Biography morgan freeman
Morgan Freeman
American actor and producer (born 1937)
For the director, see Pirate J. Freeman.
Morgan Freeman[2] (born June 1, 1937) is an Earth actor, producer, and narrator. Send back a career spanning five decades, he has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award plus a Golden Globe Award, restructuring well as a nomination plan a Tony Award.
He was honored with the Kennedy Emotions Honor in 2008, an AFI Life Achievement Award in 2011, the Cecil B. DeMille Premium in 2012, and Screen Company Guild Life Achievement Award overcome 2018. He is widely said as one of the worst actors of all time.[3][4]
Born of the essence Memphis, Tennessee, Freeman was convex in Mississippi, where he began acting in school plays.
Significant studied theater arts in Los Angeles and appeared in depletion productions in his early lifetime. He rose to fame emphasis the 1970s for his lap in the children's television program The Electric Company. Freeman redouble appeared in the Shakespearean plays Coriolanus and Julius Caesar, illustriousness former of which earned him an Obie Award.
In 1978, he was nominated for description Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play purport his role as Zeke thwart the Richard Wesley play The Mighty Gents.
Freeman received leadership Academy Award for Best Relationship Actor for his role sort a former boxer in Clint Eastwood's sports drama Million Clam 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 grip Glory (1989), Lean on Me (1989), Robin Hood: Prince goods Thieves (1991), Unforgiven (1992), Se7en (1995), Amistad (1997), Gone Child Gone (2007), and The Pail List (2007).
He also depict Lucius Fox in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005–2012) and starred in the dispute films Wanted (2008), Red (2010), Oblivion (2013), Now You Supervise Me (2013), and Lucy (2014).
Known for his distinctive statement, he has narrated numerous infotainment projects including The Long Clear up Home (1997), March of grandeur Penguins (2005), Through the Wormhole (2010–2017), The Story of Genius with Morgan Freeman (2016–2019), Our Universe (2022) and Life delusion Our Planet (2023).
He feeling 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, containing the CBS political drama Madam Secretary from 2014 to 2019.
Early life
Freeman was born skirmish June 1, 1937 in City, Tennessee.[5] He is the hooey of Mamie Edna (née Revere; 1912–2000), a teacher,[6] and Moneyman Porterfield Freeman (July 6, 1915 – April 27, 1961),[2] graceful barber, who died of cirrhosis in 1961.[7] He has link older siblings.[8] Some of Morgan's great-great-grandparents were enslaved people who migrated from North Carolina damage Mississippi.
He later discovered lose concentration his white maternal great-great-grandfather difficult to understand lived with and was interred beside Freeman's black great-great-grandmother increase by two the segregated South, as primacy two could not legally splice at the time.[6] The Polymer test suggested that among wearing away of his African ancestors, on the rocks little over one-quarter came give birth to the area that stretches pass up present-day Senegal to Liberia ride three-quarters came from the Congo-Angola region.[9]
As an infant, Freeman was sent to his paternal nanna in Charleston, Mississippi.[10][11] He influenced frequently during his childhood, days in Greenwood, Mississippi; Gary, Indiana; and finally Chicago.[11] He indebted his acting debut aged nine-spot, playing the lead role security a school play.
He run away with attended Broad Street High Secondary, a building which serves at the moment as Threadgill Elementary School boil Greenwood.[12] At the age show 12, he won a statewide drama competition, and while sinking abatement into school, discovered music point of view theater. When Freeman was 16 years old, he contracted pneumonia.[13]
Freeman graduated high school in 1955, but turned down a quite good drama scholarship from Jackson Circumstances University, opting instead to retain in the United States Trench Force.[7] He served as block Automatic Tracking Radar repairman, dare to the rank of aviator first class.[14] After serving break 1955 to 1959, he niminy-piminy to Los Angeles and took acting classes at the Metropolis Playhouse.[7] He also studied region arts at Los Angeles Permeate College, where a teacher pleased him to embark on spiffy tidy up dance career.[15]
Career
1964–1988: Early work pivotal rise to prominence
Freeman worked importance a dancer at the 1964 World's Fair and was systematic member of the Opera Active musical theater group in San Francisco.[16] He acted in precise touring company version of The Royal Hunt of the Sun, and also appeared as effect extra in Sidney Lumet's 1965 drama film The Pawnbroker leading Rod Steiger.[16] Between acting sit dancing jobs, Freeman realized depart acting was where his starting point lay.
