Morgan Freeman is an American actor and producer who has had a prolific career on stage and screen. He is known for his deep resonant voice and the gravitas he has lent to his roles. Since making his film debut in 1964, Freeman is known for his roles in genres ranging from dramas, historical epics, thrillers, action adventure, science fiction, and comedies. In a 2022 readers' poll by Empire, he was voted one of the 50 greatest actors of all time.

His film debut was as an uncredited character in the Sidney Lumet–directed drama The Pawnbroker in 1964. Freeman also made his stage debut in the same year by appearing in the musical Hello, Dolly! He followed this with further stage appearances in The Niggerlovers (1967), The Dozens (1969), Exhibition (1969), and the musical Purlie (1970–1971). He played various characters on the children's television series The Electric Company (1971–1977). Freeman subsequently appeared in the films Teachers in 1984, and Marie in 1985 before making his breakthrough with 1987's Street Smart. His role earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Two years later he appeared in war film Glory (1989), and starred as Hoke Coleburn in the comedy-drama Driving Miss Daisy (1989). Freeman won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance in the latter and also earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

In the 1990s, he was cast in numerous films, including the adventure film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) opposite Kevin Costner, drama The Shawshank Redemption (1994) with Tim Robbins, psychological thriller Seven (1995), historical drama Amistad (1997), crime thriller Kiss the Girls (1997), and science fiction disaster film Deep Impact (1998). His role in The Shawshank Redemption earned him a second nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. In 2003, he played God in the comedy Bruce Almighty opposite Jim Carrey. The following year Freeman played Eddie "Scrap Iron" Dupris in Clint Eastwood's film Million Dollar Baby (2004), for which he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Freeman played Lucius Fox in a trilogy of Batman films: Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). During that time, Freeman also appeared in The Bucket List (2007) opposite Jack Nicholson, Wanted (2008) with Angelina Jolie, and Invictus (2009) with Matt Damon. In 2011, Freeman received the AFI Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute. Two years later he starred in action thriller Olympus Has Fallen (2013), science fiction film Oblivion (2013), caper Now You See Me (2013), and comedy Last Vegas. In 2014, Freeman appeared in the science fiction films Transcendence and Lucy.

Freeman has also narrated several documentaries and television series, including Cosmic Voyage (1996), Slavery and the Making of America (2004), March of the Penguins (2005), and Breaking the Taboo (2011). He was also the host and narrator for the series Through the Wormhole from 2010 to 2017.

Acting credits Film

Year Title Role Notes 1964 Man on Street Uncredited 1966 Party guest 1968 Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? Grand Central Commuter 1971 Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow! Afro 1973 Blade Chris page 245 1980 Brubaker Walter 1981 Eyewitness 1984 Teachers Alan Lewis Harry & Son Siemanowski 1985 Marie That Was Then... This Is Now Charlie 1987 Street Smart Fast Black 1988 Clean and Sober Craig 1989 Glory Driving Miss Daisy Lean on Me Johnny Handsome 1990 Voice 1991 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Azeem Edin Bashir Al Bakir 1992 Unforgiven 1993 Bopha! Director only 1994 , Narrator 1995 Outbreak Seven 1996 Chain Reaction Moll Flanders Hibble 1997 Amistad Kiss the Girls 1998 Deep Impact Hard Rain Jim 2000 Nurse Betty Charlie Under Suspicion Also executive producer 2001 Along Came a Spider 2002 High Crimes 2003 Bruce Almighty God Dreamcatcher Levity Also executive producer Guilty by Association 2004 Million Dollar Baby 2005 An Unfinished Life Mitch Batman Begins Unleashed Sam Edison Ashford Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D Documentary 2006 Lucky Number Slevin The Boss 10 Items or Less Himself Also executive producer 2007 Evan Almighty God Feast of Love Gone Baby Gone 2008 Wanted Sloan 2009 Thick as Thieves Also known as The Code Invictus Also executive producer 2010 RED 2011 Dolphin Tale 2012 2013 Olympus Has Fallen Oblivion Beech Now You See Me Last Vegas Archie 2014 Vitruvius Voice Transcendence Lucy Professor Norman Dolphin Tale 2 5 Flights Up Alex Also executive producer Lennon or McCartney Himself Short documentary film; interview clip 2015 Last Knights Bartok Ted 2 Momentum Senator 2016 London Has Fallen Now You See Me 2 Ben-Hur 2017 Going in Style Willie Just Getting Started 2018 Drosselmeyer Brian Banks Uncredited 2019 Princess of the Row Executive producer only Executive producer only Doc Angel Has Fallen 2020 2021 Coming 2 AmericaHimself Vanquish Damon Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard 2022 Paradise Highway Gerick Lionsgate Boards Juliette Binoche, Frank Grillo & Morgan Freeman Thriller ‘Paradise Highway’ Morgan Freeman, Cole Hauser & Jaimie Alexander Set For Thriller ‘The Minute You Wake Up Dead’ 2023 The Ritual Killer A Good Person Daniel 57 SecondsAnton Burrell 2024 My Dead Friend Zoe Dr. Cole In Our Blood Executive producer only Gunner Kendrick Ryker 2025 Now You See Me: Now You Don't Thaddeus Bradley 2027 Joseph Mulberry Completed

