With an authoritative voice and calm demeanor, this ever popular American actor has grown into one of the most respected figures in modern US cinema. Morgan was born on June 1, 1937 in Memphis, Tennessee, to Mayme Edna (Revere), a teacher, and Morgan Porterfield Freeman, a barber. The young Freeman attended Los Angeles City 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 including appearing in an all-African American production of the exuberant musical Hello, Dolly!. Throughout the 1970s, he continued his work on stage, winning Drama Desk and Clarence Derwent Awards and receiving a Tony Award nomination for his performance in The Mighty Gents in 1978. In 1980, he won two Obie Awards, for his portrayal of Shakespearean anti-hero Coriolanus at the New York Shakespeare Festival and for his work in Mother Courage and Her Children. Freeman won another Obie in 1984 for his performance as The Messenger in the acclaimed Brooklyn Academy of Music production of Lee Breuer's The Gospel at Colonus and, in 1985, won the Drama-Logue Award for the same role. In 1987, Freeman created the role of Hoke Coleburn inAlfred Uhry's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Driving Miss Daisy, which brought him his fourth Obie Award. In 1990, Freeman starred as Petruchio in the New York Shakespeare Festival's The Taming of the Shrew, oppositeTracey Ullman. Returning to the Broadway stage in 2008, Freeman starred withFrances McDormand andPeter Gallagher inClifford Odets' drama The Country Girl, directed by Mike Nichols. 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) showThe 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 thrillerBlade (1973); then he played Casca inJulius Caesar (1979) and the title role inCoriolanus (1979). Regular work was coming in for the talented Freeman and he appeared in the prison dramas Attica (1980) andBrubaker (1980),Eyewitness (1981), and portrayed the final 24 hours of slain Malcolm X inDeath of a Prophet (1981). 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 inStreet Smart (1987) and, then, he dazzled audiences and pulled a second Oscar nomination in the film version ofDriving Miss Daisy (1989)opposite Jessica Tandy. The same year, Freeman teamed up with youthfulMatthew Broderick and fieryDenzel 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 inThe Bonfire of the Vanities (1990),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 inClint Eastwood's de-mythologized western Unforgiven (1992). The film was a sh and scored an acting Oscar forGene Hackman, a directing Oscar for Eastwood, and the Oscar for best picture. In 1993, Freeman made his directorial debut on Bopha! (1993) and soon after formed his production company, Revelations Entertainment. More strong scripts came in, and Freeman was back behind bars depicting a knowledgeable inmate (and obtaining his third Oscar nomination), befriending falsely accused bankerTim Robbins inThe Shawshank Redemption (1994). He was then back out hunting a religious serial killer inSe7en (1995), starred alongsideKeanu Reeves inChain Reaction (1996), and was pursuing another serial murderer inKiss the Girls (1997). Further praise followed for his role in the slave tale ofAmistad (1997), he was a worried US President facing Armageddon from above inDeep Impact (1998), appeared inNeil LaBute's black comedyNurse Betty (2000), and reprised his role as Alex Cross inAlong Came a Spider (2001). Now highly popular, he was much in demand with cinema audiences, and he co-starred in the terrorist dramaThe Sum of All Fears (2002), was a military officer in theStephen King-inspiredDreamcatcher (2003), gave divine guidance as God to Jim Carrey inBruce Almighty (2003), and played a minor role in the comedyThe Big Bounce (2004). 2005 was a huge year for Freeman. First, he he teamed up with good friend Clint Eastwood to appear in the 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 boxerHilary 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. He also narrated Steven Spielberg'sWar of the Worlds (2005) and appeared in Batman Begins (2005) as Lucius Fox, a valuable ally ofChristian Bale's Bruce Wayne/Batman for director Christopher Nolan. Freeman would reprise his role in the two sequels of the record-breaking, genre-redefining trilogy. Roles in tentpoles and indies followed; highlights include his role as a crime boss inLucky Number Slevin (2006), a second go-round as God inEvan Almighty (2007) withSteve Carell taking over forJim Carrey, and a supporting role inBen Affleck's directorial debut,Gone Baby Gone (2007). He co-starred with Jack Nicholson in the breakout hitThe Bucket List (2007) in 2007, and followed that up with another box-office success,Wanted (2008), then segued into the second Batman film,The Dark Knight (2008). In 2009, he reunited with Eastwood to star in the director's true-life drama Invictus (2009), on which Freeman also served as an executive producer. For his portrayal ofNelson Mandela in the film, Freeman garnered Oscar, Golden Globe and Critics' Choice Award nominations, and won the National Board of Review Award for Best Actor. Recently, Freeman appeared in RED (2010), a surprise box-office hit; he narrated theConan the Barbarian (2011)remake, starred in Rob Reiner'sThe Magic of Belle Isle (2012); and capped the Batman trilogy withThe Dark Knight Rises (2012). Freeman has several films upcoming, including the thrillerNow You See Me (2013), under the direction of Louis Leterrier, and the science fiction actionerOblivion (2013), in which he stars with Tom Cruise. - IMDb Mini Biography By: firehouse44@hotmail.com
Keeps his Oscar statuette inside a cabinet which resides in his office. The cabinet was built by a good friend of his in 1998 especially for the Oscar that his friend predicted he would win. It even came with a plaque that read: "No Parking. Reserved for Oscar."
Received a trademark on his name from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on September 19, 2006.
Worked as a mechanic in the United States Air Force.
[on his hesitation to do Along Came a Spider (2001)] I had a philosophic aversion to it. I didn't want to do the same thing twice. Then I realized that my philosophical aversion was bullshit. I realized I liked Alex Cross. And the fact that he's black is totally incidental. That's a rare thing for a black actor to find.
[on the failure of The Big Bounce (2004)] It was a wonderful experience. Steve Bing was the producer and was very generous. But the movie didn't turn out very well. The director [George Armitage] fell ill and we shut down production for a few weeks while he recuperated. And I think when he came back he just didn't pick up the ball and run with it the way he should have, and the movie suffered greatly for that..
I've been living with myself all of my life, so I know all of me. So when I watch me, all I see is me. It's boring. - on why he dislikes watching his own films.
I'm not intimidated by lead roles. I'm better in them. I don't feel pressure - I feel released at times like that. That's what I'm born to do.
