Morgan Freeman is an American actor, producer, and storyteller born on June 1, 1937. He’s been into acting for over fifty years, rocking various roles across different types of movies and shows. He’s won some big awards too, like an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Plus, he’s been honored with titles like the Kennedy Center Honor, the AFI Life Achievement Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award.
Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Freeman grew up in Mississippi, where he first got into acting through school plays. After studying theater in Los Angeles, he hit the stage and then made it big on TV in the 1970s with a show called “The Electric Company”. He also did some serious acting in plays, earning praise for his work in Shakespearean productions like Coriolanus and Julius Caesar. In the late ’70s, he even got a Tony Award nomination for his role in a play called “The Mighty Gents”.
Freeman’s career reached new heights when he won an Academy Award for his role in “Million Dollar Baby,” directed by Clint Eastwood, in 2004. He’s been nominated for Oscars several times for other movies like “Street Smart,” “Driving Miss Daisy,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” and “Invictus”. And he’s been in tons of other memorable films too, like “Glory,” “Lean on Me,” “Seven,” and “The Dark Knight Trilogy,” where he played Lucius Fox.
Apart from his acting, Freeman is famous for his voice, which he’s lent to many documentaries over the years, including “March of the Penguins” and “The Story of God” with Morgan Freeman. He even tried his hand at directing with a movie called “Bopha!” in 1993. Plus, he’s a big player in the film production world, co-founding a company called Revelations Entertainment with his business partner Lori McCreary in 1996. They’ve worked on lots of projects together including the political drama Madam Secretary.
| Full Name | Morgan Freeman |
| Date of Birth | June 1, 1937 |
| Place of Birth | Memphis, Tennessee, USA |
| Occupation | Actor, Director, Narrator |
| Height | 6 ft (1.83 m) |
| Spouse | Myrna Colley (m. 1967-1979) Jeanette Adair Bradshaw (m. 1979-2007), |
| Children | Alphonso Freeman, Saifoulaye Freeman Deena Freeman, Morgana Freeman |
| Net Worth | $250 million |
Morgan Freeman’s Early Life And Education
Morgan Freeman was born on June 1, 1937, in Memphis, Tennessee. His mom, Mamie Edna was a teacher, and his dad Morgan Porterfield Freeman was a barber who passed away when Freeman was young due to cirrhosis. Freeman grew up with three older siblings.
Freeman’s ancestry is complex. Some of his ancestors were enslaved people who moved from North Carolina to Mississippi. He also found out that his white great-great-grandfather lived with and was buried beside his black great-great-grandmother, but they couldn’t legally marry because of segregation laws.
As a baby, Freeman lived with his grandma in Charleston, Mississippi. He moved around a lot during his childhood living in different places like Greenwood, Mississippi, Gary, Indiana, and eventually settling in Chicago.
Morgan Freeman got into acting early starring in a school play when he was just nine. He went to Broad Street High School in Greenwood which is now called Threadgill Elementary School. At 12, he won a drama competition and that’s when he got into theater and music. Unfortunately, when Freeman was 16, he got sick with pneumonia.
He finished high school in 1955 but decided not to take a drama scholarship to Jackson State University. Instead, he joined the United States Air Force where he worked as an Automatic Tracking Radar repairman and rose to the rank of airman first class. After serving from 1955 to 1959, he moved to Los Angeles and started taking acting classes at the Pasadena Playhouse. He also studied theater arts at Los Angeles City College, where one of his teachers suggested he pursue a dance career.
Career
Morgan Freeman began his career as a dancer at the 1964 World’s Fair and later joined a theater group in San Francisco. He appeared in small roles in films and theater productions but it was after acting in “The Royal Hunt of the Sun” that his acting career took off.
In 1967, Freeman made his Off-Broadway debut and moved to Broadway the following year in an all-black version of “Hello Dolly!” In 1969 he performed in “The Dozens.”
From 1971, Morgan Freeman gained recognition on the PBS show “The Electric Company” which provided him financial stability though he found the experience tiring and eventually left in 1975. Despite his mixed feelings, he was grateful for the opportunity.
His film career began in 1971 with “Who Says I Can’t Ride a Rainbow!” and he continued to work in theater during breaks. In 1978 he won awards for his role in “The Mighty Gents” and returned to the stage in “Coriolanus” and “Julius Caesar.”
