Borned in 1937 in Memphis, he may have started late in his big screen career but when it finally kicked in, people noticed his consistent and controlled performances that are matched by few of his contemporaries. He spent most of his childhood summers in Chicago with his parents. He would scrounge for empty bottles and redeem them for the deposit payment to buy tickets to the movies.
He received Oscar nominations for his roles in 1987's Street Smart, 1989's Driving Miss Daisy and 1994's The Shawshank Redemption. He finally won his Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in the heart-wrenching 2004 boxing drama Million Dollar Baby, his second role in an Eastwood-directed film. Penniless in the late 1950s, he moved to Los Angeles to follow his acting dream. He picked up a job at the Los Angeles City College where he was allowed free dancing, singing, and acting classes. He struggled during these years waiting for his big break. He worked the theatre for decades. Then, in 1966, he made his movie debut with a tiny role in the drama “A Man Called Adam”.
He may have played the roles of a black president, twice as a black God and he has portrayed freedom fighter Nelson Mandela but he says dividing roles into black or white is pointless in the film industry.
Who is this actor?
He is Morgan Freeman.