
Morgan Porterfield Freeman, Jr. is an American actor, film director, and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won in 2005 for Million Dollar Baby. He has also won a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Morgan Freeman was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the son of Mayme Edna (née Revere) and Morgan Porterfield Freeman, Sr., a barber who died in 1961 from liver cirrhosis. Freeman was sent as an infant to his paternal grandmother in Charleston, Mississippi. He has three older siblings. Freeman's family moved frequently during his childhood, living in Greenwood, Mississippi; Gary, Indiana; and finally Chicago, Illinois. Freeman made his acting debut at age 9, playing the lead role in a school play. He then attended Broad Street High School, currently Threadgill Elementary School, in Mississippi. At age 12, he won a statewide drama competition, and while still at Broad Street High School, he performed in a radio show based in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1955, he graduated from Broad Street High School, but turned down a partial drama scholarship from Jackson State University, opting instead to work as a mechanic in the United States Air Force. Freeman moved to Los Angeles in the early 1960s and worked as a transcript clerk at Los Angeles Community College. During this period, he also lived in New York City, working as a dancer at the 1964 World's Fair, and in San Francisco, where he was a member of the Opera Ring music group. Freeman acted in a touring company version of The Royal Hunt of the Sun, and also appeared as an extra in the 1965 film The Pawnbroker. He made his off-Broadway debut in 1967, opposite Viveca Lindfors in The Nigger Lovers (about the civil rights era "Freedom Riders"), before debuting on Broadway in 1968's all-black version of Hello, Dolly!, which also starred Pearl Bailey and Cab Calloway. Freeman was married to Jeanette Adair Bradshaw from October 22, 1967, until 1979. He married Myrna Colley-Lee on June 16, 1984. The couple separated in December 2007. Freeman's attorney and business partner, Bill Luckett, announced in August 2008 that Freeman and his wife are in the process of divorce. He has two sons from previous relationships. He adopted his first wife's daughter and the couple also had a fourth child. Freeman lives in Charleston, Mississippi, and New York City. He has a private pilot's license, which he earned at age 65, and co-owns and operates Madidi, a fine dining restaurant, and Ground Zero, a blues club, both located in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He officially opened his second Ground Zero in Memphis, Tennessee on April 24, 2008. Freeman has publicly criticized the celebration of Black History Month and does not participate in any related events, saying, "I don't want a black history month. Black history is American history." He says the only way to end racism is to stop talking about it, and he notes that there is no "white history month". Freeman once said on an interview with 60 Minutes' Mike Wallace: "I am going to stop calling you a white man and I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man.
Movie | Sniff | Joe Mulwray | 2024 |
Series | Smithsonian Channel's Sound Revolution | Unknown | 2024 |
Series | Rabbit Ears Productions | Unknown | 2024 |
Series | Mississippi Rising | Unknown | 2024 |
Movie | Betty White: A Celebration | Self | 2022-01-17 |
Movie | Heroes & Villains | Self | 2022-11-29 |
Movie | Sidney | Self | 2022-09-10 |
Movie | Coming 2 America | Self | 2021-03-04 |
Movie | Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard | Senior | 2021-06-14 |
Movie | Clint Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy | Self | 2021-09-09 |