Freeman gained attention for his role in “Brubaker” in 1980 and received acclaim for “Eyewitness” in 1981. He also appeared in the soap opera “Another World.”
In 1987, Freeman played a memorable role in “Street Smart” which earned him an Academy Award nomination. He considered it his breakthrough role. He continued with notable performances in “Clean and Sober” and received Obie Awards for his roles in stage productions.
In 1989, Morgan Freeman had a busy year with four movie releases. First up was Glory where he played Sergeant Major John Rawlins a film about the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. Critics praised Freeman and Denzel Washington for their strong performances. The movie won three Oscars.
Throughout the early 1990s, Freeman appeared in a range of films including “The Bonfire of the Vanities” “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” and “Unforgiven.” He also made his directorial debut with “Bopha!” in 1993.
In 1994, Freeman starred in “The Shawshank Redemption” which became a classic. He also appeared in “Outbreak” and “Seven” showcasing his versatility.
Morgan Freeman co-founded Revelations Entertainment in the mid-1990s to produce films that explore challenging themes and hidden truths. He continued to act appearing in films like “Deep Impact” “Hard Rain” and “Nurse Betty.”
In the early 2000s, Freeman reprised his role as Alex Cross in “Along Came a Spider” and appeared in “The Sum of All Fears” and “High Crimes.” In 2003, Morgan Freeman played God in “Bruce Almighty” with Jim Carrey and Jennifer Aniston.
Freeman’s later films included “Dreamcatcher,” “Million Dollar Baby,” which earned him an Academy Award, and “The Big Bounce.”
In 2005, Morgan Freeman appeared in six films. In “An Unfinished Life,” he played Mitch a neighbor to a Wyoming rancher portrayed by Robert Redford. The film received mixed reviews with The Guardian calling it pleasant but questioning Freeman’s sidekick role. Freeman’s distinct voice also led him to narrate War of the Worlds and the award-winning documentary “March of the Penguins.” He was seen in “Batman Begins” as Lucius Fox marking the start of Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight Trilogy.”
Freeman starred alongside Jet Li in “Unleashed” playing a blind piano tuner who helps Li’s character reform his life. While some critics found the film’s genre unclear Freeman’s character was noted for disrupting the narrative. Freeman also took a role in the poorly received thriller Edison and lent his voice to Neil Armstrong in the documentary “Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D.”
In 2006, Morgan Freeman played assassin Frank Carden in “The Contract” a film released directly to video due to its formulaic plot. He also appeared in “Lucky Number Slevin” a crime thriller featuring a strong cast including Josh Hartnett and Bruce Willis which received mixed reviews. Freeman’s performance was praised but critics felt the film lacked depth. In 10 Items or Less Freeman played himself and the film was released on ClickStar a digital platform he co-founded.
Freeman reprised his role as God in “Evan Almighty” but the film did not perform well and was criticized for its sentimental nature. He also appeared in “Feast of Love” where his performance was noted despite the film’s overall lukewarm reception. Freeman had a supporting role in Ben Affleck’s “Gone Baby Gone” which was well-received. He then co-starred with Jack Nicholson in “The Bucket List” a film about two terminally ill men fulfilling their final wishes which grossed $175 million globally.
In 2008, Freeman starred in “Wanted” an action-thriller where he played the leader of a secret society. The film praised for its originality featured Freeman’s bold performance. He narrated The Love Guru and returned as Lucius Fox in “The Dark Knight” the second film in Nolan’s trilogy. Freeman also returned to Broadway in “The Country Girl.”
Freeman’s film roles continued to vary. In 2009, he appeared in “Thick as Thieves” a heist movie with Antonio Banderas, and in “The Maiden Heist” with Christopher Walken. Freeman portrayed Nelson Mandela in “Invictus” a film adaptation of John Carlin’s book earning him critical acclaim and nominations for his portrayal. He also narrated Anne and Emmett a play about a conversation between Emmett Till and Anne Frank.
In 2010, Morgan Freeman starred in “Red playing” a retired CIA agent. The film was a success and his performance was praised. He also replaced Walter Cronkite as the voice for CBS Evening News and began hosting Through the Wormhole a science series.
In 2011, Morgan Freeman narrated “Conan the Barbarian” and appeared in “Dolphin Tale” as a prosthetic specialist. He participated in the Broadway play 8 which reenacted the trial that overturned California’s Proposition 8.
