Press Release
African American Lives - "African American Lives 2"
Participant biographies
AFRICAN AMERICAN LIVES 2
MORGAN FREEMAN
In AFRICAN AMERICAN LIVES 2, Morgan Freeman discovers the relationship between his great-great grandparents Celie Johnson, a slave, and Alfred Carr, a white man who was not her owner. In a powerful revelation, Freeman is shown photos of their weathered gravestones, side by side, and learns that they were together for 35 years by the time Alfred Carr died in 1882.
Freeman was born in Memphis and served as a mechanic in the Air Force in the late 1950s before turning to acting. One of his first theater experiences was in an all-African-American production of Hello, Dolly! in 1969. His first television work came in 1971, when he landed several roles on the PBS children’s show The Electric Company. Freeman’s feature film work in the 1970s included Blade, Julius Caesar, and the title role in Coriolanus. In 1981, he portrayed Malcolm X in his final hours in the TV movie Death of a Prophet.
Freeman continued to work in films throughout the 1980s, culminating in Oscar nominations for his role as a merciless hoodlum in Street Smart and as a patient and dignified chauffeur in Driving Miss Daisy. He co-starred with Matthew Broderick and Denzel Washington in the Civil War drama Glory, and then received his third Oscar nomination for his performance in The Shawshank Redemption. In 2004, he won his first Oscar as Best Supporting Actor for his role in Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby.
In addition to his film work, Freeman’s commanding and mellifluous voice has led him to be cast as host or narrator of dozens of high-profile television and film documentaries, including the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Slavery and the Making of America and the Academy Award-winning March of the Penguins.
AFRICAN AMERICAN LIVES 2
MORGAN FREEMAN
In AFRICAN AMERICAN LIVES 2, Morgan Freeman discovers the relationship between his great-great grandparents Celie Johnson, a slave, and Alfred Carr, a white man who was not her owner. In a powerful revelation, Freeman is shown photos of their weathered gravestones, side by side, and learns that they were together for 35 years by the time Alfred Carr died in 1882.
Freeman was born in Memphis and served as a mechanic in the Air Force in the late 1950s before turning to acting. One of his first theater experiences was in an all-African-American production of Hello, Dolly! in 1969. His first television work came in 1971, when he landed several roles on the PBS children’s show The Electric Company. Freeman’s feature film work in the 1970s included Blade, Julius Caesar, and the title role in Coriolanus. In 1981, he portrayed Malcolm X in his final hours in the TV movie Death of a Prophet.
Freeman continued to work in films throughout the 1980s, culminating in Oscar nominations for his role as a merciless hoodlum in Street Smart and as a patient and dignified chauffeur in Driving Miss Daisy. He co-starred with Matthew Broderick and Denzel Washington in the Civil War drama Glory, and then received his third Oscar nomination for his performance in The Shawshank Redemption. In 2004, he won his first Oscar as Best Supporting Actor for his role in Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby.
In addition to his film work, Freeman’s commanding and mellifluous voice has led him to be cast as host or narrator of dozens of high-profile television and film documentaries, including the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Slavery and the Making of America and the Academy Award-winning March of the Penguins.