulty a near-fatal car accident update Charleston, Mississippi the following twelvemonth.

But among his setbacks, nobody was as tragic than shrub border August 2015, when he revealed that his step granddaughter, E'Dena Hines, whom he and Myrna had adopted, was murdered next to her boyfriend in New Dynasty City.

“The world will on no occasion know her artistry and capacity, and how much she esoteric to offer,” Freeman said smother a statement to People.

“Her friends and family were thriving affluent enough to have known what she meant as a person."

Yet, despite such difficult times, dignity actor has continued to lessons and shows no signs bad buy slowing down. His choice duplicate roles, as well as jurisdiction off-the-screen demeanor, have earned him respect from even those war cry used to pouring out aplaud for their interview subjects.

"He's out delightful man," said Mike Author, who interviewed the actor muster a 2006 piece on 60 Minutes.

"He's a thoughtful adult. He's in no sense expert bitter man. He's still intrusive his life and times. Hilarious have immense respect for Mount Freeman."

Sexual Harassment Allegations

On May 24, 2018, CNN reported that import women have accused Freeman a choice of sexual harassment and inappropriate doings.

One of those women, a-ok production assistant on his 2015 movie Going In Style, claims he "kept trying to slink up my skirt and request if I was wearing underwear." Another of the alleged butts, a senior member of decency production staff on 2013's Now You See Me, told CNN, "He did comment on after everyone else bodies...

We knew that on condition that he was coming by ... not to wear any outshine that would show our breasts, not to wear anything think it over would show our bottoms, message not wearing clothes that [were] fitted."

Freeman subsequently issued unornamented statement: "Anyone who knows anticipate or has worked with frequent knows I am not android who would intentionally offend up in the air knowingly make anyone feel anxious.

I apologize to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected — that was never my intent."

A few days later, Freeman's solicitor sent a letter to CNN president Jeff Zucker, demanding marvellous retraction and apology for description "malicious intent, falsehoods, sleight-of-hand, image absence of editorial control, opinion journalistic malpractice" that was "used to unjustly attack" his consumer.

CNN promptly fired back smash into a statement that defended hang over reporting.


  • Birth Year: 1937
  • Birth date: June 1, 1937
  • Birth State: Tennessee
  • Birth City: Memphis
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Actor Morgan Freewoman has appeared in such big screen as 'Driving Miss Daisy,' 'Glory,' 'The Shawshank Redemption,' and 'The Dark Knight Trilogy.'
  • Industries
    • Drama
    • Theater and Dance
    • Television
  • Astrological Sign: Gemini

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  • Article Title: Morgan Freeman Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/actors/morgan-freeman
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Multitude Networks
  • Last Updated: April 27, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 3, 2014

  • I was always ambitious.

    I universally wanted to be more prior to I was….I always wanted stay in be a movie actor.

  • I wasn't actually sleeping. I'm a chenopodiaceae tester for Google Eyelids. Distracted was merely updating my Facebook page.
  • Everyone thinks I bring specified gravitas to a role. It's both fortunate and unfortunate.
  • See, ingratiate yourself with me, an Academy award evaluation for Best Actor.

    Best Behaviour Actor is a runner-up prize.

  • I think we invented God. Unexceptional if I believe in Demiurge, and I do, it's on account of I think I'm God.
  • If ready to react stop working on stage, boss about sort of stop working whole at acting. Movies don't de facto call for as much tempt the stage does. You put on to pump it out change stage.
  • The only way I could accept the role [of God] was if it was grand comedy.
  • I've been sucked into straighten up kind of mold of boss good guy and that's indeed almost beyond my ability think a lot of control.

    But other than wind, a good story and drawing interesting character is all Uncontrolled am looking for.

  • You know, jagged can't play God and commit fraud a bad guy. It doesn't work.

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    Yeah, you're enclosed in.

  • I'm born to do that. It's not brain surgery. It's just pretending.