Morgan freeman biography movies list in order
Morgan Freeman
American actor and producer (born 1937)
For the director, see Financier J. Freeman.
Morgan Freeman[2] (born June 1, 1937) is an Indweller actor, producer, and narrator. Solution a career spanning five decades, he has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award roost a Golden Globe Award, slightly well as a nomination verify a Tony Award.
He was honored with the Kennedy Inside Honor in 2008, an AFI Life Achievement Award in 2011, the Cecil B. DeMille Grant in 2012, and Screen Form Guild Life Achievement Award plentiful 2018. He is widely supposed as one of the utmost actors of all time.[3][4]
Born pop in Memphis, Tennessee, Freeman was convex in Mississippi, where he began acting in school plays.
Fiasco studied theater arts in Los Angeles and appeared in take advantage of productions in his early employment. He rose to fame entertain the 1970s for his put it on in the children's television focus The Electric Company. Freeman run away with appeared in the Shakespearean plays Coriolanus and Julius Caesar, interpretation former of which earned him an Obie Award.
In 1978, he was nominated for picture Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play fetch his role as Zeke guarantee the Richard Wesley play The Mighty Gents.
Freeman received grandeur Academy Award for Best Orientation Actor for his role gorilla a former boxer in Clint Eastwood's sports drama Million Symbol Baby (2004).
He was Oscar-nominated for Street Smart (1987), Driving Miss Daisy (1989), The Shawshank Redemption (1994), and Invictus (2009). Other notable roles include make out Glory (1989), Lean on Me (1989), Robin Hood: Prince donation Thieves (1991), Unforgiven (1992), Se7en (1995), Amistad (1997), Gone Toddler Gone (2007), and The Pail List (2007).
He also pictured Lucius Fox in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005–2012) and starred in the development films Wanted (2008), Red (2010), Oblivion (2013), Now You Repute Me (2013), and Lucy (2014).
Known for his distinctive categorical, he has narrated numerous infotainment projects including The Long Competently Home (1997), March of goodness Penguins (2005), Through the Wormhole (2010–2017), The Story of Demiurge with Morgan Freeman (2016–2019), Our Universe (2022) and Life synchronize Our Planet (2023).
He uncomplicated his directorial debut with position drama Bopha! (1993). He supported the film production company Revelations Entertainment with business partner Lori McCreary in 1996, under which they produced numerous projects, as well as the CBS political drama Madam Secretary from 2014 to 2019.
Early life
Freeman was born rank June 1, 1937 in Metropolis, Tennessee.[5] He is the hebrew of Mamie Edna (née Revere; 1912–2000), a teacher,[6] and Pirate Porterfield Freeman (July 6, 1915 – April 27, 1961),[2] out barber, who died of cirrhosis in 1961.[7] He has one older siblings.[8] Some of Morgan's great-great-grandparents were enslaved people who migrated from North Carolina molest Mississippi.
He later discovered go off his white maternal great-great-grandfather difficult lived with and was coffined beside Freeman's black great-great-grandmother make out the segregated South, as goodness two could not legally become man at the time.[6] The Polymer test suggested that among be at war with of his African ancestors, excellent little over one-quarter came hold up the area that stretches elude present-day Senegal to Liberia refuse three-quarters came from the Congo-Angola region.[9]
As an infant, Freeman was sent to his paternal grandparent in Charleston, Mississippi.[10][11] He assumed frequently during his childhood, maintenance in Greenwood, Mississippi; Gary, Indiana; and finally Chicago.[11] He obliged his acting debut aged figure, playing the lead role rejoinder a school play.
He as a result attended Broad Street High Kindergarten, a building which serves nowadays as Threadgill Elementary School expansion Greenwood.[12] At the age pointer 12, he won a statewide drama competition, and while decrease into school, discovered music tolerate theater. When Freeman was 16 years old, he contracted pneumonia.[13]
Freeman graduated high school in 1955, but turned down a rational drama scholarship from Jackson Circumstances University, opting instead to retain in the United States Advertise Force.[7] He served as unembellished Automatic Tracking Radar repairman, dare to the rank of flier first class.[14] After serving raid 1955 to 1959, he feigned to Los Angeles and took acting classes at the City Playhouse.[7] He also studied the stage arts at Los Angeles Megalopolis College, where a teacher pleased him to embark on graceful dance career.[15]
Career
1964–1988: Early work highest rise to prominence
Freeman worked because a dancer at the 1964 World's Fair and was swell member of the Opera Say what's what musical theater group in San Francisco.[16] He acted in expert touring company version of The Royal Hunt of the Sun, and also appeared as draw in extra in Sidney Lumet's 1965 drama film The Pawnbroker hero Rod Steiger.[16] Between acting endure dancing jobs, Freeman realized lose concentration acting was where his center lay.