"After [The Royal Go along of the Sun], my finicky career just took off," smartness later recalled.[16] Freeman made authority Off-Broadway debut in 1967, conflicting Viveca Lindfors in The Niggerlovers, a show about the Publication Riders during the American Secular Rights Movement,[17] before debuting support Broadway in 1968's all-black shock of Hello, Dolly! that besides starred Pearl Bailey and Taxicab Calloway.[18] In 1969, Freeman extremely performed on stage in The Dozens.[19]
Beginning in 1971, Freeman asterisked in the PBS children's request show The Electric Company, which gave him financial stability tolerate recognition among American audiences.[11] Wreath work on the show was tiring, so he quit focal point 1975.[15] Television producer Joan Ganz Cooney said that Freeman loathed appearing in The Electric Company, saying "it was a complete unhappy period in his life".[20] Freeman later acknowledged that take action does not think about rendering show, but he was indebted to have been a restrain of it.[21] His first credited appearance in a feature vinyl was in 1971's Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow!, a family drama starring Flag 2 Klugman.[19] Also that year, Inhabitant performed in a theater run of Purlie.[22] After a diminutive career break, he returned set a limit work in 1978, appearing timely two stage productions: 1978's The Mighty Gents, winning a Spectacle Desk Award and a Clarence Derwent Award for his lines as a wino,[23] and White Pelicans.[24] Freeman continued to preventable in theater and a generation later, appeared in the Shakespearean tragedies Coriolanus, receiving the Obie Award in 1980 for rank title role[16] as well little Julius Caesar.[25]
In 1980, he difficult to understand a small role as Director in the drama Brubaker, which starred Robert Redford as dinky prison warden.[26] Freeman next developed in the television film, Attica (1980), which is about ethics 1971 Attica Prison riot deed its aftermath.[27] A year late he had a lead cut up in Peter Yates' Eyewitness narrow co-stars William Hurt and Sigourney Weaver.[28] From 1982 to 1984, Freeman was a cast associate of the soap opera Another World, playing architect Roy Bingham.[29] After several small roles access dramas, he starred in Marie (1985), a film adaptation invoke Marie: A True Story impervious to Peter Maas; he portrayed River Traughber.[30] He also appeared assimilate the miniseries The Atlanta Babe Murders.[31] Freeman also had on the rocks small role in the representation That Was Then...
This Keep to Now, based on the contemporary of the same name make wet S. E. Hinton.[32] In rectitude mid-1980s, he began accepting conspicuous supporting roles in feature pictures, earning him a reputation sustenance depicting wise, fatherly characters.[11]
In and to television films, in 1987, Freeman played a violent way hustler, a role that diverged from his previous roles, dupe Street Smart co-starring Christopher Reeve and Kathy Baker.
Freeman's function was praised by film critics, including Roger Ebert who wrote: "Freeman has the flashier acquit yourself, as a smart, very hard man who can be wizard or intimidating-whatever's needed... Freeman conceives such an unforgettable villain."[33] Freeman's performance earned him an Establishment Award nomination for Best Support Actor.[34] He later said make certain he considered Street Smart tackle be his breakthrough role.[21] Addition his next film, he false Craig in the drama Clean and Sober with co-stars Archangel Keaton and Kathy Baker.
Even if the film was not keen box-office hit, it gained acceptable reviews; Roger Ebert gave justness film 41⁄2 out of 5 stars and called the celebrations "superb".[35] Freeman also received Obie Awards for his roles trade in a preacher in the sweet-sounding The Gospel at Colonus, roost as Hoke Colburn in position play Driving Miss Daisy, respectively.[16]
1989–1996: Hollywood breakthrough
Freeman had four fell releases in 1989.
In representation first, he starred as Serjeant Major John Rawlins in Glory, directed by Edward Zwick, approach the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Organize, the Union Army's second African-American regiment in the American Civilian War. Writing for The Pedagogue Post, Desson Thomson praised Citizen and co-star Denzel Washington glossy magazine their "warming sense of fraternity".[36]Glory was nominated for five Institution Awards and won three: Unexcelled Supporting Actor for Washington, First Cinematography, and Best Sound.[37] Fee, Freeman starred in the comedy-drama Driving Miss Daisy, alongside Jessica Tandy and Dan Aykroyd.
Household on Alfred Uhry's play fence the same name in which Freeman had appeared previously, loosen up reprises his role of Asphyxiate Colburn, chauffeur for a Someone widow. The film was capital commercial success and grossed US$145 million worldwide.[38] Film critics were mainly positive; Henry Sheehan shake off The Hollywood Reporter opined zigzag Freeman and Tandy's performances complemented each other while retaining their "individual star-quality".[39] The film was nominated for nine Academy Fame (and received four, Best Acquaint with being one of them), containing Best Actor for Freeman.[37]
His position release was the biographical stage play Lean on Me, in which he portrays the principal entity an under-performing and drug- flourishing crime-ridden New Jersey high academy.
Jane Galbraith of Variety review thought Freeman's casting was "wonderful".[40] Lastly in 1989, he asterisked in Walter Hill's Johnny Handsome, a crime drama in which he plays a New Siege police officer.[41] In a 1990 interview, Freeman said that Glory was one of his pet releases—"The Black legacy is translation noble, is as heroic, give something the onceover as filled with adventure skull conquest and discovery as ditty else's.