Series | Solos | Stuart | 2021-05-21 |
Movie | Vanquish | Damon | 2021-04-16 |
Movie | The Disney Family Singalong - Volume II | Self | 2020-05-10 |
Movie | The Comeback Trail | Reggie Fontaine | 2020-11-12 |
Movie | Dave Chappelle: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize | Self | 2020-01-07 |
Movie | Meeting the Beatles in India | Narrator (voice) | 2020-09-09 |
Movie | Angel Has Fallen | Alan Trumbull | 2019-08-21 |
Movie | The Poison Rose | Doc | 2019-05-23 |
Movie | Brian Banks | Jerome Johnson (uncredited) | 2019-08-09 |
Movie | Alpha | Narrator (voice) | 2018-08-17 |
Movie | The Nutcracker and the Four Realms | Drosselmeyer | 2018-10-26 |
Movie | America's Musical Journey | Narrator (voice) | 2018-05-17 |
Movie | March of the Penguins 2: The Next Step | Narrator (english voice) | 2017-02-15 |
Movie | Going in Style | Willie Davis | 2017-04-06 |
Movie | Just Getting Started | Duke | 2017-12-01 |
Movie | The Words That Built America | Reader - Declaration of Independence | 2017-07-04 |
Series | The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman | Host | 2017-10-11 |
Movie | Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies | Self | 2017-11-12 |
Movie | London Has Fallen | Alan Trumbull | 2016-03-02 |
Series | The Story of God with Morgan Freeman | Host | 2016-04-03 |
Movie | Ben-Hur | Sheik Ilderim | 2016-08-17 |
Movie | The C Word | Narrator (voice) | 2016-07-28 |
Movie | Now You See Me 2 | Thaddeus Bradley | 2016-06-02 |
Movie | Ted 2 | Patrick Meighan | 2015-06-25 |
Movie | Last Knights | Bartok | 2015-04-03 |
Movie | Momentum | Senator | 2015-10-15 |
Movie | The Lego Movie | Vitruvius (voice) | 2014-02-06 |
Movie | We the People | Narrator (voice) | 2014-01-06 |
Movie | Island of Lemurs: Madagascar | Narrator (voice) | 2014-04-03 |
Movie | 5 Flights Up | Alex Carver | 2014-09-05 |
Movie | Dolphin Tale 2 | Dr. Cameron McCarthy | 2014-09-11 |
Movie | Lennon or McCartney | Self (archive footage) | 2014-12-12 |
Movie | Transcendence | Joseph Tagger | 2014-04-16 |
Movie | Lucy | Professor Samuel Norman | 2014-07-25 |
Movie | Wish Wizard | Maxwell Omni | 2014-04-29 |
Movie | Tales from the Warner Bros. Lot | Self | 2013-01-15 |
Movie | Olympus Has Fallen | Alan Trumbull | 2013-03-20 |
Movie | The Editor and The Dragon: Horace Carter Fights the Klan | Narrator (voice) | 2013-01-01 |
Movie | Oblivion | Beech | 2013-04-10 |
Movie | The Fire Rises: The Creation and Impact of The Dark Knight Trilogy | Self (archive footage) | 2013-09-24 |
Movie | Eastwood Directs: The Untold Story | Self | 2013-04-27 |
Movie | Last Vegas | Archibald 'Archie' Clayton | 2013-10-31 |
Movie | JFK: A President Betrayed | Narrator (voice) | 2013-11-23 |
Movie | Now You See Me | Thaddeus Bradley | 2013-05-29 |
Movie | Betty White's 90th Birthday: A Tribute to America's Golden Girl | Self | 2012-01-16 |
Movie | The Magic of Belle Isle | Monte Wildhorn | 2012-07-06 |
Movie | Ending the Knight | Self | 2012-12-04 |
Movie | B.B. King: The Life of Riley | Narrator (voice) | 2012-10-15 |
Movie | The Dark Knight Rises | Lucius Fox | 2012-07-16 |
Movie | Le frontiere dell'Astronomia - EP-7 Vite aliene nel cosmo | Narratore | 2012-03-21 |
Movie | Born to Be Wild | Narrator (voice) | 2011-04-08 |
Movie | Breaking the Taboo | Narrator (voice) | 2011-06-03 |
Movie | Clint Eastwood's West | Self | 2011-07-06 |
Movie | Conan the Barbarian | Narrator (voice) | 2011-08-17 |
Movie | Dolphin Tale | Dr. McCarthy | 2011-09-23 |
Movie | The President's Photographer: Fifty Years Inside the Oval Office | Narrator (voice) | 2010-11-24 |
Movie | For Love of Liberty: The Story of America's Black Patriots | Self (voice) | 2010-01-01 |
Movie | RED | Joe Matheson | 2010-10-13 |
