Morgan Freeman: What You Don’t Know About The Beloved Actor

In June 2017, the adored Morgan Freeman turned 80 years old, but not everyone is talking about his age right now. Of course, there’s been a lot of talk about Morgan Freeman lately. From his respected place in Hollywood, charitable acts and iconic roles, it’s hard to imagine that his life has any blemishes. Well, fans were surprised to learn these little known facts about their hero, Morgan Freeman. However, we’ll get to the surfacing allegations later, but anyway, Morgan Freeman is surely more than just that smooth, impeccable voice that everyone loves listening to. Why, he’s even much more than just an acclaimed actor. Perhaps, you just know him as God from Bruce Almighty or Hoke in Driving Miss Daisy. Well, you’re in for a treat then because there is so much to learn about this fascinating man.

Fans have been obsessed with him since his various hit roles back in the 90’s, but sometimes, they seem to elevate him to godlike status. There’s often little spoken about his actual real-life character and where he came from. Sorry to burst your bubble, but Morgan Freeman is a human, not deity. Although, fans certainly worship him! If you’re not so set on worshiping this legend, after hearing some of these facts, you may indeed begin seeing him as an incredible role model. He’s without a doubt one of the best actors in Hollywood history. There’s no denying the mark he’s left. Yet, there’s something so mysterious about Freeman. Maybe its in his powerful and captivating voice. Or perhaps, it goes back to the pedestal people have put him on. Maybe after reading through, you will be able to crack the case. Anyway, it’s clear Morgan Freeman has something very special to him, that sets him apart. Freeman’s talents go way beyond the usual on-screen acting. It’s time you learn how this star got into the business. This actor may be up in years, but if you think this Mississippi native just sits around basking in his wealth, you are totally wrong. We have gathered the things that people never knew about this star. You’ll learn everything from his hobbies to what he’s chosen to get vocal about in the public sphere…and that probably will surprise you!

First Ever Acting Role Was Punishment

Now, let’s take you all the way back to Freeman’s first acting role. Apparently, he pulled the chair out from one of his female classmates.

This was his way of flirting! As his punishment, the school made him participate in their drama department play. Well, the rest was history!

Celebrated Actor And Beekeeper

Once Morgan Freeman learned about how dire the decline of the world’s bee population had gotten, he decided to take action.

While being interviewed on Jimmy Fallon’s show, he revealed his new hobby. This Mississippi actor now has 26 beehives at his 124 acre Mississippi ranch. What a guy!

Co-Owner Of A Blues Club

Back in 2001, Morgan Freeman opened a blues club in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The club, Ground Zero Blues Club, also has apartments for rent right above it.

However, you might want to be able to handle late night music if you choose to rent there! Anyway, does it really surprise you that the amazing Morgan Freeman is a co-owner of a blues club? Yeah, us either.

Special Cabinet For His Oscars

Back before Morgan Freeman ever had won an Academy Award, one of his friends really believed he would get one. This particular friend believed in him so much, he built Freeman a special cabinet for his future awards.

So, that was back in 1998 and then in 2004, Freeman won an Academy for playing the boxing instructor in the film, Million Dollar Baby. Talk about supportive friends!

Turned Down A Drama Scholarship

Many people would kill to win a drama scholarship. You may be surprised to hear that Morgan Freeman actually turned down his drama scholarship.

After he graduated from Broad Street in 1955, he was offered a partial scholarship to study drama at Jackson State University. Freeman chose instead to join the US Air Force. Actually, he was an automatic tracking radar repairman and even rose to 1st Class Airman.

Big Break

Back in 1967, Freeman got a big break when he got to act in the off-Broadway with Viveca Lindfors in the play called The Nigger Lovers.

The play focused on the time of the “Freedom Riders” during the civil rights era. However, Freeman made his true debut on Broadway when he starred in the very first all-African American production of Hello, Dolly! with Cab Calloway and Pearl Bailey!

Becoming A Familiar Face

Of course, he also got to star with the famous Bill Cosby in a children’s show.

That’s right…Morgan Freeman became a recognizable face in Hollywood once he landed a regular role on The Electric Company. However, it wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies when Morgan Freeman starred on the PBS show, but we’ll get to that later.

Impressive Net-worth

Alright let’s just remind you of all that Morgan Freeman has done/does in Hollywood before we tell you his outrageous net-worth. So, not only is he an award-winning actor, but he’s also a narrator and film director. Also, you should know he’s been ranked as the fourth highest box office actor.

His average box office gross comes out to $74.4 million per movie. Anyway, this star is worth somewhere between $150 to $200 million.

