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Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman
Date of Birth
1 June 1937, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Birth Name
Morgan Porterfield Freeman Jr.
Height
6' 2½"
Date of Birth
1 June 1937, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Birth Name
Morgan Porterfield Freeman Jr.
Height
6' 2½"
| With an authoritative voice and calm demeanour, this ever popular African American actor has grown into one of the most respected figures in modern US cinema. Born in June 1937 in Memphis, Tennessee, the young Freeman attended Los Angeles Community College before serving several years in the US Air Force as a mechanic between 1955 and 1959. His first dramatic arts exposure was on the stage and he appeared in an off-Broadway production of "The Nigger Lovers" and also in an all-African American production of the exuberant musical Hello, Dolly! Freeman first appeared on TV screens as several characters including "Easy Reader", "Mel Mounds" and "Count Dracula" on the Children's Television Workshop show "The Electric Company" . He then moved into feature film with another children's adventure, Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow!. Next, there was a small role in the thriller Blade; then he played "Casca" in Julius Caesar and the title role in Coriolanus. Regular work was coming in for the talented Freeman and he appeared in the prison dramas Attica and Brubaker , the slow-moving Eyewitness, and portrayed the final 24 hours of slain Malcolm X in Death of a Prophet. For most of the 1980s, Freeman continued to contribute decent enough performances in films that fluctuated in their quality. However, he really stood out, scoring an Oscar nomination as a merciless hoodlum in Street Smart and, then, he dazzled audiences and pulled a second Oscar nomination as the patient and dignified chauffeur assisting moody pensioner Jessica Tandy in the delightful Driving Miss Daisy. The same year, Freeman teamed up with youthful Matthew Broderick and fiery Denzel Washington in the epic Civil War drama Glory about freed slaves being recruited to form the first all-African American fighting brigade. His star continued to rise, and the 1990s kicked off strongly with roles in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and The Power of One. Freeman's next role was as gunman "Ned Logan", wooed out of retirement by friend "William Munny" to avenge several prostitutes in the wild west town of Big Whiskey in Clint Eastwood's western Unforgiven. The film was a critical and box-office smash and scored an acting Oscar for Gene Hackman, a directing Oscar for Eastwood, and the Oscar for best picture. Freeman's work did not go unnoticed, more strong scripts came in, and he was back behind bars depicting a knowledgeable inmate (and obtaining his third Oscar nomination), befriending falsely accused banker Tim Robbins in the uplifting The Shawshank Redemption. He was then back out hunting a religious serial killer in Se7en, starred alongside Keanu Reeves in Chain Reaction, and was pursuing another serial murderer in Kiss the Girls. 2005 was finally to be Morgan Freeman's year, when again he teamed up with good friend Clint Eastwood to appear in the heart-wrenching drama, Million Dollar Baby. Freeman's on-screen performance is simply world-class as ex-prize fighter Eddie "Scrap Iron" Dupris, who works in a run-down boxing gym alongside grizzled trainer "Frankie Dunn", as the two work together to hone the skills of never-say-die female boxer Hilary Swank. Freeman received his fourth Oscar nomination and, finally, impressed the Academy's judges enough to win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar and the Delta's Choice Award for his performance. In addition to his film work, his commanding yet mellifluous voice has also led Freeman to be cast to narrate or host dozens of first-rate television specials covering topics from the American Civil War, the American Film Institute, blues music, the White House and many commemorative events involving the US film industry, most recently as the narrator of the American version of La marche de l'empereur. |
| 1964 - The Pawnbroker .... Man on Street 1966 - A Man Called Adam (uncredited) 1968 - Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? . Grand Central Commuter 1971-1977 "The Electric Company" .... Count Dracula / Easy Reader. (780 episodes) 1971 - Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow! .... Afro 1973 - Blade .... Chris 1974 - Out to Lunch (TV) .... Various 1978 - Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (TV) .... Uncle Hammer 1978 - "Visions" (1 episode) 1979 - Coriolanus (V) .... Coriolanus 1979 - Julius Caesar (V) .... Casca 1979 - Hollow Image (TV) .... Ralph 'Sweet Talk' Simmons 1980 - Attica (TV) .... Hap Richards 1980 - Brubaker .... Walter 1981 - Death of a Prophet (TV) .... Malcolm X 1981 - Eyewitness .... Lieutenant Black 1981 - "Ryan's Hope" .... Cicero Murphy (2 episodes) 1981 - The Marva Collins Story (TV) .... Clarence Collins 1982-1984 - "Another World" TV series .... Dr. Roy Bingham 1984 - Harry & Son .... Siemanowski 1984 - Teachers .... Lewis 1985 - "The Atlanta Child Murders" TV mini-series .... Ben Shelter 1985 - Marie .... Charles Traughber 1985 - That Was Then, This Is Now .... Charlie Woods 1985 - "The Twilight Zone" .... Tony (segment "Dealer's Choice") (1 episode) 1985 - The Execution of Raymond Graham (TV) .... Warden Pratt 1985 - "Great Performances" .... Messenger (1 episode) 1986 - Resting Place (TV) .... Luther Johnson 1987 - Street Smart .... Fast Black 1987 - Fight for Life (TV) .... Dr. Sherard 1988 - Clinton and Nadine (TV) .... Dorsey Pratt 1988 - Clean and Sober .... Craig 1989 - Lean on Me .... Principal Joe Clark 1989 - Johnny Handsome .... Lt. A.Z. Drones 1989 - Driving Miss Daisy .... Hoke Colburn 1989 - Glory .... Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins 1990 - "The Civil War" .... Frederick Douglass (9 episodes) 1990 - The Bonfire of the Vanities .... Judge Leonard White 1991 - Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves .... Azeem 1991 - "The American Experience" .... Narrator (1 episode) 1992 - The Power of One .... Geel Piet 1992 - Unforgiven .... Ned Logan 1994 - The Shawshank Redemption .... Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding 1995 - Outbreak .... Brig. Gen. Billy Ford 1995 - Se7en .... Detective Lt. William Somerset 1996 - Moll Flanders .... Hibble 1996 - Chain Reaction .... Paul Shannon 1997 - Kiss the Girls .... Dr. Alex Cross 1997 - Amistad .... Joadson 1998 - Hard Rain .... Jim 1998 - Deep Impact .... President Beck 2000 - Nurse Betty .... Charlie 2000 - Under Suspicion .... Captain Victor Benezet 2000 - "American Masters" .... Narrator (1 episode) 2001 - Along Came a Spider .... Alex Cross 2002 - High Crimes .... Charles W. Grimes 2002 - The Sum of All Fears .... DCI William Cabot 2003 - "Freedom: A History of Us" .... Frederick Douglass / ... (6 episodes) 2003 - Levity .... Miles Evans 2003 - Dreamcatcher .... Col. Abraham Curtis 2003 - Bruce Almighty .... God 2003 - Guilty by Association (V) .... Police Lieutenant Redding 2004 - The Big Bounce .... Walter Crewes 2004 - A Remarkable Promise .... Narrator 2004 - Million Dollar Baby .... Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris 2005 - "Slavery and the Making of America" .... Narrator (4 episodes) 2005 - Danny the Dog .... Sam 2005 - Batman Begins .... Lucius Fox 2005 - War of the Worlds (voice) .... Narration 2005 - An Unfinished Life .... Mitch Bradley 2005 - Edison .... Moses Ashford 2005 - Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D .... Neil Armstrong 2006 - Lucky Number Slevin .... The Boss 2006 - 10 Items or Less .... Him 2006 - The Contract .... Major Frank Carden 2007 - Evan Almighty .... God 2007 - Gone Baby Gone .... Jack Doyle 2007 - Feast of Love .... Harry Stevenson 2007 - The Bucket List .... Carter Chambers 2008 - A Raisin in the Sun (TV) .... Narrator 2008 - Wanted .... Sloan 2009 - The Dark Knight .... Lucius Fox 2009 - Thick as Thieves .... Keith Ripley 2009 - The Maiden Heist .... Charles |
Filmography
Awards
| Academy Awards 2005 - Oscar - Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for: Million Dollar Baby Acapulco Black Film Festival 1998 - Career Achievement Award Berlin International Film Festival 1990 - Silver Berlin Bear - Best Acting Team for: Driving Miss Daisy Brussels International Film Festival 1998 - Crystal Iris Cairo International Film Festival 2006 - Golden Pyramid Character and Morality in Entertainment Awards 2006 - Camie for: La marche de l'empereur (March of the Penguins) Chlotrudis Awards 1995 - Chlotrudis Award - Best Actor for: The Shawshank Redemption Denver International Film Festival 2004 - Lifetime Achievement Award Delta's Choice 2005 - Delta - Best Supporting Actor for: Million Dollar Baby 2003 - Delta - Best Supporting Actor for: Bruce Almighty 1994 - Delta - Best Supporting Actor for: The Shawshank Redemption Empire Awards, UK 1997 - Empire Award - Best Actor for: Se7en Golden Globes, USA 1990 - Golden Globe - Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical for: Driving Miss Daisy Hollywood Film Festival 2000 - Hollywood Film Award - Outstanding Achievement in Acting Image Awards 2005 - Image Award - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for: Million Dollar Baby 2004 - Image Award - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for: Bruce Almighty 1999 - Image Award - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for: Deep Impact 1998 - Image Award - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for: Amistad 1992 - Image Award - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture for: Driving Miss Daisy 1991 - Image Award - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture for: Lean on Me Independent Spirit Awards 1988 - Independent Spirit Award - Best Supporting Male for: Street Smart Joseph Plateau Awards 2000 - Joseph Plateau - Life Achievement Award Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards 1990 - KCFCC Award - Best Actor for: Driving Miss Daisy Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2003 - Special Prize for Outstanding Contribution to World Cinema London Critics Circle Film Awards 1997 - ALFS Award - Actor of the Year for: Se7en Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards 1987 - LAFCA Award - Best Supporting Actor for: Street Smart National Board of Review 2003 - Career Achievement Award 1989 - NBR Award - Best Actor for: Driving Miss Daisy National Society of Film Critics Awards 1988 - NSFC Award - Best Supporting Actor for: Street Smart New York Film Critics Circle Awards 1987- NYFCC Award - Best Supporting Actor for: Street Smart People's Choice Awards, USA 2009 - People's Choice Award - Favorite Cast for: The Dark Knight Philadelphia Film Festival 2001 - Lifetime Achievement Award San Luis Obispo International Film Festival 2006 - King Vidor Memorial Award Screen Actors Guild Awards 2005 - Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role for: Million Dollar Baby Vancouver Film Critics Circle 2005 - VFCC Award - Best Supporting Actor for: Million Dollar Baby Walk of Fame 2003 - Star on the Walk of Fame Motion Picture - 7021 Hollywood Blvd. Western Heritage Awards 1993 - Bronze Wrangler - Theatrical Motion Picture for: Unforgiven |