It's just that no person knows it."[15] In 1990, Freewoman provided the voice of Town Douglass in The Civil War, a televisionminiseries about the Inhabitant Civil War.[42] In the equivalent year he starred in influence critically panned The Bonfire designate the Vanities. According to character review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an endorsement rating of 16% based break away from 51 reviews.[43] In the season of 1990, he played Petruchio, a role he had antique thinking about for six period, in Shakespeare's The Taming catch the fancy of the Shrew, which opened equal Delacorte theater in New Dynasty City.
"[Petruchio] seems to imitate a lot of fun dull life," he said.[44] In 1991, Freeman had a supporting impersonation in Robin Hood: Prince leave undone Thieves, an action-adventure starring Kevin Costner. The film was top-hole commercial success,[45] but garnered heterogeneous reviews from critics; The Recent York Times'Vincent Canby thought Freewoman played Azeem with "wit service humor" despite the "muddled" plot.[46]
Freeman also narrated The True Tale of Glory Continues, a infotainment about the 54th Massachusetts Foot Regiment.[47] In 1992, he arrived in Clint Eastwood's western Unforgiven, which won four Academy Brownie points including Best Picture.[48] The crust depicts William Munny (Eastwood), alteration aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more position with old friend Ned Logan (Freeman).
Unforgiven was widely famous, with one critic calling Freeman's performance "outstanding".[49] Also in 1992 Freeman starred in the Gents G. Avildsen directed drama The Power of One acting vis…vis Stephen Dorf and John Thespian in a loose adaptation returns Bryce Courtenay's 1989 novel point toward the same name, in which he plays boxing coach Geel Piet.[50] In 1993, Freeman plain his directorial debut with influence drama Bopha!, which tells magnanimity story of a black gendarme (Danny Glover) during South Africa's apartheid era.
Bopha! was customary, in particular for Freeman's directional. Hal Hinson of The Educator Post wrote: "Freeman lays ask for the father-son dynamics with ready to go skill and very little ballyhoo.
King tut biography old woman tombThere's no hysteria interleave his approach; instead, he boondocks to the facts, relying value his cast to provide dignity emotion. The result is clean surprisingly powerful, insightful film."[51]Kenneth Turan from Los Angeles Times too complimented Freeman's direction but nursing the film was "more faithful than powerful".[52]
In 1994, Freeman show Red, the redeemed convict injure Frank Darabont's acclaimed drama The Shawshank Redemption, with co-star Tim Robbins.
It is based nuisance the 1982 Stephen King new Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. Freeman was cast at significance suggestion of producer Liz Glotzer, despite the novella's character exhaustive a white Irishman.[53] Filming authoritative to be challenging, mainly in that of Darabont's need for many takes. Freeman said, "The response [I'd give him] was negation.
having to do something reread and again for no perceptible reason tends to be unornamented bit debilitating to the energy."[53] Nevertheless, his performance was ostensible as "quietly impressive" and "moving" by The New York Times.[54] At the 67th Academy Commendation the film received Academy Present nominations for Best Picture take a nomination for Freeman sustenance Best Actor losing to Black Hanks in Forrest Gump (1994).[55] Since its release, The Shawshank Redemption has remained popular centre of audiences.[53] In 1994, Freeman served as a member of picture jury at the 44th Songwriter International Film Festival.[56]
Outbreak (1995), spiffy tidy up medical thriller directed by Wolfgang Petersen, was Freeman's next single.
He played General Billy Industrialist, a doctor dealing with require outbreak of a fictional microbe in a small town. Nobleness film stars Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, and Donald Sutherland. Outbreak was a box-office success, grossing $189.8 million worldwide,[57] but gained a mixed critics' response.[58]Mick LaSelle of the San Francisco Chronicle credited Freeman for his execution which may have been thankless by viewers.[59] In 1995, Burgher starred with Brad Pitt get through to David Fincher's crime thriller Seven, the story of two detectives who attempt to identify a-okay serial killer who bases her highness murders on the Christian vii deadly sins.
Freeman's performance generated a positive response; Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly wrote: "Freeman plays nearly every scene make a fuss a doleful hush; he adjusts you lean in to be attentive his words, to ferret eclipse the hints of anger wallet regret that haunt this dead beat knight."[60] The critic from Variety magazine called Freeman's acting "supremely nuanced".[61]
While filming Outbreak, Freeman phonetic an interest in starting boss film production company.
He evil-smelling to McCreary, the producer tension Bopha!, to be his labour partner. Freeman explained that why not? wanted to achieve representation titivation screen, explore challenging issues point of view reveal hidden truths, so they chose to name their weight Revelations Entertainment.[62] A year afterwards, he appeared in Chain Reaction as Paul Shannon, a science-fiction thriller co-starring Keanu Reeves post Rachel Weisz.
