Morgan Freeman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Morgan Freeman
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Freeman in 2023
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| Born | June 1, 1937 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
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| Years active | 1964–present |
| Organization | Revelations Entertainment |
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Works
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Full list |
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| Children | 4 |
| Awards | Full list |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Service years | 1955–1959 |
| Rank | Airman First Class |
| Morgan Freeman's voice from BBC Radio 4's The Film Programme, September 12, 2008. | |
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Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is a famous American actor, producer, and narrator. He has had a long career, lasting over sixty years. During this time, he has won many awards, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. He was also nominated for a Tony Award.
Freeman has received special honors like the Kennedy Center Honor in 2008 and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2011. In 2012, he got the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and in 2018, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. In a 2022 poll by Empire magazine, readers voted him one of the 50 greatest actors ever.
Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Freeman grew up in Mississippi. He started acting in school plays when he was young. He later studied theater in Los Angeles and performed in stage shows. He became well-known in the 1970s for his role in the children's TV show The Electric Company.
Freeman has appeared in many popular movies. These include Driving Miss Daisy (1989), The Shawshank Redemption (1994), and Se7en (1995). He won an Oscar for his role in Million Dollar Baby (2004). He also played Lucius Fox in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy (2005–2012).
Known for his unique voice, Freeman has narrated many documentaries. Some of these are March of the Penguins (2005) and Through the Wormhole (2010–2017). He also directed the movie Bopha! (1993). In 1996, he started his own film company, Revelations Entertainment, with his partner Lori McCreary.
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Early Life and Education
Morgan Freeman was born on June 1, 1937, in Memphis, Tennessee. His mother, Mamie Edna, was a teacher. His father, Morgan Porterfield Freeman, was a barber who passed away in 1961. Morgan has three older brothers and sisters.
As a baby, Freeman lived with his grandmother in Charleston, Mississippi. He moved often as a child, living in places like Greenwood, Mississippi, and Chicago. He first acted at age nine in a school play.
At 12, he won a statewide drama contest. He discovered his love for music and theater in school. After graduating high school in 1955, he chose to join the United States Air Force. He worked as a radar repairman and became an airman first class.
After serving from 1955 to 1959, he moved to Los Angeles. There, he took acting classes at the Pasadena Playhouse. He also studied theater arts at Los Angeles City College.
Career Highlights
Early Acting Roles
In 1964, Freeman worked as a dancer at the 1964 World's Fair. He also joined a musical theater group in San Francisco. He appeared as an extra in the 1965 film The Pawnbroker. He soon realized that acting was his true passion.
Freeman made his first Off-Broadway appearance in 1967. He then debuted on Broadway in 1968 in an all-Black version of Hello, Dolly! In 1971, he began starring in the PBS children's TV show The Electric Company. This show brought him recognition and financial stability.
After leaving The Electric Company in 1975, he returned to acting in 1978. He appeared in stage plays like The Mighty Gents. He also performed in Shakespearean plays such as Coriolanus and Julius Caesar. For Coriolanus, he won an Obie Award.
In 1980, Freeman had a small role in the drama Brubaker. He also appeared in the TV film Attica (1980). From 1982 to 1984, he was on the soap opera Another World. In the mid-1980s, he started getting important supporting roles in movies. He became known for playing wise, father-like characters.
Breakthrough in Hollywood
In 1987, Freeman had a role in Street Smart. This role was different from his usual characters. Critics praised his performance, and he earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He later said this was his breakthrough role.
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In 1989, Freeman had four major film releases. He starred as Sergeant Major John Rawlins in Glory. This film was about the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, an African-American regiment in the American Civil War. Critics praised his performance.
Next, he starred in the comedy-drama Driving Miss Daisy with Jessica Tandy. He played Hoke Colburn, a chauffeur. The film was a big success and earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He also starred in Lean on Me as a high school principal.
In 1990, Freeman narrated The Civil War, a TV series about the American Civil War. In 1991, he had a supporting role in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves with Kevin Costner. The film was very popular.
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In 1992, he appeared in Clint Eastwood's western Unforgiven. This film won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Freeman's performance was called "outstanding." In 1993, Freeman directed his first film, Bopha!, which was well-received.
In 1994, Freeman played Red in The Shawshank Redemption with Tim Robbins. This drama is based on a Stephen King story. His performance was described as "quietly impressive" and "moving." He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for this role.
