Morgan Freeman through the years
Celebrate the star with a look back
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The evolution of Morgan Freeman
Born in Memphis on June 1, 1937, Morgan Freeman 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 (1989), Glory (1989), The Shawshank Redemption (1994), Million Dollar Baby (2004), and many more. See photos of the star through the years, ahead.
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1971
On the set of the PBS TV series The Electric Company
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April 12, 1978
With his first wife, Jeanette Adair Bradshaw, at The Mighty Gents' Broadway opening party
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1986
Publicity shot of Freeman in the 1987 film Street Smart in New York
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Jan. 23, 1988
At the 45th annual Golden Globe Awards
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Jan. 24, 1988
Broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite, film director Joseph L. Brooks, Freeman, actor Jack Nicholson at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards at Sardi's in New York City
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Feb. 26, 1990
With Sidney Poitier at the D.W. Griffith Awards
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March 20, 1990
Attending the annual Academy Awards Oscar Nominees luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel
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March 26, 1990
With his second wife, Myrna Freeman, at the 62nd annual Academy Awards
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March 6, 1993
At the Indian Wells IBM/ATP Tour Awards Champions Cup at Stouffer Esmeralda Resort in Palm Springs, Calif.
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Sept. 24, 1993
Portrait taken in Toronto
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March 27, 1995
With wife Myrna Freeman and their daughter Morgana during the 67th annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles
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Sept. 7, 1995
With Michael Jackson during the VH1 Honors in Los Angeles
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Sept. 13, 1997
In London
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October 1998
With Cate Blanchett at the New York premiere of the actress' film Elizabeth
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Sept. 18, 2000
Hugging actor Gregory Peck at the premiere of Under Suspicion in Santa Monica
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Oct. 28, 2000
With Sidney Poitier at the 14th annual Carousel of Hope Ball at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel
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July 16, 2001
Portrait taken in Melbourne
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May 29, 2002
At the premiere of The Sum of All Fears in Westwood, Calif.
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June 5, 2002
At his footprint ceremony at Mann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood
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Jan. 16, 2003
Attending the premiere of Levity at the Sundance Film Festival in Salt Lake City
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May 30, 2004
Acknowledging the crowd as an official pace car driver during the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
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Sept. 7, 2004
At the screening of The Sugarland Express at the Deauville American Film Festival in France
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Feb. 12, 2005
With Diana Ross at Clive Davis' Pre-Grammy Awards party at the Beverly Hills Hotel
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Feb. 27, 2005
Posing with his Best Supporting Actor trophy (for his role in 2004's Million Dollar Baby) at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood
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Nov. 16, 2006
At the Sithengi round table in Cape Town, South Africa
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Sept. 2, 2007
With Nelson Mandela at the Unite for a Better World gala dinner in Monte Carlo, Monaco
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Dec. 18, 2007
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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Dec. 7, 2008
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, 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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Nov. 18, 2009
With actor/director Clint Eastwood at the GQ Men of the Year party at Chateau Marmont in Hollywood
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Oct. 4, 2010
Being interviewed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in New York
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June 9, 2011
Receiving the Life Achievement Award at the AFI Life Achievement Award Tribute to Morgan Freeman
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June 7, 2012
Attending the AFI Life Achievement Award honoring Shirley MacLaine in Culver City, Calif.
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June 6, 2013
With Robert De Niro backstage at AFI's Life Achievement Award Tribute to Mel Brooks in Hollywood
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Jan. 18, 2014
Hugging Rita Moreno at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles
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Nov. 18, 2014
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
Waving before receiving an honorary doctorate at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
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May 8, 2016
On stage at the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games in Orlando
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Feb. 6, 2017
Puckering up to Helen Mirren after being presented the Career Achievement Award at AARP the Magazine's 16th annual Movies for Grownups Awards in Beverly Hills
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March 28, 2017
Attending the AOL Build series to discuss Going in Style (2017) in New York City
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Jan. 21, 2018
Accepting the Life Achievement Award on stage during the 24th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles
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Feb. 10, 2019
Portrait taken at the 2019 Winter TCA at the Langham Huntington in Pasadena
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April 21, 2021
On set of sci-fi anthology series Solos