Television

Year Title Role Notes 1971–1977 Easy Reader / Mel Mounds / Dracula / Vincent the Vegetable Vampire / Mark Main role 1978 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Uncle Hammer Logan Television film 1979 Hollow Image "Sweet Talk" 1980 Attica Hap Richards 1981 Ryan's Hope 2 episodes The Marva Collins Story Television film Death of a Prophet Malcolm X page 74 1983 Another World 5 episodes 1985 The Atlanta Child Murders Miniseries Tony Episode: "Dealer's Choice" The Execution of Raymond Graham Warden Pratt TV Movie 1986 Resting Place Television film 1987 Fight For Life 1988 Clinton and Nadine 1990 The Earth Day Special Walter Samson TV special 2008 Smithsonian Channel's Sound Revolution Himself (host) TV documentary Stephen Fry in America Himself Episode: "Mississippi" 2010 Saturday Night Live Himself (cameo) Episode: "Bryan Cranston/Kanye West" 2014–2019 Madam Secretary 3 episodes; also executive producer 2016 2017 Breakthrough Prize Ceremony Himself (host) TV special 2016–2019 The Story of God with Morgan Freeman Also executive producer 2017 The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman 2018 Breakthrough Prize Ceremony TV special 2020 Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? Himself Episode: "The Last Inmate!" 2021 Solos Stuart 1 episode The Kominsky Method Himself 2 episodes 2023 The Muppets Mayhem Himself Cameo 2023 761st Tank Battalion: The Original Black Panthers Himself (host) Also executive producer 2023–present Special Ops: Lioness Edwin Mullins Main role

Theater Year Title Role Venue 19671970 Hello, Dolly! Rudolph St. James Theatre 1967 Creampuff Orpheum Theatre 1969 Kgaravu Booth Theatre 1969 Exhibition David Actors' Playhouse 19701971 Purlie Purlie Broadway Theatre / Winter Garden Theatre / August Wilson Theatre 1978 Zeke Ambassador Theatre 1978 White Pelicans Winston Lucille Lortel Theatre 1979 Coriolanus Caius Martius / Coriolanus Joseph Papp Public Theater/Anspacher Theater/Delacorte Theater 1979 Julius Caesar Casca Joseph Papp Public Theater/Anspacher Theater 1980 Mother Courage and Her Children Chaplain Joseph Papp Public Theater/Newman Theater 1983 Buck American Place Theatre 1984 Medea and the Doll Samuel Beckett Theatre 19871990 Driving Miss Daisy John Houseman Theatre 1988 Messenger Lunt-Fontanne Theatre 1990 Petruchio Delacorte Theater 2008 Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre 2011 8 Eugene O'Neill Theatre

Narrator

Year Title Notes 1994 Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories Segment: "Amos, the Story of an Old Dog and His Couch" 1996 Cosmic Voyage Documentary 1997 Documentary 2003 A Tale of Two Schools Documentary - Clipping from Newspapers.com. 2004 Documentary 2004 A Remarkable Promise Short film 2004 Slavery and the Making of America Documentary 2005 March of the Penguins Documentary 2005 War of the Worlds Narrative Feature 2008 Narrative Feature 2008 A New Birth of Freedom Documentary 2009 Prom Night in Mississippi Documentary 2010–2017 Through the Wormhole TV series (62 episodes) 2011 Curiosity Episode: "Is There a Parallel Universe?" 2011 Born to Be Wild Documentary 2011 Breaking the Taboo Documentary 2011 Conan the Barbarian Narrative Feature 2013 JFK: A President Betrayed Documentary 2014 Island of Lemurs: Madagascar Documentary 2014 The Mona Lisa Myth Documentary 2016–2019 The Story of God with Morgan Freeman TV series (15 episodes) 2017 The Age of Spin: Dave Chappelle Live at the Hollywood Palladium Stand-up special 2017 Deep in the Heart of Texas: Dave Chappelle Live at Austin City Limits Stand-up special 2018 Alpha Narrative Feature 2020 Savage Mode II Album (& album trailer) 2021 Great Escapes with Morgan Freeman TV documentary 2022Our Universe Documentary 2023 100 Years of Warner Bros Television documentary 2023 Life on Our Planet Documentary 2025 The Power of Chi Documentary 2026 The Dinosaurs Documentary

Music videos Year Title Artist Role 2002 "Waitin' on Joe" Steve Azar Narrator

Video games Year Title Voice role 2005 Batman Begins 2009 Wanted: Weapons of Fate Sloan

See also List of awards and nominations received by Morgan Freeman

Notes

References

External links

Morgan Freeman at the Internet Off-Broadway Database