Licensed Pilot

Morgan Freeman loves to fly. Actually, he has even earned his pilot’s license. After getting his license, the star has bought at least three airplanes for himself. Fun fact, he didn’t become a private pilot until he was 65 years old.

In addition, this celebrity happens to be an advocate for General Aviation Serves America. Of course, he was in the Air Force for four years, starting in 1955. Perhaps, his interest began then!

Academy Win

Although it’s hard to believe that it took so long, Freeman didn’t even win an Academy Award until the 77th Academy Awards in 2005. Of course, you recall he won Best Supporting Actor for playing Eddie “Scrap-Iron” Dupris in Million Dollar Baby. Before that, he had accumulated three nominations.

Previously, he was nominated for supporting actor in Street Smart and leading actor for both Driving Miss Daisy and the classic, The Shawshank Redemption.

Playing Mandela

For some time, Morgan Freeman hoped to work on a film about the legendary Nelson Mandela. Initially, Morgan Freeman hoped to adapt Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom into a film script. However, the project to adapt the autobiography to film never got finalized.

Then in 2007, the star bought the movie rights to the book, Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation by John Carlin. With Clint Eastwood as director, Morgan Freeman played Mandela in Invictus with Matt Damon as Francois Pienaar, the rugby team captain.

Charitable Ventures

After Hurricane Ivan devastated Grenada, an island in the Caribbean, Morgan Freeman knew he had to do something. Together with others in 2004, he founded a special nonprofit called the Grenada Relief fund to help those affected by the natural disaster. Eventually, the fund turned into the organization called PLANIT NOW.

PLANIT has shifted the group’s initial focus by casting a wider net. Now, the nonprofit helps people prepare with resources for hurricanes and other severe storms, as well as helping those affected by storms afterwards.

He Fell Asleep In An Interview

While interviewing with Michael Caine for Now You See Me, Morgan Freeman appeared to have fallen asleep. People could not get enough of this moment! I mean, it did happen during a live television interview. To be fair, he fell asleep while Michael Caine spoke, not while he was being questioned.

Afterwards he joked about the incident saying, “Regarding my recent interview, I wasn’t actually sleeping. I’m a beta tester for Google Eyelids and I was merely taking the opportunity to update my Facebook page.”

Near Death Encounters

Luckily, Morgan Freeman has escaped death in several near fatal accidents. Unfortunately, he was involved in a crash during 2008 in Mississippi. Remarkably, he only broke some bones even though his car flipped over multiple times. However, he did have to be cut out and rescued from the vehicle.

Even today, he still has some problems with his left hand from that accident. In 2014, he made multiple emergency landings while flying his plane. Then in 2015, a tire blew out during take-off on the plane Freeman was on, but he got out unscathed.

Very First Starring Role At 50

Hey, some people really don’t hit their stride until later in life. Did you know Morgan Freeman didn’t land a starring role until he was 50 years old? After years and years of performing both on stage and the screen, Morgan Freeman finally got a leading part in Street Smart (1987). He starred in that hit film with Christopher Reeve.

Oh and no big deal but he was nominated as Best Supporting Actor for his role. Most people say this role led to his later parts in Driving Miss Daisy and also Glory. It’s never too late to try!

Doesn’t Like Black History Month

Many fans were shocked to hear, but Morgan Freeman is not a fan at all of Black History Month. Well, he didn’t only say it was “ridiculous” while interviewing with Mike Wallace for 60 Minutes on CBS. The star elaborated, “You’re going to relegate my history to a month?

I don’t want a black history month. Black history is American history.” He added that labeling people “black” and “white” run counterproductive to defeating racism, saying, “I am going to stop calling you a white man and I’m going to ask you to stop calling me a black man.”

Fighting Alcoholism

Back to Morgan Freeman’s role on that 70’s kids’ show, The Electric Company. Apparently, working on the show turned him into an alcoholic. Maybe you remember he played characters like Vincent the Vegetable Vampire, Mel Mounds the DJ and even Easy Reader. Freeman really abhorred it and said the “debilitating” experience drove him to consume alcohol.

While being interviewed in 1990, he said, “I began to feel like a prostitute against my will. They dangled money in front of me. I couldn’t say no. So, every day you get up and go to the same place and do the same thing and it makes you very angry. That’s when I started living a life that made me eventually say, ‘Did my mother raise this kind of child?’”

Started As Dancer

Clearly, Morgan Freeman’s talents go way beyond acting. Well, before he ever became a famous actor, this star was a dancer.

Back in 1964, he performed at the World’s Fair as a dancer with the Opera Ring musical theater group of San Francisco. Obviously, he’s an all-around talented performer!

Tough Childhood

Maybe seeing his immense success, it’s hard to imagine that Morgan Freeman ever had any difficulties. To the contrary, Morgan Freeman did not live a privileged life growing up.

