Morgan Freeman is a famous American actor, director, producer and narrator. He is renowned in the entertainment industry for his distinctive deep voice. From kids’ television to Shakespeare’s drama, he is one of the biggest assets of Hollywood who has performed in numerous versatile roles. He made his debut acting at the age of 9 as a lead role in a school play.
The actor’s life is like a deep well, we can never obtain enough information. The deeper you dig into his life, the newer things you will learn about him. However, we have tried to summarize his life in this comprehensive piece.
Morgan Freeman
| Real Name | Morgan Freeman |
| Nick Name | Morgan |
| Morgan Freeman Net Worth | $280 Million |
| Birth Place | Memphis, Tennessee, US |
| Birthday | June 1, 1937 |
| Age | 84 |
| Occupation | Actor, Producer, Director, Narrator, Theater Actor and Activist |
| Star Sign | Gemini |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Broad Street High School |
| Wife | Myrna Colley-Lee & Jeanette Adair Bradshaw |
| Children | 4 |
| Son | Alfanso Freeman & Saifoulaye Freeman |
| Daughter | Deena Freeman & Morgana Freeman |
| Mother | Mayme Edna |
| Father | Morgan Porterfield Freeman |
Morgan Freeman Early Life
The talented American was born to father Morgan Porterfield Freeman and mother Mayme Edna in June 1937 in Memphis, Tennessee. According to DNA reports, his family belonged to Niger in Africa.
Freeman was sent to his paternal grandmother in Charleston, Mississippi when he was just an infant. He frequently traveled to different parts of Indiana, Mississippi, Chicago, and Illinois throughout his childhood.
Freeman’s father was a barber. He suffered from cirrhosis and departed from the world in 1961. He is the youngest sibling to his 3 older brothers. He went to Broad Street High School and enrolled in the United States Air Force after graduation.
Morgan Freeman’s Career
Freeman belongs to a low income family. The deprivations he faced in his childhood were the key point for him to begin his career in acting.
While his first performance was at the age of nine in a school play, his professional career started with a soap opera, Another World. From 1980 onwards, he took up several supporting roles that earned him an industry-wide reputation as a ‘father character.’
As he got famous, he was offered bigger roles in several outstanding projects. To date, The Shawshank Redemption is considered one of his best performances that got him the Critics Award.
Apart from that, he has appeared in movies including Robin Hood, Million Dollar Baby and Seven. In 2015, he did narrations for two movies, War of the Worlds and March of the Penguins. The same year, he starred in Bruce Almighty as God and portrayed Lucius Fox in the Batman series.
Freeman always wanted to enact Nelson Mandela. In Fact, he even tried to get the role in Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom. However, it didn’t work out. In 2007, he acquired the film rights to the book.
In 2010, he appeared in numerous hit projects including, Olympus Has Fallen, Red and Oblivion. Besides having a successful acting career, he was a famous activist. In 2005, he condemned Black History Month’s celebration by saying, “I don’t want a black history month. Black history is American history.”
By that he meant, the only way to end racism in this world is to ‘stop talking about it.’
Morgan Freeman Net Worth
Freeman is one of the renowned Hollywood actors who has worked on top-notch projects with famous celebs like Brad Pitt, Tim Robbins, Jessica Tandy, Tom Cruise, Clint Eastwood and more. As per the current year’s report, Morgan Freeman’s net worth is $280 Million.
Morgan Freeman’s Personal Life
Morgan Freeman’s first wife was Jeanette Adair Bradshaw. They married in 1967, however, they got divorced after spending 12 years together. From an early age, Freeman had extramarital affairs and had kids outside the marriage. In 1984 he married again, this time, it was Myrna Colley-Lee, but the marriage couldn’t go on for long. They parted ways in 2007 and officially filed for divorce in 2010. They even adopted Freeman’s daughter from the first marriage, E’dena Hines, but she got killed in 2015 in New York. The actor shares a son, Alfonso Freeman, with Loletha Adkins. Though, the two never got married.
Morgan Freeman is a generous man, he gave away 124-acre land to honeybees when he came to know of their decline.
Morgan Freeman Shows and Movies
Indeed, Morgan Freeman is a legendary asset to Hollywood. Over the course of his decades long career, he has built a massive fan following from around the world. Below you can find some of his best performances in different projects.
Morgan Freeman TV Shows:
- Shawshank Redemption
- Seven
- The Dark Knight
- Million Dollar Baby
- Angel Has Fallen
- The Bucket List
- Bruce Almighty
- Driving Miss Daisy
- Glory
- Kiss The Girls
- Batman Begins
Morgan Freeman Movies:
- Through The Wormhole
- The Electric Company
- Another World
- Ryan’s Hope
- The Twilight Zone
- The Earth Day Special
- Texas
- Mississippi Rising
Awards and Nominations
| Year | Award Show | Award Category | Film |
| 1987 | Oscar Nomination | – | Street Smart |
| 1989 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor | Driving Miss Daisy |
| 1994 | Film Critics Award | Best Actor | The Shawshank Redemption |
| 1995 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture | Seven |
| 2004 | Academy Award | Best Supporting Actor | Million Dollar Baby |
| 2009 | Black Reel Awards | Best Actor | Invictus |
Morgan Freeman Income
While it is unclear how much he earned, the young talent performed at a radio show in Nashville, Tennessee when he was in school. After he graduated in 1955, he got a partial scholarship from Jackson State University.
After serving 4 years in the military, he started working as a transcript clerk at City College in LA while attending acting and dancing classes. In 1971, his first movie, ‘Who Says I Can’t Ride a Rainbow?’ was released though, by that time, he was already known for his roles in ‘The Electric Show’ and ‘Another World.
Freeman’s source of income
TV shows and movies have been the primary sources of his income. One of his worth mentioning works was with Discovery Channel, where he served as a host for ‘Through the Wormhole’, which earned him a sizable income.
Famous Quotes by Morgan Freeman
“I always tell my kids if you lay down, people will step over you. But if you keep scrambling, if you keep going, someone will always, always give you a hand. Always. But you gotta keep dancing, you gotta keep your feet moving”
“If your life turns out to be good and you have a tremendous amount of luck in your life, it’s a good thing to turn around and make it work for others.”
“Don’t be different just for different’s sake. If you see it differently, function that way. Follow your own muse, always.”
Summary
Morgan Freeman has made a prominent contribution to Hollywood with his unparalleled talent and acting skills. His passion for acting is transparent in his projects like The Shawshank Redemption and Driving Miss Daisy, which earned him Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination.