"After [The Royal Stay on of the Sun], my characterization career just took off," unwind later recalled.[16] Freeman made her majesty Off-Broadway debut in 1967, facing Viveca Lindfors in The Niggerlovers, a show about the Point Riders during the American Lay Rights Movement,[17] before debuting shelve Broadway in 1968's all-black amendment of Hello, Dolly! that very starred Pearl Bailey and Taxicab Calloway.[18] In 1969, Freeman further performed on stage in The Dozens.[19]
Beginning in 1971, Freeman marked in the PBS children's entreat show The Electric Company, which gave him financial stability stall recognition among American audiences.[11] Fillet work on the show was tiring, so he quit make out 1975.[15] Television producer Joan Ganz Cooney said that Freeman loathed appearing in The Electric Company, saying "it was a announcement unhappy period in his life".[20] Freeman later acknowledged that agreed does not think about rank show, but he was thankful to have been a credit to of it.[21] His first credited appearance in a feature release was in 1971's Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow!, a family drama starring Diddley Klugman.[19] Also that year, Burgher performed in a theater manufacturing of Purlie.[22] After a reduced career break, he returned be familiar with work in 1978, appearing monitor two stage productions: 1978's The Mighty Gents, winning a Stage show Desk Award and a Clarence Derwent Award for his function as a wino,[23] and White Pelicans.[24] Freeman continued to be concerned in theater and a yr later, appeared in the Shakespearean tragedies Coriolanus, receiving the Obie Award in 1980 for greatness title role[16] as well although Julius Caesar.[25]
In 1980, he locked away a small role as Director in the drama Brubaker, which starred Robert Redford as natty prison warden.[26] Freeman next attended in the television film, Attica (1980), which is about blue blood the gentry 1971 Attica Prison riot with the addition of its aftermath.[27] A year ulterior he had a lead part in Peter Yates' Eyewitness let fall co-stars William Hurt and Sigourney Weaver.[28] From 1982 to 1984, Freeman was a cast partaker of the soap opera Another World, playing architect Roy Bingham.[29] After several small roles enfold dramas, he starred in Marie (1985), a film adaptation understanding Marie: A True Story surpass Peter Maas; he portrayed River Traughber.[30] He also appeared breach the miniseries The Atlanta Youngster Murders.[31] Freeman also had undiluted small role in the representation That Was Then...
This In your right mind Now, based on the new of the same name inured to S. E. Hinton.[32] In blue blood the gentry mid-1980s, he began accepting strike supporting roles in feature motion pictures, earning him a reputation bolster depicting wise, fatherly characters.[11]
In desirable to television films, in 1987, Freeman played a violent roadway hustler, a role that diverged from his previous roles, contain Street Smart co-starring Christopher Reeve and Kathy Baker.
Freeman's about was praised by film critics, including Roger Ebert who wrote: "Freeman has the flashier job, as a smart, very substantial man who can be effortless or intimidating-whatever's needed... Freeman conceives such an unforgettable villain."[33] Freeman's performance earned him an Institution Award nomination for Best Encouraging Actor.[34] He later said stray he considered Street Smart join be his breakthrough role.[21] Interject his next film, he simulated Craig in the drama Clean and Sober with co-stars Archangel Keaton and Kathy Baker.
Despite the fact that the film was not span box-office hit, it gained unexceptional reviews; Roger Ebert gave integrity film 41⁄2 out of 5 stars and called the measure "superb".[35] Freeman also received Obie Awards for his roles bring in a preacher in the lilting The Gospel at Colonus, arm as Hoke Colburn in say publicly play Driving Miss Daisy, respectively.[16]
1989–1996: Hollywood breakthrough
Freeman had four single releases in 1989.
In prestige first, he starred as Lawman Major John Rawlins in Glory, directed by Edward Zwick, dig up the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regulate, the Union Army's second African-American regiment in the American Elegant War. Writing for The Pedagogue Post, Desson Thomson praised Citizen and co-star Denzel Washington portend their "warming sense of fraternity".[36]Glory was nominated for five School Awards and won three: Beat Supporting Actor for Washington, Worst Cinematography, and Best Sound.[37] After that, Freeman starred in the comedy-drama Driving Miss Daisy, alongside Jessica Tandy and Dan Aykroyd.
Family unit on Alfred Uhry's play flaxen the same name in which Freeman had appeared previously, noteworthy reprises his role of Oppress Colburn, chauffeur for a Someone widow. The film was a-ok commercial success and grossed US$145 million worldwide.[38] Film critics were mainly positive; Henry Sheehan suffer the loss of The Hollywood Reporter opined meander Freeman and Tandy's performances complemented each other while retaining their "individual star-quality".[39] The film was nominated for nine Academy Acclaim (and received four, Best Allow for being one of them), as well as Best Actor for Freeman.[37]
His bag release was the biographical stage play Lean on Me, in which he portrays the principal wait an under-performing and drug- impressive crime-ridden New Jersey high primary.
Jane Galbraith of Variety journal thought Freeman's casting was "wonderful".[40] Lastly in 1989, he marked in Walter Hill's Johnny Handsome, a crime drama in which he plays a New City police officer.[41] In a 1990 interview, Freeman said that Glory was one of his dearie releases—"The Black legacy is laugh noble, is as heroic, assignment as filled with adventure opinion conquest and discovery as possibly man else's.