Tragically, his alcoholic father passed away from cirrhosis. Then, Freeman’s paternal grandmother ended up raising him. In addition, his family moved around all the time, which meant making friends was always challenging.

Continuous Support Of Philanthropic Causes

Hey, it’s not just PLANIT NOW that Morgan Freeman so charitably gets involved in. Many call him a hero and role model for all the philanthropic causes he’s devoted to. Besides helping with hurricane relief, he is an advocate for the Mississippi Animal Rescue League and also a patron for the Campaign for Female Education.

If every famous celebrity could give even a tenth of what Freeman does, the world would be a better place.

Marriages

Morgan Freeman hasn’t always been an eligible bachelor in Hollywood. Actually, this star was previously married twice. First, he tied the knot with Jeanette Adair Bradshaw in 1967. However, the couple separated in 1979.

Then, Morgan Freeman got married to a woman named Myrna Colley-Kee in 1984. Myrna is a theater and film costume designer. The two divorced in 2010.

Adoption

Morgan Freeman has four kids, but in addition to their daughter Morgana, he and Myrna adopted a child. Well, you see, his first wife, Jeanette Bradshaw had a daughter named Deena from another relationship before her marriage to Freeman.

Deena’s daughter was E’Dina Hines. So, Freeman and Myrna decided to officially adopt Morgan Freeman’s step-granddaughter as their own child. Sadly, Hines was brutally murdered in 2015 at just 33 years old. We’ll come back to that.

Family History

The show, African American Lives 2 found out in 2008 that Freeman’s great-great-grandparents were in fact slaves. Also, they had moved from North Carolina down to Mississippi.

In addition, it was revealed that since his great-great-grandfather was Caucasian, he couldn’t legally marry Morgan Freeman’s great-great-grandmother who was African American. However, the two are buried next to each other.

That Voice

What’s the very first thing you think about when you hear Morgan Freeman’s name? Well, if you’re like most people, you probably start to hear that majestic voice. It’s quite distinctive, that’s for sure.

Unsurprisingly, he’s a sought after narrator. In 2005, he narrated both Academy Award winning, March of the Penguins and also War of the Worlds.

Other Children

Besides his adopted step-granddaughter, Morgan Freeman had his own children. Out of his children, two were from extramarital relationships. One of those sons is Alfonso Freeman. You probably know him from the big screen. Yes, Alfonso Freeman is an actor like his father!

He’s been in movies like Seven, The Bucket List, The Shawshank Redemption and Nurse Betty.

Amazing Golfer

Besides his amazing voice, Morgan Freeman is also known for his one-handed golf swing. Yes, he’s a golf fanatic! Whenever he isn’t filming, he can be found golfing.

He even became the very first American to make par on the South African Legend Golf & Safari Resort’s Extreme 19th hole. Ever since his 2008 car crash, he began golfing one-handed. Pretty impressive!

Allegations Surface

Back in 2009, allegations about Morgan Freeman engaging in a romantic relationship with his step-granddaughter, E’Dena Hines, surfaced. Morgan Freeman responded in 2012 saying, “The recent reports of any pending marriage or romantic relationship of me to anyone are defamatory fabrications from the tabloid media designed to sell papers.”

However, these allegations resurfaced when Hines’ boyfriend, Lamar Davenport, was on trial for her murder. For some reason Davenport’s lawyer spoke out in court in 2018 to say, “E’Dena Hines disclosed to Lamar Davenport and others that her grandfather engaged in a sexually inappropriate relationship with her.”

Legalize Marijuana

As far as his stance goes on marijuana, Morgan Freeman is all for legalization. He spoke out about it during an interview in 2015 with The Daily Beast. Freeman said, “Legalize it across the board!..My first wife got me into it many years ago. How do I take it?

However it comes! I’ll eat it, drink it, smoke it, snort it!” Then he explained how it helps him post-accident, saying, “I have fibromyalgia pain in this arm, and the only thing that offers any relief is marijuana.”

He Published His Own Cookbook

Alright so we’ve talked about his acting, dancing, directing, golfing and philanthropy, but he also published a cookbook! Yeah, add that to his long running list of talents and hobbies. The cookbook is called Morgan Freeman and Friends: Caribbean Cooking for a Cause. Naturally, he made it in order to raise funds for Hurricane Ivan victims.

In the description it states, “To raise money in support of the Grenada Relief Fund for victims of 2004’s Hurricane Ivan, Morgan Freeman has solicited a bevy of Hollywood celebrities to adorn this compilation of Caribbean recipes with their familiar images.” Some of the celebrity contributors include Tom Hanks, Tim Robbins and Katie Couric.