With an authoritative voice and always a quiet look, Morgan Freeman has become one of the most respected figures of modern cinema. If your life is a movie you would like to be told by him.
It was God, President of the United States, President of South Africa, CIA chief, detective or taxi driver. "I like the roles, but you realize there's a difference between being actor and movie world." If you stay an actor, the world will go see the movies you play in, "the Academy Award-winning actor says wisely.
At the age of 77, with a gray-haired, light-weight hair with a career of nearly 100 films, the actor inspires class, style and is more active than ever on big screens.
He earned an Oscar in 2004 for his fantastic role in the Million Dollar Baby and received four nominations for Street Smart (1987), Driving Miss Daisy (1989), The Shawshank Redemption (1994), Invictus (2009). Three of them were nominated by the American Film Institute as the most motivating film in history: Driving Miss Daisy (1989) - 77th place, Glory (1989) - 31st place and The Shawshank Redemption (1994) - 23rd place.
His love for the movies began with small productions in New York in the 1960s, having come to light a decade later with the "The Electric Company" show for children. Oscar nomination for his role in "Street Smart" (1987) brought him to attention. During the 1980s, Morgan Freeman accepted secondary roles in many films, creating a reputation by honestly interpreting wise characters with parental attitudes, caring.
"If you live a premeditated life, your life has no value until you do something to provoke your reality," says the actor who has been campaigning for racial discrimination for many years. He thinks that racism is "still alive" in the United States, but is confident about the odds that over time this scourge will be eradicated.
Born in June 1937, in Memphis, Tennessee, young Freeman entered Los Angeles Community College at the age of 24 when he arrived in the sunny L.A. to follow his great dream. He debuted on stage at the age of 9, in a school play. At the age of 12, he wins an interpretation contest and thus opens his gates to a radio show in Nashville, Tennessee, in parallel with the school. The dozens of westerns he had seen in childhood and the films with Gary Cooper made him fall in love with acting. Encouraged by parents and high school teachers whom he graduated in 1955, Freeman knew that racism at that time would not make it easy.
After high school he tried to become a combat pilot in the Air Force but hit another wall - because he was black he was not allowed to fly. Before studying acting, Freeman worked as a mechanic in American aviation.
His first role was in a theater play in 1969. He then worked on television with several roles in series. In 1973 he managed to get a small role in the thriller "Blade", and hence his talent thrust him forward, managing to get roles regularly.
"We are all fascinated by the magic of the film. This magical event allows us to celebrate the present and look at the glorious past, "said Freeman this year at the Oscar Awards.
Until today, the actor named "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994), a true masterpiece that offers an extremely realistic portrait of life in a prison, the best film he has ever made. Nominated at 7 Oscars Frank Darabont's directed, written and produced film is the most voted film in history on the IMDb site with over 760,000 votes and considered the most popular since the 1990s. Film director Frank Darabont has testified that he chose Morgan Freeman as Red for his presence and authority. Although it's a legendary film, The Shawshank Redemption where he plays with Tim Robbins was a big box office failure.
The Shawshank Redemption is the movie that the world will always bring into discussion. It is the most common. I think apart from Casablanca is the most watched movie. I'm glad to compliment, "said the actor who thinks the film's name has made a production dysfunction because the world did not know how to pronounce it.
In the 1990s, his career took a giant stunt with Robin Hood's films: Prince of Thieves (1991), Unforgiven (1992), the great success directed by Clint Eastwood. He was a detective in the footsteps of a serial killer with Brad Pitt in "Se7en" (1995), was the president of the United States in "Deep Impact" (1998) and God in "Bruce Almighty." (2003)
He is often referred to as the greatest actor in life, which he does not endorse and says he is just lucky. The winning Oscar puts him in a closet in his office.
Among the more recent roles include Nelson Mandela in Invictus (2009) starring roles in Christopher Nolan's successful films, "The Dark Knight" and "Batman Begins" Rob Reiner's "The Bucket List," opposite Jack Nicholson, Robert Benton's "Feast of Love", Ben Affleck's "Gone Baby Gone," and "Lucky Number Slevin".
His distinctive voice was heard on the soundtrack of Steven Spielberg's "War of the Worlds," or in the Oscar-winning documentary "March of the Penguins."
She was married twice, the first time in 1967 with Jeanette Bradshaw she divorced in 1979. My second wife Myrna Colley-Lee divorced in 2010. She has four children, two girls and two boys.
In addition to acting, Morgan Freeman has participated as a member of the jury at the Berlin International Film Festival, set up Revelations Entertainment, a leading film distribution company, ClickStar, and is the host and narrator of science shows on various television channels, revealing his passion for astronomy and aeronautics. He is also chosen as a narrator because of his distinctive, powerful, easy-to-recognize voice.