Morgan Freeman Through the Years

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Morgan Freeman Turns 80

Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage ; Richard Chapin Downs Jr/Getty Images; JEFF HAYNES/AFP/Getty Images

Born in Memphis, Tennessee on June 1, 1937, Morgan Freeman turns 80 Thursday. The beloved actor has been acting since he was a child, and got his start in Hollywood with roles on the soap opera Another World and the PBS kids’ show The Electric Company. He has gone on to capture audiences with his performances in films such as Driving Miss Daisy, Glory, The Shawshank Redemption, Million Dollar Baby, and many more. In honor of Freeman’s 80th birthday, see photos of the star through the years.

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1971

John D. Kisch/Separate Cinema Archive/Getty Images

On the set of the PBS TV series The Electric Company

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April 12, 1978

Bobby Bank/WireImage

Freeman with first wife Jeanette at the Mighty Gents Broadway opening party

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1986

John D. Kisch/Separate Cinema Archive/Getty Images

Publicity shot of Freeman in the film Street Smart in New York

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January 23, 1988

Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage

At the 45th Annual Golden Globe Awards

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January 24, 1988

Tom Gates/Getty Images

From left: Broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite, film director Joseph L. Brooks, Freeman, actor Jack Nicholson at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards at Sardi’s restaurant

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February 26, 1990

Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images

With Sidney Poitier at the D.W. Griffith Awards

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March 20, 1990

Ron Galella/WireImage

Attending the Annual Academy Awards Oscar Nominees luncheon at The Beverly Hilton Hotel

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March 26, 1990

Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage

With second wife Myrna Freeman at the 62nd Annual Academy Awards

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March 6, 1993

Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage

At the Indian Wells IBM/ATP Tour Awards Champions Cup at Stouffer Esmeralda Resort in Palm Springs

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September 24, 1993

Colin McConnell/Toronto Star via Getty Images

Portrait taken in Toronto

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March 27, 1995

Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage

With wife Myrna Freeman and their daughter during The 67th Annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles

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September 7, 1995

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

With Michael Jackson during the VH1 Honors in Los Angeles

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September 13, 1997

Richard Maw/In-Focus

In London

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October 1998

Catherine McGann/Getty Images

With Cate Blanchett at the New York premiere of the actress’ film Elizabeth

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September 18, 2000

LUCY NICHOLSON/AFP/Getty Images

Hugging actor Gregory Peck at the premiere of Under Suspicion in Santa Monica

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October 28, 2000

Steve Granitz/WireImage

With Sidney Poitier at the 14th Annual Carousel of Hope Ball at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel

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July 16, 2001

Fairfax Media via Getty Images

Portrait taken in Melbourne

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May 29, 2002

Kevin Winter/ImageDirect

At the premiere of The Sum of All Fears in Westwood, Calif.

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June 5, 2002

Gregg DeGuire/WireImage

At his footprint ceremony at Mann’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood

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January 16, 2003

George Pimentel/WireImage

Attending the premiere of Levity at the Sundance Film Festival in Salt Lake City, Utah

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May 30, 2004

Donald Miralle/Getty Images

Acknowledges the crowd as official pace car driver during the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

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September 7, 2004

Bruno Vincent/Getty Images

At the screening for The Sugarland Express at the Deauville American Film Festival in France

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February 12, 2005

Kevin Mazur/WireImage

With Diana Ross at Clive Davis’ Pre-Grammy Awards party at the Beverly Hills Hotel

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February 27, 2005

JEFF HAYNES/AFP/Getty Images

Posing with his Best Supporting Actor trophy (for his role in Million Dollar Baby) at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood

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November 16, 2006

Michelly Rall/WireImage

At the Sithengi round table in Cape Town, South Africa

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September 2, 2007

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

With Nelson Mandela at the Unite For A Better World gala dinner in Monte Carlo, Monaco

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December 18, 2007

Paul Morigi/WireImage

Discussing the impact of severe storms and hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, and Caribbean Sea at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

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December 7, 2008

Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images

The 2008 Kennedy Center honorees: (L-R, front row) performer Barbra Streisand, Freeman, dancer Twyla Tharp, (L-R, back row) producer George Stevens, Jr., President of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Michael M. Kaiser, musician Roger Daltrey, musician Pete Townshend, musician George Jones, and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Stephen A. Schwarzman

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November 18, 2009

Lester Cohen/Getty Images

With actor/director Clint Eastwood at the GQ Men Of The Year party at Chateau Marmont in Hollywood

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October 4, 2010

Lloyd Bishop/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Being interviewed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in New York

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June 9, 2011

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Receiving the Life Achievement Award at the AFI Life Achievement Award Tribute to Morgan Freeman

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June 7, 2012

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Attending the AFI Life Achievement Award honoring Shirley MacLaine in Culver City, Calif.

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June 6, 2013

Stefanie Keenan/WireImage

With Robert De Niro backstage at AFI’s Life Achievement Award Tribute to Mel Brooks in Hollywood

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January 18, 2014

Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Hugging Rita Moreno at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles

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November 18, 2014

Valerie Macon/Getty Imag

With costar Tim Robbins at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 20th anniversary screening of The Shawshank Redemption in Beverly Hills

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May 9, 2015

Richard Chapin Downs Jr/Getty Images

Waving before receiving an honorary doctorate at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

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May 8, 2016

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

On stage at the Opening Ceremony of the Invictus Games in Orlando

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February 6, 2017

Gabriel Olsen/Getty Images

Puckering up to Helen Mirren after being presented the Career Achievement Award at the 16th Annual AARP The Magazine’s Movies For Grownups Awards in Beverly Hills

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March 28, 2017

Jim Spellman/WireImage

Attending the AOL Build series to discuss Going In Style in New York City

Replay gallery

Account

Morgan Freeman Through the Years

1 of 41

Morgan Freeman Turns 80

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1971

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April 12, 1978

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1986

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January 23, 1988

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January 24, 1988

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February 26, 1990

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March 20, 1990

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March 26, 1990

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March 6, 1993

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September 24, 1993

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March 27, 1995

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September 7, 1995

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September 13, 1997

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October 1998

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September 18, 2000

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October 28, 2000

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July 16, 2001

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May 29, 2002

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June 5, 2002

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January 16, 2003

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May 30, 2004

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September 7, 2004

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February 12, 2005

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February 27, 2005

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November 16, 2006

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September 2, 2007

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December 18, 2007

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December 7, 2008

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November 18, 2009

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October 4, 2010

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June 9, 2011

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June 7, 2012

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June 6, 2013

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January 18, 2014

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November 18, 2014

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May 9, 2015

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May 8, 2016

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February 6, 2017