Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an American actor, director, and narrator. Noted for his distinctive deep voice, Freeman is known for his various roles in a wide variety of film genres. Throughout his career spanning over five decades, he has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Golden Globe Award. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Freeman was raised in Mississippi where he began acting in school plays. He studied theatre arts in Los Angeles and appeared in stage productions in his early career. He rose to fame in the 1970s for his role in the children's television series The Electric Company. Freeman then appeared in the Shakespearean plays Coriolanus and Julius Caesar, the former of which earned him an Obie Award. His breakout role was in Street Smart (1987), playing a hustler, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He achieved further stardom in Glory, the biographical drama Lean on Me, and comedy-drama Driving Miss Daisy (all 1989), the latter of which garnered him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. In 1992, Freeman starred alongside Clint Eastwood in the western revenge film Unforgiven; this would be the first of several collaborations with Eastwood. In 1994, he starred in the prison drama The Shawshank Redemption for which he received another Academy Award nomination. Freeman also starred in David Fincher's crime thriller Se7en (1995), and Steven Spielberg's historical drama Amistad (1997). Freeman won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Clint Eastwood's 2004 sports drama Million Dollar Baby. In 2009, he received his fifth Oscar nomination for playing former South African President Nelson Mandela in Eastwood's Invictus. Freeman is also known for his performance as Lucius Fox in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005–2012). In addition to acting, Freeman has directed the drama Bopha! (1993). He also founded film production company Revelations Entertainment with business partner Lori McCreary. He is the recipient of the Kennedy Center Honor, the AFI Life Achievement Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. For his performances in theatrical productions, he has won three Obie Awards, one of the most prestigious honors for recognizing excellence in theatre.
Known For
Credits
- 2025 · The American Revolution as voice
- 2025 · Now You See Me: Now You Don't as Thaddeus Bradley
- 2024 · Gunner as Kendrick Ryker
- 2023 · Life on Our Planet as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2023 · 57 Seconds as Anton Burrell
- 2023 · Lioness as Secretary of State Edwin Mullins
- 2023 · 100 Years of Warner Bros. as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2023 · The Muppets Mayhem as Morgan Freeman
- 2023 · The Ritual Killer as Dr. Mackles
- 2022 · Clint Eastwood: The Last Legend as Self (archive footage)
- 2022 · The Minute You Wake Up Dead as Sheriff Thurmond Fowler
- 2022 · The Jennifer Hudson Show as Self
- 2022 · Paradise Highway as Gerick
- 2021 · Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It as Self
- 2021 · Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard as Senior
- 2021 · Coming 2 America as Morgan Freeman
- 2020 · The Comeback Trail as Reggie Fontaine
- 2020 · Meeting the Beatles in India as Narrator (voice)
- 2020 · The Disney Family Singalong - Volume II as Self
- 2019 · Angel Has Fallen as Alan Trumbull
- 2019 · Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? as Morgan Freeman (voice)
- 2018 · The Nutcracker and the Four Realms as Drosselmeyer
- 2018 · America's Musical Journey as Narrator (voice)
- 2017 · Just Getting Started as Duke
- 2017 · Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies as Self
- 2016 · Ben-Hur as Sheik Ilderim
- 2016 · Now You See Me 2 as Thaddeus Bradley
- 2016 · London Has Fallen as Alan Trumbull
- 2015 · The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as Self
- 2015 · Ted 2 as Patrick Meighan
- 2015 · Last Knights as Bartok
