Few Black actors have had as much box-office success as Morgan Freeman. He’s regarded as one of Hollywood’s most respected and one of the industry’s greatest actors of all time. With his career spanning six decades, Freeman has worked with several of Hollywood’s top filmmakers and actors.
Morgan Freeman made his film debut in 1964 as an extra in The Pawnbroker. Over the years, his deep, authoritative voice has seen him do voice-over and narration roles in film and television. His acting performances haven’t gone unnoticed by the Academy. These are five of Morgan Freeman’s performances that earned him an Oscar nomination.
1. Street Smart
Morgan Freeman’s first Oscar nomination was for his performance in the 1987 crime thriller Street Smart. Freeman was 50 years old when the movie was released. Although he had spent over two decades acting, Freeman considers Street Smart his breakthrough role. In the film, Morgan Freeman played Leo “Fast Black” Smalls, Jr., a charismatic but menacing pimp. Fast Black becomes the subject of a journalist, Jonathan Fisher (Christopher Reeve), fabricated story about life on the streets.
Freeman delivered a chilling and intense portrayal of the character, capturing Fast Black’s dangerous unpredictability and manipulative charm. Critics and audiences were particularly drawn to Freeman’s commanding screen presence. His performance was unarguably a major breakthrough for Freeman in Hollywood, setting the stage for his future success. Morgan Freeman was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 60th Academy Awards in 1988. However, he lost to Sean Connery, whose performance as Jim Malone in The Untouchables earned him a win.
2. Driving Miss Daisy
Two years later, Morgan Freeman was nominated for his second Oscar at the 62nd Academy Awards in 1990. This time, it was for his brilliant performance in the 1989 comedy-drama Driving Miss Daisy. The movie was a commercial and critical success, grossing $145.8 million against its $7.5 million.
It was also nominated for Best Picture, amongst other nominations, at the Academy Awards. In Driving Miss Daisy, Freeman was cast as Hoke Colburn, an African-American chauffeur hired by Boolie Werthan (Dan Aykroyd) to drive his wealthy mother and stubborn elderly Jewish mother, Daisy Werthan (Jessica Tandy). The film explores the evolving friendship between Hoke and Daisy over a span of 25 years, set against the backdrop of racial and social changes in the American South.
3. The Shawshank Redemption
The Shawshank Redemption earned Morgan Freeman widespread acclaim and his third Oscar nomination. He co-led the film’s cast as Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding, a long-term inmate at Shawshank Prison who becomes the film’s narrator. Red is serving a life sentence in prison and befriends Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins). Freeman’s ability to convey Red’s internal transformation from a man who believed hope to be dangerous to someone who embraces it was one of the film’s iconic portrayals. Although Freeman’s nomination was deserving, he didn’t win. While he lost to Tom Hanks for his performance in Forrest Gump, Freeman was one of the favorites to win.
4. Million Dollar Baby
Morgan Freeman’s portrayal of Eddie “Scrap-Iron” Dupris was widely praised for its authenticity and quiet strength. Freeman’s Scrap-Iron character is a former boxer who works as a handyman at Frankie Dunn’s (Clint Eastwood) gym. Freeman also serves as Frankie’s confidant and the movie’s narrator. Although Million Dollar Baby’s plot centered around Hilary Swank’s Mary Margaret “Maggie” Fitzgerald character, Morgan Freeman’s Scrap-Iron character’s backstory added depth to the film’s plot. Million Dollar Baby was Morgan Freeman’s fourth Oscar nomination and has been his only Oscar win.
5. Invictus
Morgan Freeman’s role as Nelson Mandela is one of several times he has portrayed a real-life person in his career. Freeman teamed up again with Clint Eastwood for a third collaboration in Invictus (2009). The movie is based on real events and follows Mandela’s efforts to unite post-Apartheid South Africa. Mandela used the 1995 Rugby World Cup to bridge racial and cultural divides in the country. Portraying Nelson Mandela was no easy task, requiring a balance of gravitas and warmth.
Freeman’s performance honored the real-life legacy of Mandela by portraying him as a political leader and a symbol of hope and reconciliation. Morgan Freeman’s performance received special praise from critics and audiences and was widely seen as a masterclass in biographical acting. Invictus grossed $122.2 million at the Box Office against a $50–60 million production budget. Morgan Freeman was nominated for Best Actor at the 82nd Academy Awards but lost to Jeff Bridges for his performance in Crazy Heart. If you enjoyed reading about Morgan Freeman’s Oscar-nominated roles, here’s a list of Black actors who have won an Oscar.
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