With an authoritative voice and calm demeanor, this ever popular American actor has grown into one of the most respected figures in modern US cinema. Morgan was born on June 1, 1937 in Memphis, Tennessee, to Mayme Edna (Revere), a teacher, and Morgan Porterfield Freeman, a barber. The young Freeman attended Los Angeles City College before serving several years in the US Air Force as a mechanic between 1955 and 1959. His first dramatic arts exposure was on the stage including appearing in an all-African American production of the exuberant musical Hello, Dolly!.

Trivia

Ranked #31 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]
Village Voice Obie for Coriolanus (1979) and "Mother Courage". [1980]
Village Voice Obie for Great Performances: The Gospel at Colonus (1985). [1986]
Village Voice Obie for Driving Miss Daisy (1989). [1990]
Father of Alfonso Freeman from his relationship with Loletha Adkins and Saifoulaye Freeman (born 1960) from another previous relationship.
Father of Morgana Freeman with Jeanette Adair Bradshaw. He also adopted his first wife's daughter, Deena.
Received the "Hollywood Outstanding Achievement in Acting" Award on August 7, 2000.
He was (along with director/actress Billie Allen, director/playwright Garland Thompson, and journalist Clayton Riley') a founding member of the Frank Silvera Writers' Workshop, named after noted Black actor Frank Silvera.

I gravitate towards gravitas.
[on his hesitation to do Along Came a Spider (2001)] I had a philosophic aversion to it. I didn't want to do the same thing twice. Then I realized that my philosophical aversion was bullshit. I realized I liked Alex Cross. And the fact that he's black is totally incidental. That's a rare thing for a black actor to find.
[on the failure of The Big Bounce (2004)] It was a wonderful experience. Steve Bing was the producer and was very generous. But the movie didn't turn out very well. The director [George Armitage] fell ill and we shut down production for a few weeks while he recuperated. And I think when he came back he just didn't pick up the ball and run with it the way he should have, and the movie suffered greatly for that..
I've been living with myself all of my life, so I know all of me. So when I watch me, all I see is me. It's boring. - on why he dislikes watching his own films.
I'm not intimidated by lead roles. I'm better in them. I don't feel pressure - I feel released at times like that. That's what I'm born to do.