Mo
rgan Freeman was hailed as “a prince in his profession” by Sidney Poitier, who, with Helen Mirren, introduced him as this year’s recipient of the Cecil B. De Mille award.
Poitier, himself a former De Mille award recipient, said Freeman invests the characters he plays with a third-dimensional aura and added: “You become the character and the character becomes you.”
Helen Mirren, a three-time Golden Globe winner, playfully chided Freeman for having made more than 50 films and only one —Red—with her.
The Cecil B. De Mille award is given every year by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.
The calm and authoritative Morgan Freeman, 74, had already had a long and venerable career by the time he became famous.
Born in Memphis, Tennessee, he made his acting debut at the age of nine in a school play, won a state-wide drama competition when he was 12, performed on a Nashville radio show while still in high school, danced at the 1964 World’s Fair and first appeared on screen in 1965 as an extra in The Pawnbroker.
He won a best actor Golden Globe in 1990 for Driving Miss Daisy and was nominated three more times, for The Shawshank Redemption, Million Dollar Baby, for which he won an Oscar, and Invictus.
The actor recently finished filming his role as a wheelchair-bound former baseball star in The Summer of Monte Wildhorn.
54 Responses to "MORGAN FREEMAN—A ‘PRINCE IN HIS PROFESSION’"
I’m sure to some this may sound cheesy but when I was in grade school I slurred my “s” and was dyslexic, so the school put me in speech therapy and remedial reading classes after school. Part of my homework each day, was to watch the Electric Company so I could practice both reading and sounding out each pronunciation of each of the words that were being said between two starving actors. (Rita Moreno and Morgan Freeman) I no longer slur my “s” and my reading is just fine. Through out the years I have always admired both actors but have a great adoration and respect for Mr. Freeman. I continue to watch him in every project he does, and I am ever admiring his continued excellent diction. I do realize that it was a mere coincidence that had his teaching me to read and speak well, but to this day he has never let me down. I love that he refuses to butcher the English language…ever! Mr. Freeman, I realize you will most likely never read this but I just wanted the opportunity to let you know the incredible impact you have had on my life. I know the words are small but the meaning is great…Thank you so very much. Renee’ Arrona
I like this ………………………….congs freeman.
I love all your films you are my mentor. I got my name from you cause you are a role model. Keep on