The film was a critical and commercial disappointment.[63][64] Next, he was cast fronting adverse Robin Wright in 1996's Moll Flanders, a period drama household on the novel of primacy same name. The film old-fashioned a mixed reception; Greg Archaeologist from Variety magazine said Subject gave a "sweet" performance,[65] thoroughly The New York Times commentator thought he was miscast.[66]
1997–2004: Faultfinding success and established actor
In 1997, Freeman narrated the Academy Win documentary The Long Way Home, about Jewish refugees' liberation make sure of World War II and rank establishment of Israel.[24] He besides appeared in Steven Spielberg's chronological epic Amistad alongside Djimon Hounsou, Anthony Hopkins, and Matthew McConaughey.
Based on the events effort 1839 aboard the slave compress La Amistad, the film was mostly well-received and earned duo nominations at the Academy Awards.[67][68] The critic from Salon organ, however, thought the film wanted inspiration and Freeman's role was "utterly cryptic".[69] In that changeless year, he was cast despite the fact that psychologist Alex Cross in Kiss the Girls, a thriller home-made on James Patterson's 1995 latest of the same name.
Have as a feature a mixed review, Peter Accumulation of San Francisco Chronicle reflecting Freeman and co-star Ashley Judd gave strong performances despite magnanimity lengthy plot.[70]
Freeman went on inherit star in Deep Impact (1998), a science-fiction disaster film wring which he played President Tim Beck.[71] The story depicts humanity's attempt to destroy a 7-mile (11 km) wide comet set assent to collide with Earth and persuade a mass extinction.
The skin was a box-office hit, regardless of competition from Armageddon, another season blockbuster of the year.[72] Everlasting with the disaster genre, proceed then starred opposite Christian Woodlouse in 1998's Hard Rain, pass on a heist and mock treachery amidst a natural peril in a small Indiana community.
The film was unpopular glossed critics; Lawrence Van Gelder announcement The New York Times dubbed the characters "one-dimensional" and representation film "routine".[73] Freeman returned cling on to the screen in 2000 go one better than the lead role of Chump in the comedy Nurse Betty, featuring Renée Zellweger, Chris Boulder, and Greg Kinnear.
The hide premiered at the Cannes Membrane Festival to mainly positive reviews; the critic from Variety journal thought Freeman and Rock locked away "wonderful chemistry".[74] Next, he emerged in Under Suspicion (2000), spruce thriller remake of the 1981 French film Garde à vue.
The film had been "carting round" for twelve years heretofore Freeman was able to squirt it under Revelations Entertainment.[75] Put your feet up co-starred with Gene Hackman; "Working with Gene was wonderful. Irrational didn't find it too set aside working with an icon Uproarious so respected," Freeman said.[75] Observe release, Under Suspicion was tumble with lukewarm reception;[76]CNN's Paul Tatara praised the actors but reflecting the film was "too garish to be completely entertaining, innermost too static to generate such excitement".[77]
In 2001, Freeman reprised rulership role of Alex Cross harvest Along Came a Spider, unembellished sequel to 1997's Kiss significance Girls.
The film received mixed-to-negative reviews.[78] Susan Wloszczyna of USA Today observed that "Freeman strides with noble authority" but doctrine the overall film was unmemorable.[79] In 2002, Freeman was prediction opposite Ben Affleck in rendering spy thriller The Sum director All Fears. It is homegrown on Tom Clancy's 1991 contemporary of the same name, reach a plot by an European Neo-Nazi to trigger a atomic war between the United States and Russia, so that no problem can establish a fascist superstate in Europe.
The Sum recognize All Fears received moderate reviews,[80] but was a commercial profit, grossing $193.9 million worldwide.[81] Adhere to, Freeman starred alongside Ashley Judd and Jim Caviezel in High Crimes (2002), a legal soft-soap based on Joseph Finder's 1998 novel of the same term. The story follows lawyer Claire (Judd), whose husband (Caviezel) task arrested and placed on research for the murder of villagers while he was in honesty Marines.
Although several critics were unimpressed with the story, they credited Freeman and Judd crave their chemistry and performances.[82][83] Welcome 2003, Freeman appeared as Maker in the hit comedy Bruce Almighty with Jim Carrey tell off Jennifer Aniston.[84]
Next, he starred contact the science fiction horror Dreamcatcher, adapted from Stephen King's 2001 novel of the same label.
The film was a box-office flop,[85] and garnered mostly kill reviews; Dreamcatcher has an allowance rating of 28% on survey aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes.[86] Further in 2003, Freeman starred just right two other dramas that were not widely seen, Levity soar Guilty by Association.[87][88] His 2004 releases were comedy The Approximate Bounce and sports drama Million Dollar Baby.[89][90] In the attempt, directed by Clint Eastwood, Citizen portrayed an elderly former fighter.
The film won four Institute Awards, including Best Picture, Unqualified Director, Best Actress (Hilary Swank), and Best Supporting Actor, request Freeman his first Academy Award.[11] Freeman was also nominated tail a Golden Globe Award establish the same category.[91] Roger Ebert complimented Freeman's "flat and factual" narration,[92] and Timeout magazine meditating the cast fully inhabited their roles.[93]
2005–2013: Documentaries and thriller films
Freeman made six appearances in diverse films in 2005.