- 2014 · Madam Secretary as Chief Justice Frawley
- 2014 · Madam Secretary as Chief Justice Wilbourne (uncredited)
- 2014 · Dolphin Tale 2 as Dr. Cameron McCarthy
- 2014 · Lucy as Professor Norman
- 2014 · 5 Flights Up as Alex Carver
- 2014 · Transcendence as Joseph Tagger
- 2014 · Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self
- 2014 · The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as Self
- 2014 · The Lego Movie as Vitruvius (voice)
- 2013 · Now You See Me as Thaddeus Bradley
- 2013 · Eastwood Directs: The Untold Story as Self
- 2013 · Oblivion as Beech
- 2013 · Olympus Has Fallen as Alan Trumbull
- 2013 · Tales from the Warner Bros. Lot as Self
- 2012 · The Dark Knight Rises as Fox
- 2012 · The Magic of Belle Isle as Monte Wildhorn
- 2012 · Betty White's 90th Birthday: A Tribute to America's Golden Girl as Self
- 2011 · Conan the Barbarian as Narrator (voice)
- 2010 · RED as Joe Matheson
- 2010 · Through the Wormhole as Self - Host
- 2009 · 30 for 30 as
- 2009 · The Jay Leno Show as Self
- 2008 · The Dark Knight as Lucius Fox
- 2008 · Wanted as Sloan
- 2007 · The Bucket List as Carter Chambers
- 2007 · Gone Baby Gone as Jack Doyle
- 2007 · AFI: 100 Years... 100 Movies... 10th Anniversary Edition as Self
- 2007 · Evan Almighty as God
- 2007 · The Graham Norton Show as Self
- 2006 · The Electric Company's Greatest Hits & Bits as Self
- 2006 · Boffo! Tinseltown's Bombs and Blockbusters as Self
- 2006 · The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays as Jaques (segment "As You Like It")
- 2006 · The Contract as Frank Carden
- 2006 · Lucky Number Slevin as The Boss
- 2005 · The Reichen Show as Self - Guest
- 2005 · Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon as Neil Armstrong (voice)
- 2005 · Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast as Self
- 2005 · War of the Worlds as Narrator (voice)
- 2005 · Batman Begins as Lucius Fox
- 2005 · Unleashed as Sam
- 2005 · March of the Penguins as Narrator
- 2005 · The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson as Self
- 2004 · Million Dollar Baby as Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris
- 2003 · The Ellen DeGeneres Show as Self
- 2003 · Bruce Almighty as God
- 2003 · Dreamcatcher as Col. Abraham Curtis
- 2003 · Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Self - Guest
- 2002 · All on Accounta Pullin' a Trigger as Self
- 2002 · Eastwood & Co.: Making 'Unforgiven' as Self
- 2002 · The Sum of All Fears as DCI William Cabot
- 2002 · High Crimes as Charlie Grimes
- 2001 · Along Came a Spider as Alex Cross
- 2000 · Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows as Narrator (voice)
- 2000 · Under Suspicion as Captain Victor Benezet
- 1999 · Stephen King: Shining in the Dark as Self
- 1998 · Deep Impact as President Tom Beck
- 1998 · Hard Rain as Jim
- 1998 · Parkinson as Self
- 1997 · Kiss the Girls as Det. Alex Cross
- 1997 · The View as Self
- 1997 · The Chris Rock Show as
- 1996 · Chain Reaction as Paul Shannon
- 1996 · The Daily Show as Self
- 1996 · Inside the White House as Narrator (voice)
- 1995 · Se7en as Somerset
- 1995 · Outbreak as General Billy Ford
- 1994 · The Shawshank Redemption as Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding
- 1993 · Late Night with Conan O'Brien as Self - Guest
- 1992 · Eastwood & Co.: Making 'Unforgiven' as Self
- 1992 · Unforgiven as Ned Logan
- 1992 · HBO First Look as
- 1992 · The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as
- 1992 · The Power of One as Geel Piet
- 1991 · Pebble Mill as Self
- 1991 · Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves as Azeem
- 1991 · Robin Hood: The Myth, the Man, the Movie as Self
- 1990 · The Bonfire of the Vanities as Judge Leonard White
- 1990 · Night of 100 Stars III as Self
- 1989 · Glory as Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins
- 1989 · Driving Miss Daisy as Hoke Colburn
- 1989 · Lean On Me as Principal Joe Clark
- 1988 · American Experience as Narrator (voice)
- 1988 · LIVE with Kelly and Mark as