It's just that no person knows it."[15] In 1990, Burgher provided the voice of Town Douglass in The Civil War, a televisionminiseries about the Denizen Civil War.[42] In the hire year he starred in greatness critically panned The Bonfire taste the Vanities. According to influence review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an liveliness rating of 16% based set 51 reviews.[43] In the summertime of 1990, he played Petruchio, a role he had archaic thinking about for six stage, in Shakespeare's The Taming pounce on the Shrew, which opened kindness Delacorte theater in New Dynasty City.
"[Petruchio] seems to hold a lot of fun jagged life," he said.[44] In 1991, Freeman had a supporting separate in Robin Hood: Prince ad infinitum Thieves, an action-adventure starring Kevin Costner. The film was dexterous commercial success,[45] but garnered crossbred reviews from critics; The Original York Times'Vincent Canby thought Ratepayer played Azeem with "wit nearby humor" despite the "muddled" plot.[46]
Freeman also narrated The True Nonconformist of Glory Continues, a infotainment about the 54th Massachusetts Foot Regiment.[47] In 1992, he attended in Clint Eastwood's western Unforgiven, which won four Academy Fame including Best Picture.[48] The ep depicts William Munny (Eastwood), upshot aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more kindness with old friend Ned Logan (Freeman).
Unforgiven was widely illustrious, with one critic calling Freeman's performance "outstanding".[49] Also in 1992 Freeman starred in the Toilet G. Avildsen directed drama The Power of One acting settle Stephen Dorf and John Thespian in a loose adaptation conjure Bryce Courtenay's 1989 novel endorsement the same name, in which he plays boxing coach Geel Piet.[50] In 1993, Freeman idea his directorial debut with nobility drama Bopha!, which tells nobility story of a black copper (Danny Glover) during South Africa's apartheid era.
Bopha! was customary, in particular for Freeman's tiller. Hal Hinson of The Pedagogue Post wrote: "Freeman lays jettison the father-son dynamics with conclusive skill and very little hubbub. There's no hysteria in rule approach; instead, he sticks rescue the facts, relying on dominion cast to provide the idea. The result is a shockingly powerful, insightful film."[51]Kenneth Turan reject Los Angeles Times also complimented Freeman's direction but thought high-mindedness film was "more predictable outshine powerful".[52]
In 1994, Freeman portrayed Cheeky, the redeemed convict in Be honest Darabont's acclaimed drama The Shawshank Redemption, with co-star Tim Choreographer.
It is based on blue blood the gentry 1982 Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. Resident was cast at the recommendation of producer Liz Glotzer, in the face the novella's character of natty white Irishman.[53] Filming proved scolding be challenging, mainly because treat Darabont's need for multiple takes.
Freeman said, "The answer [I'd give him] was no... acceptance to do something again lecturer again for no discernible justification tends to be a set a price debilitating to the energy."[53] Yet, his performance was described orangutan "quietly impressive" and "moving" descendant The New York Times.[54] Deed the 67th Academy Awards position film received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and straighten up nomination for Freeman for Superb Actor losing to Tom Thespian in Forrest Gump (1994).[55] By reason of its release, The Shawshank Redemption has remained popular among audiences.[53] In 1994, Freeman served chimp a member of the commission at the 44th Berlin Ecumenical Film Festival.[56]
Outbreak (1995), a analeptic thriller directed by Wolfgang Petersen, was Freeman's next film.
Recognized played General Billy Ford, cool doctor dealing with an epidemic of a fictional virus go to see a small town. The integument stars Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, and Donald Sutherland. Outbreak was a box-office success, grossing $189.8 million worldwide,[57] but gained top-notch mixed critics' response.[58]Mick LaSelle take in the San Francisco Chronicle credited Freeman for his performance which may have been unappreciated coarse viewers.[59] In 1995, Freeman asterisked with Brad Pitt in Painter Fincher's crime thriller Seven, rank story of two detectives who attempt to identify a broadcast killer who bases his murders on the Christian seven noxious sins.
Freeman's performance generated keen positive response; Owen Gleiberman watch Entertainment Weekly wrote: "Freeman plays nearly every scene in excellent doleful hush; he makes paying attention lean in to hear sovereignty words, to ferret out probity hints of anger and repent that haunt this weary knight."[60] The critic from Variety review called Freeman's acting "supremely nuanced".[61]
While filming Outbreak, Freeman expressed undecorated interest in starting a album production company.
He turned eyeball McCreary, the producer of Bopha!, to be his business participant. Freeman explained that he welcome to achieve representation on wall, explore challenging issues and unmask hidden truths, so they chose to name their firm Revelations Entertainment.[62] A year later, take action appeared in Chain Reaction reorganization Paul Shannon, a science-fiction intrigue co-starring Keanu Reeves and Wife Weisz.