In 2012, Morgan Freeman starred in “The Magic of Belle Isle” which didn’t fare well with critics, and reprised his role as Lucius Fox in “The Dark Knight Rises”. He also appeared in several 2013 box office hits: “Olympus Has Fallen,” “Oblivion,” “Now You See Me,” and “Last Vegas” with Last Vegas being noted for its cast’s chemistry.
In 2014, Freeman voiced Vitruvius in “The Lego Movie” and starred in “Transcendence” and “Lucy” both of which had mixed reviews. He also appeared in “Dolphin Tale 2” and “5 Flights Up”.
Freeman’s first film of 2015 was “Last Knights” which received poor reviews. He joined the cast of “Ted 2” playing a civil rights lawyer. He had a recurring role in “Madam Secretary” where he also directed an episode. He ended the year with Momentum playing a U.S. senator.
Freeman reprised his role as Allan Trumbull in “London Has Fallen” in 2016 a commercially successful sequel despite its critical reception. He also starred in “Now You See Me 2” and in “Ben-Hur” though the latter was a significant box office failure.
In 2017, Morgan Freeman starred in the comedies “Going in Style” and “Just Getting Started”. He also hosted two National Geographic series: “The Story of God” and “The Story of Us”.
In 2018, Freeman narrated “Alpha” and starred in “The Nutcracker” and the “Four Realms”. He had an uncredited role in “Brian Banks” a biographical drama.
In 2019, Freeman appeared in “The Poison Rose” and “Angel Has Fallen” the latter being a box office success despite mixed reviews.
Freeman’s more recent roles include “The Comeback Trail” and “Coming 2 America”. In 2022, he performed at the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Net Worth
Morgan Freeman has an estimated net worth of $250 Million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The main source of Morgan Freeman’s net worth comes from his successful career as an actor, producer, and narrator.
He has starred in numerous blockbuster films and acclaimed roles, such as in “Driving Miss Daisy,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” and “Million Dollar Baby,” which have earned him substantial earnings and recognition. Freeman’s narrations for documentaries and commercials also contribute significantly to his income.
Additionally, his production company, Revelations Entertainment, has been involved in various film and television projects, further enhancing his financial portfolio. Overall, Morgan Freeman’s diverse talents in acting, narration, and production have been key in building his considerable net worth.
Personal life
Morgan Freeman’s love life has had its ups and downs. He was married to Jeanette Adair Bradshaw from 1967 to 1979, then tied the knot with Myrna Colley-Lee in 1984. Sadly, they separated in 2007 and officially divorced in 2010. He has four children: Alfonso, Deena, Morgana, and Saifoulaye. He and Myrna also helped raise his step-granddaughter, E’dena Hines, from his first marriage. Tragically, E’dena was murdered in New York City in 2015.
As for where Freeman calls home, he lives in Charleston, Mississippi, and also has a place in New York City. Despite being well into his senior years, Freeman got his pilot’s license at the age of 65 and has owned a few private planes, including a Cessna Citation 501, Cessna 414, and an Emivest SJ30.
Morgan Freeman has some unconventional views on religion. He once said he believed in God but thinks humans invented the idea. He even joked, “I think I’m God.” Despite hosting a show called “The Story of God,” his views on religion haven’t changed much. In 2019, there were reports that he was exploring Zoroastrianism.
In 2008, Morgan Freeman was in a serious car accident in Mississippi. He broke his shoulder, arm, and elbow, requiring extensive surgery. Since then, he’s been dealing with fibromyalgia, a condition that causes chronic pain. To help manage it, he wears a special compression glove.
Freeman has also been involved in some high-profile projects and causes. He joined forces with Bill Clinton and others to bid for the U.S. to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. His favorite movie, which he didn’t act in, is Moulin Rouge!, and he’s spoken fondly of it on multiple occasions.
However, Morgan Freeman faced some controversy in 2018 when CNN published a report accusing him of inappropriate behavior toward women on movie sets and at his production company. Freeman denied any intentional wrongdoing and apologized if anyone felt uncomfortable. Some people, including journalists and even one of the alleged victims, disputed CNN’s claims. Despite the uproar, the Screen Actors Guild decided not to take any action against him. Later, reports suggested that CNN’s report might have been fabricated.
