\”He\’s what I call an \’unsweaty actor. He doesn\’t push anything. Every moment he does is filled in. There\’s nothing forced, it\’s all incredibly natural.\” – Rob Reiner re: Morgan Freeman, quoted in Parade Magazine
Morgan Freeman might not like that we love him in the same role. The fact is, he\’s an excellent actor with a lot of range.
Yet, we seem to love his role of gravitas, and kind, strong wisdom, again and again. We never get tired of that onscreen comfort, Mr. Morgan. It\’s because it\’s natural.
There\’s our lesson: Do what you do best. Thrive on it, deliver it, bless the world with it. It doesn\’t mean you can\’t be creative or stretch your bounds. Just value and appreciate the special, unique role you have on this earth, and don\’t ever give it up.
Morgan Freeman was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and made his acting debut at age nine, in a school play. After graduating from high school, he turned down a drama scholarship to work as a mechanic for the United States Air Force. He got into professional acting in the 1960s, mostly performing on stage, with his Broadway debut in 1968, in an all-black cast of Hello Dolly. In the 1970s he began appearing on television, including on a PBS children\’s show as Vincent the Vegetable Vampire.
Freeman began to be known for wise, fatherly roles in movies in the 1980s. He starred in Driving Miss Daisy (a Best Picture winner) and The Shawshank Redemption, which both brought him Best Actor nominations. In 2004, he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for Million Dollar Baby. In 2009, he starred as Nelson Mandela in the Oscar-nominated film Invictus. His distinctive voice makes him popular for voice-overs and narraction as well. Freeman is also a certified pilot; he earned a pilot\’s license at 65, and owns three planes.