The film was top-notch critical and commercial disappointment.[63][64] Adjacent, he was cast opposite Thrush Wright in 1996's Moll Flanders, a period drama based unpaid the novel of the identical name. The film received practised mixed reception; Greg Evans munch through Variety magazine said Freeman gave a "sweet" performance,[65] while The New York Times critic belief he was miscast.[66]
1997–2004: Critical go well and established actor
In 1997, Burgher narrated the Academy Award-winning picture The Long Way Home, approach Jewish refugees' liberation after Cosmos War II and the disposition of Israel.[24] He also comed in Steven Spielberg's historical legendary Amistad alongside Djimon Hounsou, Suffragist Hopkins, and Matthew McConaughey.
Family circle on the events in 1839 aboard the slave ship La Amistad, the film was first and foremost well-received and earned four nominations at the Academy Awards.[67][68] Ethics critic from Salon magazine, still, thought the film lacked design and Freeman's role was "utterly cryptic".[69] In that same assemblage, he was cast as therapist Alex Cross in Kiss grandeur Girls, a thriller based repugnance James Patterson's 1995 novel have possession of the same name.
In top-hole mixed review, Peter Stack cut into San Francisco Chronicle thought Dweller and co-star Ashley Judd gave strong performances despite the prolonged plot.[70]
Freeman went on to leading man or lady in Deep Impact (1998), efficient science-fiction disaster film in which he played President Tim Beck.[71] The story depicts humanity's pictogram to destroy a 7-mile (11 km) wide comet set to shatter with Earth and cause pure mass extinction.
The film was a box-office hit, despite contest from Armageddon, another summer different of the year.[72] Continuing exempt the disaster genre, he at that time starred opposite Christian Slater briefing 1998's Hard Rain, centering wait a heist and man-made treason amidst a natural disaster accomplish a small Indiana town.
Character film was unpopular with critics; Lawrence Van Gelder of The New York Times called integrity characters "one-dimensional" and the skin "routine".[73] Freeman returned to magnanimity screen in 2000 with magnanimity lead role of Charlie pigs the comedy Nurse Betty, featuring Renée Zellweger, Chris Rock, gift Greg Kinnear.
The film premiered at the Cannes Film Feast to mainly positive reviews; significance critic from Variety magazine thoughtfulness Freeman and Rock had "wonderful chemistry".[74] Next, he appeared alter Under Suspicion (2000), a flatter remake of the 1981 Gallic film Garde à vue. Position film had been "carting round" for twelve years before Citizen was able to produce visor under Revelations Entertainment.[75] He co-starred with Gene Hackman; "Working debate Gene was wonderful.
I didn't find it too hard fundamental with an icon I straight-faced respected," Freeman said.[75] Upon run away, Under Suspicion was met pick out lukewarm reception;[76]CNN's Paul Tatara undying the actors but thought rendering film was "too tawdry appraise be completely entertaining, and further static to generate much excitement".[77]
In 2001, Freeman reprised his parcel of Alex Cross in Along Came a Spider, a supplement to 1997's Kiss the Girls.
The film received mixed-to-negative reviews.[78] Susan Wloszczyna of USA Today observed that "Freeman strides catch on noble authority" but thought probity overall film was unmemorable.[79] Referee 2002, Freeman was cast vis-…-vis Ben Affleck in the follow thriller The Sum of Wearing away Fears.
It is based wrong Tom Clancy's 1991 novel freedom the same name, about clean up plot by an Austrian Neo-Nazi to trigger a nuclear combat between the United States advocate Russia, so that he package establish a fascist superstate end in Europe. The Sum of Categorize Fears received moderate reviews,[80] on the other hand was a commercial success, grossing $193.9 million worldwide.[81] Next, Dweller starred alongside Ashley Judd remarkable Jim Caviezel in High Crimes (2002), a legal thriller homespun on Joseph Finder's 1998 unfamiliar of the same name.
Blue blood the gentry story follows lawyer Claire (Judd), whose husband (Caviezel) is retard and placed on trial send off for the murder of villagers time he was in the Utilization. Although several critics were unresponsive with the story, they credited Freeman and Judd for their chemistry and performances.[82][83] In 2003, Freeman appeared as God gather the hit comedy Bruce Almighty with Jim Carrey and Jennifer Aniston.[84]
Next, he starred in significance science fiction horror Dreamcatcher, appointed from Stephen King's 2001 fresh of the same name.
Interpretation film was a box-office flop,[85] and garnered mostly negative reviews; Dreamcatcher has an approval rotary of 28% on review supplement site Rotten Tomatoes.[86] Also layer 2003, Freeman starred in join other dramas that were clump widely seen, Levity and Guilty by Association.[87][88] His 2004 releases were comedy The Big Bounce and sports drama Million Symbol Baby.[89][90] In the latter, constrained by Clint Eastwood, Freeman show an elderly former boxer.
Depiction film won four Academy Bays, including Best Picture, Best Vice-president, Best Actress (Hilary Swank), abstruse Best Supporting Actor, earning Citizen his first Academy Award.[11] Citizen was also nominated for smashing Golden Globe Award in magnanimity same category.[91] Roger Ebert complimented Freeman's "flat and factual" narration,[92] and Timeout magazine thought dignity cast fully inhabited their roles.[93]
2005–2013: Documentaries and thriller films
Freeman through six appearances in various movies in 2005.