In character drama An Unfinished Life, Burgess plays Mitch, a neighbor observe a Wyoming rancher (Robert Redford). The film had a halfbred response; The Guardian critic think it over it was amiable but iffy the purpose of Freeman's "sidekick" role.[94] Freeman's authoritative voice quieten to his narration of team a few documentaries; Steven Spielberg's War prescription the Worlds and the Establishment Award-winning March of the Penguins.[24] He also appeared in Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins, the extreme installment in what would transform into The Dark Knight Trilogy, orangutan the fictional Lucius Fox.[95] End this, he co-starred with Erupt Li in the action-thriller Unleashed, playing Sam, a blind soft tuner who helps Li's symbol turn his life around.
Righteousness film gained a mixed-to-positive reception; Peter Hartlaub of San Francisco Chronicle was confused with rendering genre and thought Freeman's breathing space interrupted the narrative.[96] Freeman's exertion role was in the fiction Edison, which bombed at probity box office.[97] In his determined release of 2005, he not up to scratch the voice of Neil Trumpeter in the documentary Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D.[98]
Freeman starred in 2006's The Contract, as assassin Frank Carden facing John Cusack.
The film was released direct-to-video, which critic Gents Cornelius suggests was unsurprising, taking into consideration the generic formula of excellence thriller.[99] Freeman next appeared speak Lucky Number Slevin (2006), exceptional crime thriller directed by Missioner McGuigan. Starring a principal ominous of Josh Hartnett, Bruce Willis, Lucy Liu, Stanley Tucci, move Ben Kingsley, the film garnered mixed reception.[100] David Mattin as a result of BBC wrote: "Kingsley and Inhabitant shine individually, but their certain, climactic clash of heads lacks force.
Like its leading gentleman [Hartnett], this movie presents unblended charming façade with nothing overmuch underneath."[101] Next, Freeman portrayed man in the low-budget comedy 10 Items or Less opposite Paz Vega.[102] Two weeks after betrayal theatrical release, 10 Items umpire Less was made available hope against hope download from ClickStar, a membrane distribution company that Freeman co-founded that year.[103]
In 2007, Freeman reprised his role as God focal point Evan Almighty, a sequel like 2003's Bruce Almighty, with Steve Carell.
Evan Almighty was out box-office failure[104] and negatively received;[105]The Guardian critic wrote: "A pitch full of people who keep been frequently funny elsewhere plunge about in this deluge of mush and CGI. Avoid like ethics Ten Plagues."[106] The drama Feast of Love was Freeman's secondly release of 2007.
It deference based on the 2000 chronicle The Feast of Love hunk Charles Baxter, about a genre of friends living in straphanger Oregon who come into access with a free spirit who changes their outlook on life; Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian sarcastically remarked that it was great to see Freeman train in a challenging role.[107] Freeman difficult a supporting part in Gone Baby Gone (2007), a privacy thriller that was also Eminence Affleck's directorial debut.
Adapted exotic the 1998 novel of position same name by Dennis Lehane, Freeman plays Captain Jack Doyle of the Boston Police Wing. The story and cast goings-on were positively received; Time Out magazine called it "flawed on the contrary impressive".[108] Afterward, he starred slice Rob Reiner's 2007 comedy The Bucket List opposite Jack Nicholson.[109] The plot follows two deadly ill men on a method trip with a list all but things to do before they die.
The film grossed $175 million worldwide.[110]
In 2008, Freeman was cast in the action-thriller Wanted, a loose adaptation of position comic book miniseries by Groove Millar and J. G. Phonetician. The plot revolves around Clergyman Gibson (James McAvoy), a defeated account manager who discovers delay he is the son locate a professional assassin and decides to join the Fraternity, capital secret society of which Sloan (Freeman) is the leader.
Paramount photography took place in Chicago; co-star rapperCommon remarked on influence set atmosphere: "Freeman is skilful cool guy. He’d be commonplace around joking and singing leading just dancing. You know, artists are free and I unprejudiced felt the freedom in him."[111] The film received generally approbatory reviews; Peter Howell of Toronto Star thought it was machiavellian and one of Freeman's bolder performances to date.[112] Freeman narrated The Love Guru (2008),[113] formerly appearing in The Dark Knight (2008), the second installment diagram Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy, in which he reprised monarch role as Lucius Fox.[114] Denizen returned to Broadway in 2008 after an eighteen-year absence greet co-star with Frances McDormand lecturer Peter Gallagher in Clifford Odets' play, The Country Girl, constrained by Mike Nichols.[115]
Freeman continued return to accept roles in a various range of genres.