Series | Through the Wormhole | Host | 2010-06-09 |
Movie | Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy | Self (archive footage) | 2010-05-04 |
Movie | The Eastwood Factor | Narrator (voice) | 2010-02-16 |
Movie | Thick as Thieves | Keith Ripley | 2009-01-09 |
Movie | Prom Night in Mississippi | Narrator (voice) | 2009-01-15 |
Series | Live from Studio Five | Unknown | 2009-09-14 |
Movie | Invictus | Nelson Mandela | 2009-12-10 |
Series | 30 for 30 | Unknown | 2009-10-06 |
Movie | The Maiden Heist | Charles | 2009-05-09 |
Movie | The People Speak | Self | 2009-12-13 |
Movie | A Raisin in the Sun | Narrator (voice) (uncredited) | 2008-02-25 |
Movie | The Dark Knight | Lucius Fox | 2008-07-14 |
Movie | The Love Guru | (Voice) | 2008-06-20 |
Movie | Wanted | Sloan | 2008-06-19 |
Movie | Evan Almighty | God | 2007-06-09 |
Movie | Gone Baby Gone | Jack Doyle | 2007-06-06 |
Movie | Feast of Love | Harry Stevenson | 2007-09-28 |
Movie | All About Us | Self | 2007-10-01 |
Movie | The Bucket List | Carter Chambers | 2007-12-15 |
Movie | AFI: 100 Years... 100 Movies... 10th Anniversary Edition | Self | 2007-06-20 |
Movie | Lucky Number Slevin | The Boss | 2006-02-24 |
Movie | The Electric Company's Greatest Hits & Bits | Self | 2006-11-25 |
Movie | The Contract | Frank Carden | 2006-04-05 |
Movie | 10 Items or Less | 'Him' | 2006-09-11 |
Movie | The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays | Jaques (segment "As You Like It") | 2006-05-02 |
Movie | Blues Divas | Self | 2005-01-22 |
Movie | Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon | Neil Armstrong (voice) | 2005-01-01 |
Movie | March of the Penguins | Narrator (English voice) | 2005-01-26 |
Movie | Unleashed | Sam | 2005-02-02 |
Movie | War of the Worlds | Narrator (Voice) | 2005-06-28 |
Movie | An Unfinished Life | Mitch Bradley | 2005-09-09 |
Movie | Batman Begins | Lucius Fox | 2005-06-10 |
Series | Slavery and the Making of America | Narrator (voice) | 2005-02-09 |
Movie | Edison | Ashford | 2005-07-29 |
Movie | The Hunting of the President | Narrator (voice) | 2004-04-27 |
Movie | Genius. A Night for Ray Charles | Self | 2004-10-07 |
Movie | The Big Bounce | Walter Crewes | 2004-01-30 |
Movie | Million Dollar Baby | Eddie 'Scrap-Iron' Dupris | 2004-12-15 |
Movie | Dreamcatcher | Col. Abraham Curtis | 2003-03-21 |
Movie | Levity | Miles Evans | 2003-03-16 |
Movie | Declaration of Independence | Self | 2003-06-10 |
Movie | Bruce Almighty | God | 2003-05-23 |
Movie | Guilty by Association | Lt. Redding | 2003-07-22 |
Series | The Ellen DeGeneres Show | Unknown | 2003-09-08 |
Movie | The Sum of All Fears | DCI William Cabot | 2002-05-31 |
Movie | Eastwood & Co.: Making 'Unforgiven' | Self | 2002-09-24 |
Series | The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius | Unknown | 2002-07-20 |
Movie | High Crimes | Charlie Grimes | 2002-04-05 |
Movie | Along Came a Spider | Alex Cross | 2001-04-06 |
Movie | Shawshank: The Redeeming Feature | Self | 2001-09-08 |
Movie | Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows | Narrator (voice) | 2000-09-27 |
Movie | Under Suspicion | Captain Victor Benezet | 2000-09-24 |
Movie | Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist | Self | 2000-01-01 |
Movie | Nurse Betty | Charlie | 2000-08-30 |
Movie | Stephen King: Shining in the Dark | Self | 1999-09-09 |
Movie | The Life Before This | Paper Boy | 1999-09-15 |
Series | Family Guy | Unknown | 1999-01-31 |
Movie | Water Damage | Tom Preedy | 1999-07-30 |
Movie | Deep Impact | President Tom Beck | 1998-05-08 |
Movie | Hard Rain | Jim | 1998-01-16 |
Movie | 54 | Angelic Boy | 1998-08-28 |
Series | King of the Hill | Unknown | 1997-01-12 |
Movie | Kiss the Girls | Alex Cross | 1997-09-29 |