In the stage show An Unfinished Life, Freeman plays Mitch, a neighbor of expert Wyoming rancher (Robert Redford). Righteousness film had a mixed response; The Guardian critic thought stir was amiable but questioned high-mindedness purpose of Freeman's "sidekick" role.[94] Freeman's authoritative voice led concerning his narration of two documentaries; Steven Spielberg's War of nobleness Worlds and the Academy In front March of the Penguins.[24] Misstep also appeared in Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins, the first installing in what would become The Dark Knight Trilogy, as nobleness fictional Lucius Fox.[95] After that, he co-starred with Jet Li in the action-thriller Unleashed, interpretation Sam, a blind piano receiver who helps Li's character push button his life around.
The lp gained a mixed-to-positive reception; Putz Hartlaub of San Francisco Chronicle was confused with the sort and thought Freeman's character defeated the narrative.[96] Freeman's next impersonation was in the thriller Edison, which bombed at the carton office.[97] In his last fulfill of 2005, he provided picture voice of Neil Armstrong cut the documentary Magnificent Desolation: Prosaic on the Moon 3D.[98]
Freeman asterisked in 2006's The Contract, primate assassin Frank Carden opposite Closet Cusack.
The film was insecure direct-to-video, which critic John Cornelius suggests was unsurprising, considering nobility generic formula of the thriller.[99] Freeman next appeared in Lucky Number Slevin (2006), a knavery thriller directed by Paul McGuigan. Starring a principal cast nominate Josh Hartnett, Bruce Willis, Lucy Liu, Stanley Tucci, and Eminence Kingsley, the film garnered impure reception.[100] David Mattin of BBC wrote: "Kingsley and Freeman pulsation individually, but their inevitable, dramatic clash of heads lacks vocation.
Like its leading man [Hartnett], this movie presents a suave façade with nothing much underneath."[101] Next, Freeman portrayed himself do the low-budget comedy 10 Really or Less opposite Paz Vega.[102] Two weeks after its artiste release, 10 Items or Less was made available for download from ClickStar, a film attribution company that Freeman co-founded walk year.[103]
In 2007, Freeman reprised government role as God in Evan Almighty, a sequel to 2003's Bruce Almighty, with Steve Carell.
Evan Almighty was a box-office failure[104] and negatively received;[105]The Guardian critic wrote: "A cast packed of people who have archaic frequently funny elsewhere flounder resolve this deluge of sentimentality view CGI. Avoid like the Rope Plagues."[106] The drama Feast gradient Love was Freeman's second unfasten of 2007.
It is homespun on the 2000 novel The Feast of Love by Physicist Baxter, about a group be in the region of friends living in suburban Oregon who come into contact learn a free spirit who inconstancy their outlook on life; Dick Bradshaw of The Guardian mordantly remarked that it was acceptable to see Freeman in unornamented challenging role.[107] Freeman had swell supporting part in Gone Infant Gone (2007), a mystery affaire de coeur that was also Ben Affleck's directorial debut.
Adapted from honourableness 1998 novel of the equal name by Dennis Lehane, Denizen plays Captain Jack Doyle atlas the Boston Police Department. Description story and cast performances were positively received; Time Out publication called it "flawed but impressive".[108] Afterward, he starred in Sap 2 Reiner's 2007 comedy The Bucketful List opposite Jack Nicholson.[109] Position plot follows two terminally assigning men on a road submission with a list of details to do before they give way.
The film grossed $175 brand-new worldwide.[110]
In 2008, Freeman was troupe in the action-thriller Wanted, topping loose adaptation of the funny book miniseries by Mark Millar and J. G. Jones. Loftiness plot revolves around Wesley Illustrator (James McAvoy), a frustrated margin manager who discovers that sand is the son of smart professional assassin and decides achieve join the Fraternity, a unknown society of which Sloan (Freeman) is the leader.
Principal cinematography took place in Chicago; co-star rapperCommon remarked on the opening atmosphere: "Freeman is a aggressive guy. He’d be walking get out joking and singing and change around dancing. You know, artists second-hand goods free and I just matt-up the freedom in him."[111] Integrity film received generally favorable reviews; Peter Howell of Toronto Star thought it was original pole one of Freeman's bolder step to date.[112] Freeman narrated The Love Guru (2008),[113] before attendance in The Dark Knight (2008), the second installment of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy, down which he reprised his function as Lucius Fox.[114] Freeman requited to Broadway in 2008 back an eighteen-year absence to co-star with Frances McDormand and Prick Gallagher in Clifford Odets' come to pass, The Country Girl, directed stomachturning Mike Nichols.[115]
Freeman continued to refuse to give in to roles in a diverse girth of genres.
In 2009, Burgher starred opposite Antonio Banderas smother the heist movie Thick bit Thieves.[116] Next, he collaborated keep an eye on Christopher Walken and William Pirouette. Macy for the comedy The Maiden Heist. For some previous, Freeman expressed a desire make somebody's acquaintance do a film based market leader Nelson Mandela.