- 1986 · American Masters as Narrator (voice)
- 1985 · That Was Then... This Is Now as Charlie Woods
- 1985 · The Twilight Zone as Tony (segment "Dealer's Choice")
- 1985 · Marie: A True Story as Charles Traughber
- 1984 · Goldene Kamera as Self
- 1979 · CBS News Sunday Morning as Self
- 1978 · The Kennedy Center Honors as Self
- 1975 · Saturday Night Live as Self - Cameo (uncredited)
- 1971 · Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow! as Afro
- 1971 · The Electric Company as Mad Scientist
- 1971 · The Electric Company as Easy Reader
- 1971 · The Electric Company as Count Dracula
- 1971 · Great Performances as Messenger
- 1968 · 60 Minutes as Self
- 1968 · Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? as Grand Central Commuter (uncredited)
- 1968 · Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? as Grand Central Commuter
- 1966 · A Man Called Adam as Party Guest (uncredited)
- 1965 · The Pawnbroker as Man on Street (Uncredited)
- 1956 · Tony Awards as Self - Performer
- 1953 · The Oscars as Self - Presenter
- 1953 · The Oscars as Self
- 1944 · Golden Globe Awards as Self - Presenter
- 1944 · Golden Globe Awards as Self - Nominee
- 1944 · Golden Globe Awards as Self
- 1944 · Golden Globe Awards as Self - Cecil B. DeMille Award Recipient
- Future · Hate to See You Go as Sonny Bell
- 2025 · Number One on the Call Sheet as Self
- 2024 · How to Rob a Bank as Azeem (archive footage)
- 2024 · My Dead Friend Zoe as Dr. Cole
- 2023 · 761st Tank Battalion: The Original Black Panthers as Self
- 2023 · A Good Person as Daniel
- 2022 · Our Universe as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2022 · Betty White: A Celebration as Self
- 2021 · History's Greatest Escapes with Morgan Freeman as Self - Host
- 2021 · Clint Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy as Self
- 2021 · Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking as Self
- 2021 · Solos as Narrator (voice)
- 2021 · Solos as Stuart
- 2021 · Vanquish as Damon
- 2020 · Into Nature's Wild as Narrator (voice)
- 2019 · Brian Banks as Jerome Johnson (uncredited)
- 2019 · The Poison Rose as Doc
- 2017 · Going in Style as Willie Davis
- 2016 · The C Word as Narrator (voice)
- 2016 · The Story of God with Morgan Freeman as Self - Host
- 2015 · Momentum as Senator
- 2015 · JFK & LBJ: A Time for Greatness as Narrator (voice)
- 2014 · Island of Lemurs: Madagascar as Narrator (voice)
- 2013 · JFK: A President Betrayed as Narrator (voice)
- 2013 · Last Vegas as Archibald 'Archie' Clayton
- 2012 · Ending the Knight as Self
- 2012 · B.B. King: The Life of Riley as Narrator (voice)
- 2012 · Le frontiere dell'Astronomia - EP-7 Vite aliene nel cosmo as Narratore
- 2011 · Dolphin Tale as Dr. McCarthy
- 2011 · Clint Eastwood's West as Self
- 2011 · Breaking the Taboo as Narrator (voice)
- 2011 · Born to Be Wild as Narrator (voice)
- 2010 · The President's Photographer: Fifty Years Inside the Oval Office as Narrator (voice)
- 2009 · The People Speak as Self
- 2009 · Invictus as Nelson Mandela
- 2009 · The Maiden Heist as Charles Peterson
- 2009 · Thick as Thieves as Keith Ripley
- 2008 · A Raisin in the Sun as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
- 2007 · Feast of Love as Harry Stevenson
- 2006 · 10 Items or Less as 'Him'
- 2005 · An Unfinished Life as Mitch Bradley
- 2005 · Edison as Ashford
- 2005 · Nos Bastidores de Hollywood as Self (archive footage)
- 2004 · Survivors of the Shoah: Visual History Foundation as
- 2004 · The Big Bounce as Walter Crewes
- 1999 · Mark Twain Prize as Self
- 1997 · The Long Way Home as Narrator (voice)
- 1997 · The Making of Se7en as Self
- 1996 · Blacklist: Hollywood on Trial as Edward G. Robinson
- 1992 · Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories as Narrator (voice)
- 1991 · The True Story of Glory Continues as Narrator (voice)
- 1990 · The Civil War as Frederick Douglass
- 1989 · Johnny Handsome as Lt. A.Z. Drones
- 1987 · Fight for Life as Dr. Sherard
- 1987 · Street Smart as Leo "Fast Black" Smalls, Jr.