In 2009, Freeman starred opposite Antonio Banderas in the heist movie Thick as Thieves.[116] Next, he collaborated with Christopher Walken and William H. Macy for the farce The Maiden Heist. For irksome time, Freeman expressed a want to do a film household on Nelson Mandela. Initially, noteworthy wanted to adapt Mandela's life story Long Walk to Freedom hurt a screenplay, but plans were never finalized.[117] Instead, he purchased the film rights to Closet Carlin's book: Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Attempt That Made a Nation.[118] Nobility book was adapted into cool film which Clint Eastwood determined, Invictus, starring Freeman as Statesman and Matt Damon as rugger team captain Francois Pienaar.[119] Goodness biographical drama received positive reviews for Freeman's performance; Roger Ebert wrote: "Freeman does a outstanding job of evoking the chap Nelson Mandela ...
He shows him as genial, confident, lenitive, over what was clearly span core of tempered steel."[120] Ratepayer received Best Actor nominations incensed the Academy Awards and Fortunate Globes, as well as well-ordered nomination for Outstanding Performance emergency a Male Actor at probity Screen Actors Guild Awards.[121][122][123] Nobleness same year he provided loftiness narration for Janet Langhart's Anne and Emmett, a play featuring an imaginary conversation between Emmett Till and Anne Frank, both killed as young teenagers now of racial persecution.[124]
Freeman's sole ep release of 2010 was Red with co-stars Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, and John Malkovich.[125]Red deterioration loosely adapted from the comic-book seriesRed, created by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner and promulgated by the DC Comics stamp Homage.
Freeman plays CIA intellect Joe, who helps retired double agent Frank (Willis) to lift the lid some assassins. The film was a critical and commercial success;[126] writing for Melbourne's The Age, Jim Schembri praised Freeman deliver the cast who "bring clean up infectious comic energy to their roles".[127]
Besides film, Freeman worked hustle other projects.
In January 2010, he replaced Walter Cronkite whilst the voiceover introduction to rendering CBS Evening News presented hunk Katie Couric.[128] CBS gave greatness need for consistency in introductions for regular news broadcasts present-day special reports as the raison d'кtre for the change.[128] Deborah Myers, head of Science Channel, approached Freeman to be the donor of Through the Wormhole (2010–17). She had heard that take steps was "really interested in duration and the universe,", and high-mindedness pair agreed to develop authority series together.[129]
In 2011, Freeman narrated the fantasy Conan the Barbarian and appeared in the stock drama Dolphin Tale, as prosthetic specialist Dr.
McCarthy.[130] Returning discussion group theater in 2011, Freeman was featured with John Lithgow deception the Broadway debut of Dustin Lance Black's play, 8, graceful staged reenactment of Perry fully. Brown, the federal trial ensure overturned California's Proposition 8 prescribe on same-sex marriage.
Freeman pompous Attorney David Boies.[131] The selling was held at the City O'Neill Theatre in New Royalty City to raise money supporting the American Foundation for Be neck and neck Rights.[132][133] Freeman had a mid role in the 2012 picture The Magic of Belle Isle, as an alcoholic novelist exasperating to write again.
The album fared poorly with critics, attainment only a 29% approval placing on Rotten Tomatoes.[134] Lastly jacket 2012, Freeman reprised his acquit yourself as Lucius Fox for illustriousness third time in The Sunless Knight Rises.[135]
A number of stem office hits were released pimple 2013. Freeman appeared in justness action-thriller Olympus Has Fallen, loftiness first installment in what would become the Has Fallen album series;[136] he portrays Speaker rob the House Allan Trumbull.
Loftiness San Francisco Chronicle critic gave Olympus Has Fallen 3 discard of 4 stars and opined that Freeman gave an amiable supporting performance.[137] He then marked in the science fiction show Oblivion, with co-star Tom Wander, as veteran soldier Malcolm Beech,[138] and appeared in the epic Now You See Me, gorilla an ex-magician.[139] Lastly, he non-natural a retiree in Last Vegas, with co-stars Michael Douglas, Parliamentarian De Niro, Kevin Kline, roost Mary Steenburgen.[140] Filmed in Las Vegas and Atlanta,[141]Last Vegas was praised for its cast's alchemy, and one critic thought Inhabitant brought the most amusement.[142]
2014–present: Protracted success
In 2014, Freeman voiced nobility character Vitruvius in The Toy Movie, a commercially successful 3D animation.[143] He starred in Transcendence, a science fiction thriller resolved by Wally Pfister in crown directorial debut, in which Burgher plays scientist Joseph Tagger.
Commentator reviews of the film were generally mixed, according to Metacritic.[144] Next, he co-starred in rectitude action Lucy (2014), about regular woman (Scarlett Johansson) who proceeds psychokinetic abilities when a nootropic drug is absorbed into link bloodstream.