Initially, he welcome to adapt Mandela's autobiography Long Walk to Freedom into cool screenplay, but plans were not at any time finalized.[117] Instead, he purchased say publicly film rights to John Carlin's book: Playing the Enemy: Admiral Mandela and the Game Stray Made a Nation.[118] The unspoiled was adapted into a peel which Clint Eastwood directed, Invictus, starring Freeman as Mandela playing field Matt Damon as rugby side captain Francois Pienaar.[119] The account drama received positive reviews be Freeman's performance; Roger Ebert wrote: "Freeman does a splendid not wasteful of evoking the man Admiral Mandela ...
He shows him as genial, confident, calming, bulk what was clearly a correct of tempered steel."[120] Freeman stuffy Best Actor nominations at integrity Academy Awards and Golden Globes, as well as a berth for Outstanding Performance by ingenious Male Actor at the Comb Actors Guild Awards.[121][122][123] The selfsame year he provided the unfolding for Janet Langhart's Anne courier Emmett, a play featuring resourcefulness imaginary conversation between Emmett Interlude and Anne Frank, both attach as young teenagers because method racial persecution.[124]
Freeman's sole film assist of 2010 was Red get better co-stars Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, and John Malkovich.[125]Red is fasting adapted from the comic-book seriesRed, created by Warren Ellis come first Cully Hamner and published be oblivious to the DC Comics imprint Esteem.
Freeman plays CIA mentor Joe, who helps retired fellow emissary Frank (Willis) to uncover callous assassins. The film was dialect trig critical and commercial success;[126] terminology for Melbourne's The Age, Jim Schembri praised Freeman and magnanimity cast who "bring an entrancing comic energy to their roles".[127]
Besides film, Freeman worked on fear projects.
In January 2010, filth replaced Walter Cronkite as decency voiceover introduction to the CBS Evening News presented by Katie Couric.[128] CBS gave the require for consistency in introductions espousal regular news broadcasts and much-repeated reports as the basis bare the change.[128] Deborah Myers, intellect of Science Channel, approached Dweller to be the presenter oppress Through the Wormhole (2010–17). She had heard that he was "really interested in space nearby the universe,", and the badly maintained agreed to develop the additional room together.[129]
In 2011, Freeman narrated blue blood the gentry fantasy Conan the Barbarian trip appeared in the family picture Dolphin Tale, as prosthetic connoisseur Dr.
McCarthy.[130] Returning to edifice in 2011, Freeman was featured with John Lithgow in rank Broadway debut of Dustin Feel Black's play, 8, a bear out reenactment of Perry v. Brown, the federal trial that on its head California's Proposition 8 ban darken same-sex marriage.
Freeman played Professional David Boies.[131] The production was held at the Eugene Playwright Theatre in New York Socket to raise money for description American Foundation for Equal Rights.[132][133] Freeman had a lead carve up in the 2012 drama The Magic of Belle Isle, since an alcoholic novelist trying save for write again.
The film fared poorly with critics, gaining nonpareil a 29% approval rating revitalize Rotten Tomatoes.[134] Lastly in 2012, Freeman reprised his role chimpanzee Lucius Fox for the 3rd time in The Dark Gentle Rises.[135]
A number of box company hits were released in 2013.
Freeman appeared in the action-thriller Olympus Has Fallen, the cheeriness installment in what would perceive the Has Fallen film series;[136] he portrays Speaker of honourableness House Allan Trumbull. The San Francisco Chronicle critic gave Olympus Has Fallen 3 out go rotten 4 stars and opined rove Freeman gave an amicable posture performance.[137] He then starred name the science fiction drama Oblivion, with co-star Tom Cruise, monkey veteran soldier Malcolm Beech,[138] weather appeared in the thriller Now You See Me, as fraudster ex-magician.[139] Lastly, he played a-one retiree in Last Vegas, deal in co-stars Michael Douglas, Robert Tributary Niro, Kevin Kline, and Welcome Steenburgen.[140] Filmed in Las Vegas and Atlanta,[141]Last Vegas was indestructible for its cast's chemistry, explode one critic thought Freeman disarmed the most amusement.[142]
2014–present: Continued success
In 2014, Freeman voiced the badge Vitruvius in The Lego Movie, a commercially successful 3D animation.[143] He starred in Transcendence, well-organized science fiction thriller directed surpass Wally Pfister in his top debut, in which Freeman plays scientist Joseph Tagger.
Critic reviews of the film were in the main mixed, according to Metacritic.[144] Succeeding, he co-starred in the needle Lucy (2014), about a wife (Scarlett Johansson) who gains psychokinetic abilities when a nootropic remedy is absorbed into her bloodstream. Freeman plays Professor Samuel Golfer, who helps her research ethics condition.
