Morgan Freeman

Lore & Background

Freeman was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised in Mississippi, where he began acting in school plays. He studied theater arts in Los Angeles and appeared in stage productions in his early career. He rose to fame in the 1970s for his role in the children's television series The Electric Company. Freeman then appeared in the Shakespearean plays Coriolanus and Julius Caesar, the former earning him an Obie Award. In 1978, he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his role as Zeke in The Mighty Gents.

Freeman received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a former boxer in Clint Eastwood's sports drama Million Dollar Baby (2004). He was Oscar-nominated for Street Smart (1987), Driving Miss Daisy (1989), The Shawshank Redemption (1994), and Invictus (2009). He also performed in numerous films including Glory (1989), Lean on Me (1989), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), Unforgiven (1992), Se7en (1995), Amistad (1997), Deep Impact (1998), Gone Baby Gone (2007), and The Bucket List (2007). He portrayed Lucius Fox in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy (2005–2012) and acted in action films such as Wanted (2008), Red (2010), Oblivion (2013), the Now You See Me films (2013–2025), and Lucy (2014).

Known for his distinctive voice, Freeman has narrated numerous documentaries including The Long Way Home (1997), March of the Penguins (2005), Through the Wormhole (2010–2017), The Story of God with Morgan Freeman (2016–2019), Our Universe (2022), and Life on Our Planet (2023). He made his directorial debut with the drama Bopha! (1993). He founded the film production company Revelations Entertainment with business partner Lori McCreary in 1996, under which they produced projects such as the CBS political drama Madam Secretary (2014–2019).

Reader's Guide

Morgan Freeman's significance lies in his enduring presence across film, television, and documentary narration, marked by a distinctive voice and a range of roles from wise father figures to complex villains. His career, spanning six decades, includes an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Million Dollar Baby (2004) and Oscar nominations for Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption, and Invictus. He has been recognized with major lifetime achievement honors, including the Kennedy Center Honor, AFI Life Achievement Award, Cecil B. DeMille Award, and Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. Freeman's work as a narrator, particularly in documentaries like March of the Penguins and Through the Wormhole, has made his voice iconic. His legacy is further cemented by his production company Revelations Entertainment and his directorial debut with Bopha! (1993). In a 2022 readers' poll by Empire, he was voted one of the 50 greatest actors of all time.

Did You Know?

• Freeman was born on June 1, 1937, in Memphis, Tennessee.
• He received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Million Dollar Baby (2004).
• He narrated the documentary March of the Penguins (2005).
• He founded the film production company Revelations Entertainment with Lori McCreary in 1996.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen - that stillness becomes a radiance." — Morgan Freeman "{African Americans} have fought and died in every conflict this nation was involved in, from the Revolutionary War onward . . . . We are Americans, and we fought and died to be Americans." — Morgan Freeman "To go somewhere and say: 'I have this really terrific movie, but I need some . . . money' - Good luck!" — Morgan Freeman "Jobson, Richard (July 14, 2000). "Morgan Freeman". The Guardian (London). Retrieved on December 4, 2017." — Morgan Freeman