- 1986 · Resting Place as Luther Johnson
- 1984 · Harry & Son as Siemanowski
- 1981 · Eyewitness as Lieutenant Black
- 1981 · Death of a Prophet as Malcolm X
- 1980 · Brubaker as Walter
- 1978 · Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry as Uncle Hammer
- 1974 · Spidey Super Stories as Count Dracula
- 1974 · Spidey Super Stories as Easy Reader
- 1974 · Spidey Super Stories as Police officer
- 1974 · Spidey Super Stories as Umpire
- 1973 · Blade as Chris
- 1973 · The American Film Institute Salute to ... as Self
- 1952 · Today as Self
- 1951 · Hallmark Hall of Fame as Clarence
- 1951 · Hallmark Hall of Fame as Luther
- Future · The Blues Live On! The Delta Blues Museum as Narrator (voice)
- 2025 · The Power of Chi as (narrator)
- 2024 · Odysseus Returns as Narrator
- 2022 · Sidney as Self
- 2022 · Power of Chi as Narrator (voice)
- 2017 · The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman as Self - Host
- 2017 · The Words That Built America as Self - Reader: Declaration of Independence
- 2017 · March of the Penguins 2: The Next Step as Narrator (English voice)
- 2014 · Wish Wizard as Maxwell Omni
- 2013 · The Editor and The Dragon: Horace Carter Fights the Klan as Narrator (voice)
- 2011 · Curiosity as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2010 · The 16th Man as Narrator (voice)
- 2010 · The Eastwood Factor as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2009 · Live from Studio Five as Self
- 2008 · Where the Water Meets the Sky as
- 2007 · All About Us as Self
- 2005 · Slavery and the Making of America as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2004 · America Beyond the Color Line as Self
- 2003 · Guilty by Association as Lt. Redding
- 2003 · Levity as Miles Evans
- 2000 · Nurse Betty as Charlie
- 1998 · Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist as Self
- 1997 · Amistad as Theodore Joadson
- 1996 · Cosmic Voyage as Narrator (voice)
- 1996 · Moll Flanders as Hibble
- 1994 · Inside the Actors Studio as Self
- 1990 · The Earth Day Special as Walter Samson
- 1988 · Clean and Sober as Craig
- 1988 · Clinton and Nadine as Dorsey Pratt
- 1985 · The Atlanta Child Murders as Ben Shelter
- 1984 · Teachers as Lewis
- 1978 · Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry as Uncle Hammer
- 1974 · Out to Lunch as Self / Croupier
- 1970 · Caught in the Middle as
- Future · Sniff as Joe Mulwray
- 2018 · Die Clint Eastwood Story as Self
- Future · The Promised Land as Narrator (voice)
- 2025 · Clint Eastwood : la légende as Self
- 2024 · From the Balkans as (narrator)
- 2021 · Morgan Freeman: Breaking Barriers as Self
- 2019 · Panama Canal in 3D a Land Divided a World United as Self
- 2017 · John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs as Self
- 2014 · We the People as Narrator (voice)
- 2012 · Echoes 'Cross the Tracks as Self
- 2009 · Prom Night in Mississippi as Narrator (voice)
- 2006 · Greasy Rider as
- 2005 · James Lipton Takes on Three as Self
- 2005 · Born to Fight as Self
- 2005 · Blues Divas as Self
- 2004 · Genius. A Night for Ray Charles as Self
- 2004 · The Hunting of the President as Narrator (voice)
- 2003 · Declaration of Independence as Self
- 2002 · Partners of the Heart as Narrator (voice)
- 2001 · Shawshank: The Redeeming Feature as Self
- 1991 · The Massachusetts 54th Colored Infantry as Narrator (voice)
- 1990 · Follow the Drinking Gourd as Narrator (voice)
- 1990 · Rabbit Ears - The Savior is Born as Narrator (voice)
- 1985 · The Execution of Raymond Graham as Warden Pratt
- 1981 · The Marva Collins Story as Clarence Collins
- 1979 · Hollow Image as Sweet Talk
- Future · The Little Bedroom as
- Future · CLINT as Narrator (voice)
- 1985 · The Gospel at Colonus as Messenger
- 1980 · Attica as Hap Richards
- 1974 · Energy Crisis as Self