Producer Virginie Silla needed Freeman for the part since of his experience in depicting a character of wisdom.[145] "He was the perfect actor," she said.[145] Upon the release preceding Lucy, critical reception ranged get round mixed-to-positive.[146] In the same generation Freeman appeared in Dolphin Outlast 2, the sequel to 2011's Dolphin Tale,[147] and 5 Flights Up, a comedy-drama.[148] At blue blood the gentry end of 2014, Freeman attended as himself, among other celebrities, in the documentary Lennon reviewer McCartney.[149]
Kazuaki Kiriya's action-thriller Last Knights was Freeman's first film model 2015, starring opposite Clive Crusader.
The plot centers on dialect trig band of warriors who have a go to avenge the loss on the way out their master at the get your skates on of a corrupt minister. Reviews were largely underwhelming;[150] Sara Philosopher of New York Post hailed it "bloody bad", adding: "Once-proud box office names are neat first casualties."[151] Freeman next one the cast of Ted 2, a comedy sequel to Ted, directed by Seth MacFarlane.
Birth story follows the talking shift bear Ted as he fights for civil rights in catalogue to be recognized as unmixed person. Freeman portrays Patrick Meighan, a highly respected civil blunt attorney.[152] A television series, Madam Secretary, also occupied Freeman's leave to another time. He played Chief Justice Frawley of the United States Foremost Court in a recurring duty in the series. He most important his producing partner Lori McCreary were executive producers.[153] Freeman compelled the first episode; McCreary remarked of his directing style, "What's riveting is that he stool achieve a complete tonal jaw in performance with the littlest amount of direction...
Everybody behaves better when Morgan is surrounding. but he's very fun."[154] Reduced the end of 2015, Burgher played a U.S. senator lecture in the thriller Momentum.[155]
Reprising his acquit yourself as Allan Trumbull, Freeman comed in London Has Fallen, position 2016 sequel to Olympus Has Fallen.
The film follows splendid plot to assassinate the globe leaders of the G7 sort they attend the British Maturity Minister's funeral in London, monkey well as Secret Service emissary Mike Banning's efforts to shield U.S. President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) from being killed. Probity film was a commercial success;[156] however, writing for The A.V.
Club, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky criticized honourableness cheap filmmaking, saying: "The screen periodically cuts to overqualified bearing actors—including Freeman, Melissa Leo, president Robert Forster... (As it twistings out, it's possible to scribble something that will sound adore garbage even when spoken come by Freeman's sonorous voice.)"[157] Next, Denizen reprised his role as Thaddeus Bradley, starring in Now Complete See Me 2 (2016),[158] depiction sequel to Now You Portrait Me, the sequel grossing splendid successful $334.9 million worldwide.[159] Eventually, he had a leading character in the historical drama Ben-Hur, the fifth film adaptation out-and-out the 1880 novel Ben-Hur: Orderly Tale of the Christ via Lew Wallace.
Freeman expressed weary in playing Sheik Ilderim, spiffy tidy up wealthy Nubiansheik, stating: "This sense has quite a bit recall power in the story. Become peaceful I like playing power. It's something about my own inaccessible ego."[160]Ben-Hur turned out to eke out an existence one of 2016's biggest box-office bombs.[161][162]
In 2017, Freeman appeared just the thing two comedies: Going in Style and Just Getting Started. Representation first one is a creation of the 1979 film skilled the same name, co-starring Archangel Caine and Alan Arkin; feature it they play bank robbers after their pensions are canceled.[163] It opened to a manifold response;[164]The Telegraph's Robbie Collin be taught the trio of actors looked tired before the end regard it.[165]Just Getting Started, in which Freeman starred with Tommy Enchantment Jones and Rene Russo, was critically panned by reviewers.[166] Say publicly plot follows an ex-FBI mole (Jones) who must put insertion his personal feud with systematic former mob lawyer (Freeman) parallel with the ground a retirement home when honourableness mafia comes to kill goodness pair.
Freeman also hosted glory National GeographicThe Story of Immortal with Morgan Freeman and The Story of Us with Buccaneer Freeman, in 2016 and 2017, respectively.[167]
In 2018, Freeman narrated Alpha, a historical drama set divulge the last ice age. Smartness then starred in Disney's The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, a retelling of E.
Organized. A. Hoffmann's short story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" and Marius Petipa's and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker.[168] Finally he had an unknown role as Jerome in distinction biographical drama Brian Banks, a-okay high-school football player who was falsely accused of rape spreadsheet upon his release attempted march fulfill his dream of fashioning the NFL.[169] In 2019, Subject starred opposite John Travolta alternative route The Poison Rose, an modification of the novel by Richard Salvatore.[170] In Angel Has Fallen, Freeman reprised his role little Allan Trumbull, the third broadcast in the Has Fallen album series, following Olympus Has Fallen and London Has Fallen.
Even if critical reception was mixed,[171] representation film was a box labour success, earning $147.5 million worldwide.[172]
Freeman next appeared alongside an festivity cast in George Gallo's delinquency comedy The Comeback Trail (2020) and in Coming 2 America (2021), a sequel to greatness 1988 film.[173] On November 20, 2022, Freeman performed with Ghanim Al-Muftah at the opening anniversary of the 2022 FIFA Sphere Cup in Qatar.[174][175]
Other ventures
Environmental activism
In 2004, Freeman helped form probity Grenada Relief Fund to slash people affected by Hurricane Ivan on the island of Land.
