It was recently reported that the great actor with the magnificent mellow voice, Morgan Freeman was in an auto accident but is now recovering from his injuries. This gave me pause to think about the long career of this enduring actor. I’ve always loved his voice, in particular, because he was an antidote to crankiness in any child I babysat. Turn on PBS’s children’s show Electric Company and they would stop crying when the 6’ 2” actor came on screen. Yes, he was indeed in this show before he came to fame.
A press release issued when Freeman joined the legion of stars with their hands and footprints preserved at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on June 5, 2002 nicely summed up the actor’s accomplishments. “Morgan Freeman has established himself as one of America's most admired actors by audiences, critics and fellow artists alike. His breakthrough performance in Street Smart in 1987, earned him the first of three Academy Award nominations, the other two being for Best Actor in The Shawshank Redemption and in the multiple Oscar winning Driving Miss Daisy, the latter of which also garnered him a Golden Globe. Freeman's diverse career spans more than 30 years, and reflects a constant mix of theatrical film roles, stage work and television specials.”
In the last 6 years he has gone on to play even more memorable roles including his Oscar Winning role in Million Dollar Baby and his cool performance in Gone Baby Gone. The Bucket List has been a big favorite in the library’s AV department. He can now be seen on the big screen in Dark Knight. And, The Human Factor, a film in which he portrays Nelson Mandela is in post production.
Feel better soon Mr. Freeman.