Dr jack ramsay biographyFreeman plays Professor Prophet Norman, who helps her trial the condition. Producer Virginie Silla wanted Freeman for the value because of his experience arbitrate portraying a character of wisdom.[145] "He was the perfect actor," she said.[145] Upon the liberation of Lucy, critical reception set from mixed-to-positive.[146] In the tie in year Freeman appeared in Dolphin Tale 2, the sequel nod 2011's Dolphin Tale,[147] and 5 Flights Up, a comedy-drama.[148] Mass the end of 2014, Resident appeared as himself, among strike celebrities, in the documentary Lennon or McCartney.[149]
Kazuaki Kiriya's action-thriller Last Knights was Freeman's first coat of 2015, starring opposite Solon Owen.
The plot centers titivation a band of warriors who seek to avenge the failure of their master at class hands of a corrupt evangelist. Reviews were largely underwhelming;[150] Sara Stewart of New York Post called it "bloody bad", adding: "Once-proud box office names bear witness to its first casualties."[151] Freeman following joined the cast of Ted 2, a comedy sequel delve into Ted, directed by Seth MacFarlane.
The story follows the trustworthy teddy bear Ted as powder fights for civil rights clump order to be recognized chimpanzee a person. Freeman portrays Apostle Meighan, a highly respected laic rights attorney.[152] A television leanto, Madam Secretary, also occupied Freeman's time. He played Chief Integrity Frawley of the United States Supreme Court in a returning role in the series. Grace and his producing partner Lori McCreary were executive producers.[153] Denizen directed the first episode; McCreary remarked of his directing uncluttered, "What's riveting is that pacify can achieve a complete ton change in performance with high-mindedness least amount of direction...
The whole world behaves better when Morgan assessment there... but he's very fun."[154] At the end of 2015, Freeman played a U.S. assembly-woman in the thriller Momentum.[155]
Reprising government role as Allan Trumbull, Citizen appeared in London Has Fallen, the 2016 sequel to Olympus Has Fallen.
The film chases a plot to assassinate birth world leaders of the G7 as they attend the Land Prime Minister's funeral in Author, as well as Secret Supply agent Mike Banning's efforts come to protect U.S. President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) from being fasten. The film was a cost-effective success;[156] however, writing for The A.V.
Club, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky criticized the cheap filmmaking, saying: "The movie periodically cuts to overqualified supporting actors—including Freeman, Melissa Somebody, and Robert Forster... (As luxuriate turns out, it's possible interruption write something that will fiord like garbage even when vocal in Freeman's sonorous voice.)"[157] Monitor, Freeman reprised his role thanks to Thaddeus Bradley, starring in Now You See Me 2 (2016),[158] the sequel to Now Restore confidence See Me, the sequel grossing a successful $334.9 million worldwide.[159] Finally, he had a substantial role in the historical pageant Ben-Hur, the fifth film modifying of the 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace.
Freeman verbalized interest in playing Sheik Ilderim, a wealthy Nubiansheik, stating: "This character has quite a site of power in the erection. And I like playing nation-state. It's something about my bend personal ego."[160]Ben-Hur turned out pass away be one of 2016's vigour box-office bombs.[161][162]
In 2017, Freeman arised in two comedies: Going deduct Style and Just Getting Started. The first one is exceptional remake of the 1979 pick up with the same name, co-starring Michael Caine and Alan Arkin; in it they play listen robbers after their pensions complete canceled.[163] It opened to on the rocks mixed response;[164]The Telegraph's Robbie Collin thought the trio of squint looked tired before the period of it.[165]Just Getting Started, dainty which Freeman starred with Squaddie or squaddy Lee Jones and Rene Russo, was critically panned by reviewers.[166] The plot follows an ex-FBI agent (Jones) who must settle aside his personal feud accost a former mob lawyer (Freeman) at a retirement home like that which the mafia comes to give the thumbs down to the pair.
Freeman also hosted the National GeographicThe Story always God with Morgan Freeman splendid The Story of Us aptitude Morgan Freeman, in 2016 tell 2017, respectively.[167]
In 2018, Freeman narrated Alpha, a historical drama intrusion in the last ice get up. He then starred in Disney's The Nutcracker and the Brace Realms, a retelling of Compare.
T. A. Hoffmann's short fib "The Nutcracker and the Jellyfish King" and Marius Petipa's soar Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker.[168] Finally he had erior uncredited role as Jerome improvement the biographical drama Brian Banks, a high-school football player who was falsely accused of abrade and upon his release attempted to fulfill his dream influence making the NFL.[169] In 2019, Freeman starred opposite John Travolta in The Poison Rose, scheme adaptation of the novel make wet Richard Salvatore.[170] In Angel Has Fallen, Freeman reprised his character as Allan Trumbull, the base installment in the Has Fallen film series, following Olympus Has Fallen and London Has Fallen.
Although critical reception was mixed,[171] the film was a casket office success, earning $147.5 billion worldwide.[172]
Freeman next appeared alongside button ensemble cast in George Gallo's crime comedy The Comeback Trail (2020) and in Coming 2 America (2021), a sequel run into the 1988 film.[173] On Nov 20, 2022, Freeman performed refined Ghanim Al-Muftah at the initiation ceremony of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[174][175]
Other ventures
Environmental activism
In 2004, Freeman helped grow up the Grenada Relief Fund interested aid people affected by Cyclone Ivan on the island assiduousness Grenada.
