I've always thought Morgan Freeman was awesome. He is in three of my favorite movies, after all: The Dark Knight, Wanted, and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Not to mention I read somewhere that he made the most films of 2008 -- making him the hardest working actor of that year which is pretty impressive if you ask me. Plus, he's played God before. So to me -- Morgan Freeman is an acting god. Hands down.Some facts:
Born: 1 June 1937
Where: Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Awards: Won 1 Oscar and 1 Golden Globe
Height: 6' 2"
A short biography:
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! (1969).
Freeman first appeared on TV screens as several characters including "Easy Reader", "Mel Mounds" and "Count Dracula" on the Children's Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop) show "The Electric Company" (1971). He then moved into feature film with another children's adventure, Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow! (1971). Next, there was a small role in the thriller Blade (1973); then he played "Casca" in Julius Caesar (1979) (V) and the title role in Coriolanus (1979) (V). Regular work was coming in for the talented Freeman and he appeared in the prison dramas Attica (1980) (TV) and Brubaker (1980), the slow-moving Eyewitness (1981), and portrayed the final 24 hours of slain Malcolm X in Death of a Prophet (1981) (TV). 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 (1987) 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 (1989). The same year, Freeman teamed up with youthful Matthew Broderick and fiery Denzel Washington in the epic Civil War drama Glory (1989) 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 (1991) and The Power of One (1992). 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 de-mythologized western Unforgiven (1992). 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 (1994). He was then back out hunting a religious serial killer in Se7en (1995), starred alongside Keanu Reeves in Chain Reaction (1996), and was pursuing another serial murderer in Kiss the Girls (1997).
Further praise followed for his role in the slave tale of Amistad (1997), he was a worried US President facing Armageddon from above in Deep Impact (1998), appeared in the loopy Neil LaBute black comedy Nurse Betty (2000), and reprised his role as "Alex Cross" in Along Came a Spider (2001). Now highly popular, he was much in demand with cinema audiences, and he co-starred in the terrorist drama The Sum of All Fears (2002), was a military officer in the Stephen King-inspired Dreamcatcher (2003), gave divine guidance as "God" to Jim Carrey in the very funny Bruce Almighty (2003), and played a minor role in the uneven comedy The Big Bounce (2004).
However, 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 (2004). 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 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 Marche de l'empereur, La (2005).
Films:
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (2009)
The Human Factor (2009)
stars as Nelson Mandela
The Last Full Measure (2009)
stars as Jimmy Burr
The Maiden Heist (2009) aka The Lonely Maiden
Rendezvous with Rama (2009)
Harry and the Butler (2008)
The Code (2008)
Moses Taite's War (2008)
stars as Moses Taite
The Dark Knight (2008)
stars as Lucius Fox
Wanted (2008) (2008)
stars as Sloan
Feast of Love (2007)
stars as Harry Stevenson
The Bucket List (2007)
stars as Carter Chambers
Evan Almighty (2007)
stars as God
Gone Baby Gone (2007)
stars as Capt. Jack Doyle
The Contract (2007)
stars as Frank Carden
10 Items or Less (2006)
stars as Him
Lucky Number Slevin (2006) aka Lucky Number S7evin
stars as The Boss
Unleashed (2005) aka Danny the Dog
stars as Sam
An Unfinished Life (2005) aka Ungezahmtes Leben, Ein (Germany)
stars as Mitch Bradley
Edison (2005) aka Edison Force
stars as Moses Ashford
Batman Begins (2005) aka Batman Begins: The IMAX Experience
stars as Lucius Fox
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
stars as Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris
The Big Bounce (2004)
stars as Walter Crewes
Guilty by Association (2003) - VI
stars as Police Lieutenant Redding
Bruce Almighty (2003)
stars as God
Dreamcatcher (2003) aka Attrapeur de rêves, L' (Canada: French title)
stars as Col. Abraham Curtis
Levity (2003)
stars as Miles Evans
The Sum of All Fears (2002) aka Anschlag, Der (Germany)
stars as DCI William Cabot
High Crimes (2002)
stars as Charlie Grimes
Along Came a Spider (2001) aka Im Netz der Spinne (Germany)
stars as Alex Cross
Nurse Betty (2000) aka Nurse Betty - Gefährliche Träume (Germany)
stars as Charlie
Under Suspicion (2000) aka Suspicion
stars as Capt. Victor Benezet
Deep Impact (1998)
stars as President Tom Beck
Hard Rain (1998) aka Flood
stars as Jim
Amistad (1997)
stars as Joadson
Kiss the Girls (1997)
stars as Dr. Alex Cross
Chain Reaction (1996)
stars as Paul Shannon
Moll Flanders (1996)
stars as Hibble
Se7en (1995)
stars as Detective Lt. William Somerset
Outbreak (1995)
stars as Brig. Gen. Billy Ford
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
stars as Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding
The Power of One (1992) aka Puissance de l'ange, La (France)
stars as Geel Piet
Unforgiven (1992)
stars as Ned Logan
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
stars as Azeem
The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)
stars as Judge Leonard White
Lean on Me (1989)
stars as Principal Joe Clark
Johnny Handsome (1989)
stars as Lt. A.Z. Drones
Glory (1989)
stars as Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins
Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
stars as Hoke Colburn
Clean and Sober (1988)
stars as Craig
Clinton and Nadine (1988) - TM aka Blood Money: The Story of Clinton and Nadine
stars as Dorsey Pratt
Fight for Life (1987) - TM
stars as Dr. Sherard
Street Smart (1987)
stars as Fast Black
Resting Place (1986) - TV
stars as Luther Johnson
The Atlanta Child Murders (1985) - TV
stars as Ben Shelter
Marie (1985) aka Marie: A True Story
stars as Charles Traughber
That Was Then... This Is Now (1985)
stars as Charlie Woods
The Execution of Raymond Graham (1985) - TM
stars as Warden Pratt
Teachers (1984)
stars as Lewis
Harry and Son (1984)
stars as Siemanowski
Death of a Prophet (1981)
stars as Malcolm X
The Marva Collins Story (1981) - TM
stars as Clarence Collins
Eyewitness (1981) aka The Janitor
stars as Lieutenant Black
Attica (1980) - TM
stars as Hap Richards
Brubaker (1980)
stars as Walter
Coriolanus (1979)
stars as Coriolanus
Julius Caesar (1979) - VI
stars as Casca
Hollow Image (1979) - TM
stars as Sweet Talk (Ralph Simmons)
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (1978) - TM
stars as Uncle Hammer
Out to Lunch (1974) - TM
Blade (1973)
stars as Chris
The Electric Company (1971) - TV
stars as Mark; Easy Reader; Mel Mounds the DJ; Count Dracula; Mad Scientist; the Cop
Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow? (1971) aka Barney
stars as Afro
Another World (1964) - TV aka Another World: Bay City
stars as Dr. Roy Bingham (1982-1984)
Recent Awards
- Oscar (2005) Best Supporting Actor - "Million Dollar Baby"
- Screen Actors Guild Award (2005) Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role - "Million Dollar Baby"
- National Board of Review Awards (2003) Career Achievement Award
- NAACP Image Award (1998) Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture - "Deep Impact"
- NAACP Image Award (1997) Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture - "Amistad"
I love Morgan Freeman! He truly is an a talented and amazing actor! Good luck with your acting career in the future, Mr. Freeman. You are amazing!
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