In 1995, Freeman starred in the medical thriller Outbreak. The film was a box-office hit. He then starred with Brad Pitt in the crime thriller Seven. Critics praised Freeman's performance, calling it "supremely nuanced."
Continued Success
In 1997, Freeman narrated the documentary The Long Way Home. He also appeared in Steven Spielberg's historical film Amistad. That same year, he played psychologist Alex Cross in the thriller Kiss the Girls.
Freeman starred in Deep Impact (1998), a science-fiction disaster film where he played President Tim Beck. The film was a big success. In 2000, he appeared in the comedy Nurse Betty and the thriller Under Suspicion.
In 2001, he returned as Alex Cross in Along Came a Spider. In 2002, he starred with Ben Affleck in the spy thriller The Sum of All Fears. This film was a commercial success. He also appeared in High Crimes (2002) with Ashley Judd.
In 2003, Freeman played God in the popular comedy Bruce Almighty with Jim Carrey. In 2004, he starred in the sports drama Million Dollar Baby, directed by Clint Eastwood. He won his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for this role.
In 2005, Freeman appeared in six films. He narrated the documentaries War of the Worlds and March of the Penguins. He also played Lucius Fox in Batman Begins, the first film in The Dark Knight Trilogy.
In 2007, Freeman played God again in Evan Almighty, a sequel to Bruce Almighty. He also had a supporting role in the mystery thriller Gone Baby Gone. Afterward, he starred in The Bucket List with Jack Nicholson. The film was very popular, earning $175 million worldwide.
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In 2008, Freeman starred in the action-thriller Wanted. He also returned as Lucius Fox in The Dark Knight. In 2009, he played Nelson Mandela in the film Invictus, directed by Clint Eastwood. His performance earned him Best Actor nominations at the Academy Awards and Golden Globes.
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In 2010, Freeman starred in Red with Bruce Willis and Helen Mirren. The film was a success. He also became the presenter for the Science Channel series Through the Wormhole (2010–17), which explored topics about space and the universe.
In 2011, Freeman narrated Conan the Barbarian and appeared in Dolphin Tale. In 2012, he played an author trying to write again in The Magic of Belle Isle. He also reprised his role as Lucius Fox in The Dark Knight Rises.
In 2013, Freeman appeared in several hit movies. He played Speaker of the House Allan Trumbull in Olympus Has Fallen. He also starred in the science fiction film Oblivion with Tom Cruise. He appeared in the thriller Now You See Me and the comedy Last Vegas with Michael Douglas and Robert De Niro.
Recent Work
In 2014, Freeman voiced Vitruvius in The Lego Movie, a very successful animated film. He also starred in the science fiction thriller Transcendence. He co-starred with Scarlett Johansson in the action film Lucy, playing a professor who helps her.
In 2015, Freeman appeared in Last Knights and the comedy sequel Ted 2. He also had a recurring role as Chief Justice Frawley in the TV series Madam Secretary, which he also executive produced.
In 2016, Freeman returned as Allan Trumbull in London Has Fallen, the sequel to Olympus Has Fallen. He also reprised his role as Thaddeus Bradley in Now You See Me 2. He had a leading role in the historical drama Ben-Hur.
In 2017, Freeman appeared in two comedies: Going in Style and Just Getting Started. He also hosted the National Geographic series The Story of God with Morgan Freeman and The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman.
In 2018, Freeman narrated Alpha and starred in Disney's The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. In 2019, he starred in The Poison Rose and returned as Allan Trumbull in Angel Has Fallen. This film was a box office success.
Freeman appeared in the comedy The Comeback Trail (2020) and Coming 2 America (2021). In November 2022, he performed at the opening ceremony of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. In 2021, he guest-starred in the Netflix comedy The Kominsky Method. Since 2023, he has played a United States Secretary of State in the Paramount+ series Lioness.
Other Activities
Helping the Environment
In 2004, Freeman helped create the Grenada Relief Fund. This fund helped people affected by Hurricane Ivan in Grenada. It later became PLANIT NOW, an organization that helps people prepare for hurricanes and severe storms.
In 2014, he narrated a video called What's Possible for a UN climate summit. Freeman has also supported the Mississippi Horse Park in Starkville, Mississippi. He has several horses that he takes there.
After learning about the decrease in honeybees, Freeman turned his 124-acre ranch into a bee sanctuary in 2014. He started with 26 beehives. He also supports Oceana and ocean conservation.