Movie | Amistad | Theodore Joadson | 1997-12-10 |
Movie | Eastwood on Eastwood | Himself (archive footage) | 1997-11-01 |
Movie | The Long Way Home | Narrator (voice) | 1997-09-19 |
Series | The View | Unknown | 1997-08-11 |
Movie | Chain Reaction | Paul Shannon | 1996-08-02 |
Movie | Moll Flanders | Hibble | 1996-06-14 |
Movie | Inside the White House | Narrator (voice) | 1996-01-01 |
Movie | Cosmic Voyage | Narrator (voice) | 1996-08-09 |
Movie | Se7en | Detective Lt. William Somerset | 1995-09-22 |
Movie | Outbreak | Billy Ford | 1995-03-10 |
Movie | A Century of Cinema | Self | 1994-01-01 |
Movie | The Shawshank Redemption | Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding | 1994-09-23 |
Series | Inside the Actors Studio | Unknown | 1994-06-01 |
Series | Late Night with Conan O'Brien | Unknown | 1993-09-13 |
Movie | The Power of One | Geel Piet | 1992-03-27 |
Series | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | Unknown | 1992-05-25 |
Movie | Unforgiven | Ned Logan | 1992-08-07 |
Movie | Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves | Azeem | 1991-06-14 |
Series | Pebble Mill | Unknown | 1991-10-14 |
Movie | The True Story of Glory Continues | Narrator (voice) | 1991-06-19 |
Movie | Night Of 100 Stars III | Self | 1990-05-21 |
Movie | The Bonfire of the Vanities | Judge Leonard White | 1990-12-21 |
Series | The Civil War | Frederick Douglass | 1990-09-23 |
Movie | The Earth Day Special | Walter Samson | 1990-04-22 |
Movie | Glory | Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins | 1989-12-15 |
Movie | Driving Miss Daisy | Hoke Colburn | 1989-12-13 |
Movie | Johnny Handsome | Lt. A.Z. Drones | 1989-09-12 |
Movie | Lean On Me | Principal Joe Clark | 1989-03-03 |
Movie | Clinton and Nadine | Dorsey Pratt | 1988-05-04 |
Movie | Clean and Sober | Craig | 1988-08-10 |
Series | LIVE with Kelly and Ryan | Unknown | 1988-09-05 |
Movie | Street Smart | Fast Black | 1987-03-20 |
Movie | Fight for Life | Dr. Sherard | 1987-03-23 |
Movie | Resting Place | Luther Johnson | 1986-04-27 |
Series | The Atlanta Child Murders | Ben Shelter | 1985-02-10 |
Series | The Twilight Zone | Unknown | 1985-09-27 |
Movie | The Execution of Raymond Graham | Warden Pratt | 1985-11-17 |
Movie | That Was Then... This Is Now | Charlie Woods | 1985-11-08 |
Movie | Marie | Charles Traughber | 1985-09-27 |
Movie | Harry & Son | Siemanowski | 1984-03-02 |
Movie | Teachers | Lewis | 1984-10-05 |
Movie | The Marva Collins Story | Clarence Collins | 1981-12-01 |
Movie | Death of a Prophet | Malcolm X | 1981-01-01 |
Movie | Eyewitness | Lieutenant Black | 1981-02-13 |
Movie | Brubaker | Walter | 1980-06-20 |
Movie | Attica | Hap Richards | 1980-03-02 |
Series | Texas | Detective Michaels | 1980-08-04 |
Movie | Coriolanus | Coriolanus | 1979-03-31 |
Movie | Hollow Image | Sweet Talk | 1979-06-24 |
Movie | Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry | Uncle Hammer | 1978-11-12 |
Series | The Kennedy Center Honors | Unknown | 1978-12-28 |
Series | Ryan's Hope | Cicero Murphy | 1975-07-07 |
Movie | Out to Lunch | Self / Croupier | 1974-12-10 |
Movie | Blade | Chris | 1973-12-01 |
Series | The Electric Company | Easy Reader | 1971-10-25 |
Movie | Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow! | Afro | 1971-11-18 |
Movie | Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? | Grand Central Commuter | 1968-01-01 |
Movie | A Man Called Adam | Party Guest (Uncredited) | 1966-03-16 |
Movie | The Pawnbroker | Man on Street (Uncredited) | 1965-04-20 |
Series | Another World | 1964-05-04 | |
Series | The Oscars | Morgan Freeman | 1953-03-18 |
Series | Today | Unknown | 1952-01-14 |
Series | Hallmark Hall of Fame | Unknown | 1951-12-24 |