One of the most distinct voices in movies and as a narrator belongs to Morgan Freeman. The diversity of the roles he has been involved in continues to grow even as he has been in the business for decades. He was born June 1st, 1937 in Memphis, Tennessee. His father died when he was young and his mom couldn’t care for him and all his siblings so he was sent to live with his grandparents. His heritage through DNA has been traced back to slaves in Nigeria.

He started acting when he was 9 years old in a school play production. He was very excited about it and took part in acting when he could. He won a competition for drama when he was 12. He was offered a drama scholarship when he graduated high school, but declined it. Instead, he joined the Air Force and served as a radar technician.

It was in the 1960s when he moved to Los Angeles and took acting lessons. He got small roles in films and in soap operas. It wasn’t until the 1980s that he started getting some large roles. In 2008 he was in a very serious car accident and the jaws of life were used to get him and a female from the vehicle. The accident resulted in a broken arm and elbow. He is left handed and can no longer move the fingers on that hand due to the accident.

Numerous awards have been won by Freeman for his roles. They include Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. He has been involved comedy, drama, and lots of action films over the years. He has starred with some of the biggest names in the industry including Jack Nicholson.

Many charitable organizations have benefited from the money, time, and the great voice of Freeman. One that he isn’t happy about though is Black Heritage Month. He feels that it only further promotes issues with segregation. He doesn’t get involved with politics much and has stayed quiet on his views in that regard. He has received two honorary degrees for his efforts to help society. One from Delta State University and the other from Boston University.

Morgan Freeman has been married twice. His first wife was Jeanette Bradshaw and the couple was together from 1967 to 1979. His second wife was Myrna Lee and they were married from 1984 until 2010. He has four children.