Morgan Freeman And His Iconic Roles Through the Years

Over the years, Morgan “Did you just call me old? I really prefer the word experienced” Freeman has taken on a diverse range of roles, and has excelled in every single one. From commanding the screen with his unmistakable voice to portraying characters with wisdom and depth, Morgan Freeman only became a legend in Hollywood.

And since—as you can see from that first line—we’re his big-time fans, let’s dive into the world of whatever character he played over the years. And yes, we realize that he’s played in over 100 movies, so we’re only going to talk about his most iconic roles, that became his milestone and brought him to where he is right now. 

Whether he’s playing God in ‘Bruce Almighty’ or the wise Ellis Redding in ‘The Shawshank Redemption,’ Freeman’s presence is magnetic. In more recent projects, Freeman often plays a good guy, but exploring his roots and the darker side of his performances is a must for fans.

Join me as we celebrate his stellar career and the timeless impact he’s had on cinema on the occasion of his turning 80 this year.

Street Smart (1987):

Jerry Schatzberg’s hard-edged 1987 drama set in New York, “Street Smart” sees Freeman in the role of a violent, scarily manipulative pimp called Fast Black.

The movie follows a journalist who needs a big story to secure his future and accidentally writes a scandalous story that appears to have a lot in common with a dangerous criminal, who then, along with the police, starts to hunt him. 

Being one of Freeman’s first movies, Street Smart got him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. That led to Freeman receiving his first Oscar nomination and suddenly kick-starting his film career.

Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

Freeman’s role in the theater play version of this movie, was how he started to gain recognition. When Australian director and screenwriter Bruce Beresford, decided to make a Hollywood version of the theater play: Driving Miss Daisy, Freeman was the best option. 

He portrays a chauffeur to an elderly woman who is unable to drive herself any longer. As the years pass, Miss Daisy famously informs Freeman in the movie’s last scene that the two have become “best friends.” The movie received four Oscars including Best Picture and Best Actress for Jessica Tandy’s portrayal of the lead.

Unforgiven (1992)

The next milestone of Freeman’s acting career came when he was offered the role of Ned Logan in Westerner, “Unforgiven.” The story follows Clint Eastwood on a mission to hunt down a group of women accused of abusing sex workers, and he brings along his old friend, Ned Logan.

In the movie, Freeman plays a quiet but significant role. Despite having few speaking lines and little screen time, Freeman delivers a great performance that advances the plot of the film.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

“Remember Red, hope is a good thing, and no good thing ever dies.”

One of his most iconic roles, The Shawshank Redemption earned Morgan Freeman his Best Actor nomination.

Directed by Frank Darabont, this movie is based on a Stephen King short story, “The Shawshank Redemption” that tells the story of two prisoners who befriend each other in prison and plan an escape. The movie is famously known for Freeman’s gentle narration. It also earned a total of seven nominations including Best Picture. Additionally, it stars Tim Robbins, James Whitmore, and Bob Gunton.

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby got Freeman his first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. It follows a young woman who desperately wants to succeed as a boxer. This movie is, even today, remembered predominantly because of Freeman’s portrayal of one of the first people to believe in the woman.

The movie also won Best Picture, Director and Actress for Hilary Swank. 

Seven (1995)

Seven, starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman opposite each other, follows Detectives Somerset and Mills, one a more experienced police officer and the other a more recent recruit, work together to solve homicides. Together, they search for a murderer motivated by the seven deadly sins.

Freeman delivers a more methodical and intentional performance as Detective Somerset. His trademark voice lends weight to everything he says in this film and, combined with the religious elements, Freeman becomes the voice of reason and hope in the face of brutality and suffering.

Dark Knight (2005, 2008)

One of Freeman’s next milestones was his impactful role in the Dark Knight movie series. Freeman had a key role in all three of the Christopher Nolan directed Batman films starring Christian Bale. 

Batman is not Batman without the support of his closest allies. And one of the allies was Freeman’s Lucius Fox. Fox is an executive in the Wayne Enterprises company who helps Batman with his suit and technical weapons.

Other than these roles, he played “God” in Jim Carrey’s movie Bruce Almighty. He’s also played policeman Captain Jack Doyle in Gone Baby Gone. In his upcoming film, “My Dead Friend Zoe,” Morgan Freeman is perfect as the Vietnam Vet counselor, patiently waiting for Merritt, the protagonist (played by Sonequa Martin-Green) to begin her healing journey.
The fact that we’re concluding here doesn’t mean that the actor hasn’t played any more iconic roles. Because, even if a movie wasn’t much to go on off about, Morgan Freeman always managed to make the character his and deliver the best performance. So if we see it, all the roles that he’s played before are iconic to us.