Supporting Social Causes
In 2005, Freeman shared his thoughts on Black History Month. He said that Black history is American history and that focusing on separate months can keep people apart. He believes that to end racism, people should stop talking about it as separate histories.
Freeman supported changing the Mississippi state flag, which used to include the Confederate battle flag. He has also spoken about issues of equality and justice.
During the 2008 presidential election, Freeman supported Barack Obama's campaign. He provided the voice for the introduction to Disney World's The Hall of Presidents when Obama was added. In 2016, he provided the voiceover for Hillary Clinton's introduction at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
In 2021, he and professor Linda Keena donated $1 million to the University of Mississippi. This donation helped create the Center for Evidence-Based Policing and Reform.
Business Ventures
In 1997, Freeman and his business partner Lori McCreary started Revelations Entertainment. This is a film production company. They also founded ClickStar in 2006, a company for downloading films, but it closed in 2008.
Freeman owns and runs Ground Zero, a blues club in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He also used to co-own Madidi, a restaurant in the same city.
Personal Life
Family and Home
Freeman was married to Jeanette Adair Bradshaw from 1967 to 1979. He then married Myrna Colley-Lee in 1984, and they divorced in 2010. Freeman has four children: Alfonso, Deena, Morgana, and Saifoulaye. He and Myrna also raised his step-granddaughter, E'dena Hines.
Freeman lives in Charleston, Mississippi, and also has a home in New York City. He got his private pilot's license at age 65. He has owned several private aircraft, including a Cessna Citation 501.
In December 2010, Freeman joined former President Bill Clinton to help bid for the U.S. to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Freeman's favorite film that he did not work on is Moulin Rouge!.
Health
On August 3, 2008, Freeman was in a car accident near Ruleville, Mississippi. He was injured and had surgery on his left shoulder, arm, and elbow. Doctors worked for four hours to repair nerve damage. His publicist said he was expected to recover fully. Since the accident, Freeman has fibromyalgia, which causes pain. He wears a special glove to help with blood circulation.
Artistry and Recognition
Morgan Freeman's deep voice is very distinctive and recognizable. This often makes him a popular choice for narrating films and documentaries. He said his voice developed this way from speech classes in college. He learned to speak in a lower tone and clearly say each word.
People describe Freeman as an intuitive actor. He carefully chooses his roles and studies characters deeply. Beverly Todd, who worked with him, said he is a "very sharing actor." Freeman enjoys playing different kinds of characters. He believes it's important to listen carefully while filming scenes.
On October 28, 2006, Freeman received a Lifetime Achievement Award in Mississippi for his work in film and theater. He has also received honorary degrees from Delta State University and Boston University. In 2014, he was given the Freedom of the City honor by the City of London.
In 2008, Freeman was honored at the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington D.C. In 2011, he received the AFI Life Achievement Award for his contributions to film. Many famous actors, including Sidney Poitier and Clint Eastwood, honored him. In 2012, he was given the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for his lifetime achievements in film. In 2017, he received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award.
Popular Films
Freeman has been in many films since 1964. He is known for his roles in dramas, historical movies, thrillers, action films, science fiction, and comedies. Some of his most acclaimed and highest-grossing films include:
- Unforgiven
- Million Dollar Baby
- The Shawshank Redemption
- The Dark Knight trilogy
- Seven
- Born to Be Wild
- Glory
- Gone Baby Gone
- March of the Penguins
- Driving Miss Daisy
- The Lego Movie
Awards and Nominations
Freeman has been recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for these performances:
- 60th Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor, nomination, for Street Smart (1987)
- 62nd Academy Awards: Best Actor, nomination, for Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
- 67th Academy Awards: Best Actor, nomination, for The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
- 77th Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor, win, for Million Dollar Baby (2004)
- 82nd Academy Awards: Best Actor, nomination, for Invictus (2009)
Freeman has been nominated for five Golden Globe Awards, winning one for Best Actor in Driving Miss Daisy (1989). He has also been nominated for three Screen Actors Guild Awards, winning one for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in Million Dollar Baby (2004). He earned an Obie Award for his theater roles in Coriolanus (1979), Mother Courage and Her Children (1980), and Driving Miss Daisy (1987–90).
Images for kids
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Morgan Freeman's signature
See also
In Spanish: Morgan Freeman para niños