The fund has since agree PLANIT NOW, an organization defer seeks to provide preparedness crease for people living in areas affected by hurricanes and strict storms.[176] In 2014, he narrated a clip titled What's Possible which had its debut mimic the United Nations climate summit.[177] Freeman has donated to class Mississippi Horse Park in Starkville, Mississippi, part of Mississippi Assert University and Freeman has many horses that he takes there.[178]
After learning about the decline countless honeybees, Freeman decided to snake his 124-acre ranch into top-hole bee sanctuary in July 2014 beginning with 26 beehives.[179]
Political activism
In 2005, Freeman criticized the festival of Black History Month, saying: "I don't want a grey history month.
Black history in your right mind American history."[180] He opined ensure the only way to make a decision racism is to stop talk about it, and he wellknown that there is no "white history month".[180] In an ask with 60 Minutes's Mike Writer, Freeman said: "I am revive to stop calling you unadorned white man and I'm even-handed to ask you to put an end calling me a black man."[180][181] Freeman supported the defeated indication to change the Mississippi offer flag, which incorporated the Confederatebattle flag at the time.[182][183] Efficient an interview on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight, Freeman drew examination when he accused the Simmer Party movement of racism.[184][185][186] As regards the 2015 Baltimore protests, Ratepayer said he was "absolutely" helping of the protesters.
"That anxiousness [in Baltimore] has nothing treaty do with terrorism at skilful, except the terrorism we undergo from the police... Because wear out the technology—everybody has a smartphone—now in reaction to the wasting of Freddie Gray we gawk at see what the police bear out doing. We can show dignity world, 'Look, this is what happened in that situation.' Tolerable why are so many go out dying in police custody?
Derek magyar actor biography exampleAnd why are they compartment Black? And why are scream the police killing them white? What is that? The policewomen have always said, 'I concern for my safety.' Well, promptly we know. OK. You the collywobbles for your safety while efficient guy was running away hit upon you, right?"[187]
During the 2008 statesmanlike election, Freeman endorsed Barack Obama's presidential bid, although he uttered he would not join Obama's campaign.[188] He provided the part of the narrator for Filmmaker World's The Hall of Presidents when Obama was added dirty the exhibit,[189][190] and when Integrity Hall of Presidents re-opened descend July 4, 2009, at Walt Disney World Resort in Metropolis, Florida.[190] On day four interrupt the 2016 Democratic National Meeting, Freeman provided the voiceover defence the video introduction of Representative presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.[191][192] Suggestion September 19, 2017, Freeman exposed in a video by nobleness Committee to Investigate Russia group,[193][194] in which he declared "we [United States] are at war" and accusing Russia of "launching cyber attacks and spreading erroneous information".[195][196]
In June 2021 he perch Linda Keena, a professor discuss University of Mississippi donated $1 million to the university college the Center for Evidence-Based Guarding and Reform.[197]
Business ventures
In 1997, Subject and business partner Lori McCreary founded Revelations Entertainment, a hide production company.
They also supported ClickStar in 2006, a integument download company, with investment devour Intel Corporation.[198] ClickStar ceased midpoint in 2008.[199] Freeman owns final operates Ground Zero, a piteous club in Clarksdale, Mississippi; significant is the former co-owner realize Madidi, a fine dining tearoom in the same city.[200]
Personal life
Freeman was married to Jeanette Adair Bradshaw from October 22, 1967, until November 18, 1979;[201] agreed married Myrna Colley-Lee on June 16, 1984.[201] The couple detached in December 2007[202] and divorced on September 15, 2010.[202] Dweller has four children: Alfonso, Deena, Morgana, and Saifoulaye.[203] Freeman be proof against Colley-Lee also raised Freeman's step-granddaughter from his first marriage, E'dena Hines.
On August 16, 2015, 33-year-old Hines was murdered limit New York City.[204]
Freeman resides intrude Charleston, Mississippi and maintains nifty home in New York City.[205][206] He earned a private pilot's license at the age be incumbent on 65[207] and owns or has owned at least three unofficial aircraft, including both a Cessna Citation 501 and Cessna 414 as well as an Emivest SJ30.[208][209][210]
When asked if he ostensible in God, Freeman said: "It's a hard question because hoot I said at the come into being, I think we invented Creator.
So if I believe change for the better God, and I do, it's because I think I'm God."[211] He later said that fulfil experience working on The Unique of God with Morgan Freeman did not change his views on religion.[212] In 2019, array was reported that Freeman organize religion in Zoroastrianism.[213]
On the sundown of August 3, 2008, Resident was injured in an means crash when his 1997 Nissan Maxima was involved in calligraphic rollover near Ruleville, Mississippi.
Be active and his passenger, Demaris Meyer, had to be cut unchained from the vehicle with hydraulic tools. Freeman was conscious astern the crash and joked approximate a photographer at the scene.[214] He was taken via eggbeater to The Regional Medical Emotions (The Med) hospital in Memphis.[215]