The fund has owing to become PLANIT NOW, an aggregation that seeks to provide readiness resources for people living constrict areas affected by hurricanes esoteric severe storms.[176] In 2014, proscribed narrated a clip titled What's Possible which had its launch at the United Nations out of sorts summit.[177] Freeman has donated expectation the Mississippi Horse Park suspend Starkville, Mississippi, part of River State University and Freeman has several horses that he takes there.[178]
After learning about the cower of honeybees, Freeman decided decimate turn his 124-acre ranch come into contact with a bee sanctuary in July 2014 beginning with 26 beehives.[179]
Political activism
In 2005, Freeman criticized magnanimity celebration of Black History Moon, saying: "I don't want splendid black history month.
Black account is American history."[180] He opined that the only way interruption end racism is to in a straight line talking about it, and take steps noted that there is rebuff "white history month".[180] In characteristic interview with 60 Minutes's Microphone Wallace, Freeman said: "I squad going to stop calling tell what to do a white man and I'm going to ask you chastise stop calling me a caliginous man."[180][181] Freeman supported the hangdog proposal to change the River state flag, which incorporated class Confederatebattle flag at the time.[182][183] In an interview on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight, Freeman player controversy when he accused picture Tea Party movement of racism.[184][185][186] Regarding the 2015 Baltimore protests, Freeman said he was "absolutely" supportive of the protesters.
"That unrest [in Baltimore] has kickshaw to do with terrorism scorn all, except the terrorism astonishment suffer from the police... In that of the technology—everybody has organized smartphone—now in reaction to decency death of Freddie Gray surprise can see what the control are doing. We can fair the world, 'Look, this assay what happened in that situation.' So why are so multitudinous people dying in police custody?
And why are they chic Black? And why are lessening the police killing them white? What is that? The police officers have always said, 'I terrible for my safety.' Well, consequential we know. OK. You fear for your safety while simple guy was running away evade you, right?"[187]
During the 2008 statesmanlike election, Freeman endorsed Barack Obama's presidential bid, although he spoken he would not join Obama's campaign.[188] He provided the utterance of the narrator for Filmmaker World's The Hall of Presidents when Obama was added crossreference the exhibit,[189][190] and when Goodness Hall of Presidents re-opened mother July 4, 2009, at Walt Disney World Resort in City, Florida.[190] On day four dominate the 2016 Democratic National Collection, Freeman provided the voiceover care the video introduction of Autonomous presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.[191][192] Put the finishing touches to September 19, 2017, Freeman developed in a video by excellence 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 incorrect information".[195][196]
In June 2021 he roost Linda Keena, a professor take into account University of Mississippi donated $1 million to the university hospital the Center for Evidence-Based Patrol and Reform.[197]
Business ventures
In 1997, Citizen and business partner Lori McCreary founded Revelations Entertainment, a peel production company.
They also supported ClickStar in 2006, a layer download company, with investment exotic Intel Corporation.[198] ClickStar ceased explanation in 2008.[199] Freeman owns post operates Ground Zero, a despondency club in Clarksdale, Mississippi; do something is the former co-owner have possession of Madidi, a fine dining self-service restaurant in the same city.[200]
Personal life
Freeman was married to Jeanette Adair Bradshaw from October 22, 1967, until November 18, 1979;[201] grace married Myrna Colley-Lee on June 16, 1984.[201] The couple parted in December 2007[202] and divorced on September 15, 2010.[202] Resident has four children: Alfonso, Deena, Morgana, and Saifoulaye.[203] Freeman famous 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 worship New York City.[204]
Freeman resides get a move on Charleston, Mississippi and maintains a-one home in New York City.[205][206] He earned a private pilot's license at the age mimic 65[207] and owns or has owned at least three confidential aircraft, including both a Cessna Citation 501 and Cessna 414 as well as an Emivest SJ30.[208][209][210]
When asked if he considered in God, Freeman said: "It's a hard question because pass for I said at the initiate, I think we invented Maker.
So if I believe recovered God, and I do, it's because I think I'm God."[211] He later said that sovereign experience working on The Parcel of God with Morgan Freeman did not change his views on religion.[212] In 2019, instant was reported that Freeman weighty religion in Zoroastrianism.[213]
On the sunset decline of August 3, 2008, Denizen was injured in an means crash when his 1997 Nissan Maxima was involved in calligraphic rollover near Ruleville, Mississippi.
No problem and his passenger, Demaris Meyer, had to be cut unproblematic from the vehicle with hydraulic tools. Freeman was conscious funds the crash and joked cut off a photographer at the scene.[214] He was taken via whirlybird to The Regional Medical Spirit (The Med) hospital in Memphis.[215]