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Morgan Freeman has a slew of iconic roles over the years.
Morgan Freeman's Favorite Roles — From 'Shawshank Redemption' to 'Million Dollar Baby' and More!
Morgan Freeman wanted to be a fighter pilot and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force after graduating high school. But he said, “sitting in the cockpit of a fighter trainer — I suddenly knew my dream was a romanticized version of war, made by movies. I really wanted to make movies about it.”
Here are Freeman’s ten favorite roles and what the actor says they mean to him.
1. The Electric Company (1971)
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Playing Easy Reader on the comedy variety show “terrified me," he said. "You get to be a profile on television, on children’s television or just daytime TV every day, every day, every day. If that show had kept going, I might still be there."
2. Street Smart (1987)
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Playing pimp Fast Black “was about as far away from me as I can get, in terms of acting. It was more alien to who I really am," he said. It was a one-off. “If I’m good at something I don’t want to do that again.”
3. Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
![morgan freeman favorite roles](https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/s1vd8d1sx/480x252/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-3-1721762996641.jpg 480w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/s1vd8d1sx/640x336/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-3-1721762996641.jpg 640w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/s1vd8d1sx/768x403/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-3-1721762996641.jpg 768w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/s1vd8d1sx/1024x537/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-3-1721762996641.jpg 1024w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/s1vd8d1sx/1280x671/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-3-1721762996641.jpg 1280w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/s1vd8d1sx/1440x754/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-3-1721762996641.jpg 1440w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/s1vd8d1sx/1600x838/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-3-1721762996641.jpg 1600w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/s1vd8d1sx/2160x1131/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-3-1721762996641.jpg 2160w)
“It was an untold story that’s prevalent in the South: an old white woman and an old Black man who weren’t whole until they were together. But they wouldn’t bill it as a love story. They called it a comedy," he shared.
4. Unforgiven (1992)
![morgan freeman favorite roles](https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/NCr1d4HQ3/480x252/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-4-1721762823849.jpg 480w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/NCr1d4HQ3/640x335/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-4-1721762823849.jpg 640w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/NCr1d4HQ3/768x402/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-4-1721762823849.jpg 768w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/NCr1d4HQ3/1024x536/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-4-1721762823849.jpg 1024w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/NCr1d4HQ3/1280x670/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-4-1721762823849.jpg 1280w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/NCr1d4HQ3/1440x754/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-4-1721762823849.jpg 1440w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/NCr1d4HQ3/1600x838/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-4-1721762823849.jpg 1600w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/NCr1d4HQ3/2160x1131/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-4-1721762823849.jpg 2160w)
"When I was a kid, I was a cowboy. I had a cap pistol, and I’d get up in the morning and strap it on. Clint Eastwood may be my favorite director of all … and I have some that I like a lot!” he raved.
5. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
![morgan freeman favorite roles](https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/txaGebNqs/480x252/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-6-1721762543391.jpg 480w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/txaGebNqs/640x336/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-6-1721762543391.jpg 640w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/txaGebNqs/768x403/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-6-1721762543391.jpg 768w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/txaGebNqs/1024x537/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-6-1721762543391.jpg 1024w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/txaGebNqs/1280x671/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-6-1721762543391.jpg 1280w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/txaGebNqs/1440x754/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-6-1721762543391.jpg 1440w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/txaGebNqs/1600x838/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-6-1721762543391.jpg 1600w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/txaGebNqs/2160x1131/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-6-1721762543391.jpg 2160w)
"About everywhere you go, people say, The Shawshank Redemption — greatest movie I ever saw.’ Just comes out of them," he said.
6. Kiss the Girls (1997)
![morgan freeman favorite roles](https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/TrgycDlk5/480x252/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-5-1721762525935.jpg 480w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/TrgycDlk5/640x335/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-5-1721762525935.jpg 640w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/TrgycDlk5/768x402/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-5-1721762525935.jpg 768w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/TrgycDlk5/1024x536/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-5-1721762525935.jpg 1024w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/TrgycDlk5/1280x670/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-5-1721762525935.jpg 1280w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/TrgycDlk5/1440x754/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-5-1721762525935.jpg 1440w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/TrgycDlk5/1600x838/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-5-1721762525935.jpg 1600w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/TrgycDlk5/2160x1131/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-5-1721762525935.jpg 2160w)
Freeman shed his dislike of playing the same character twice, portraying detective and forensic psychologist Alex Cross in the 2001 sequel as well. “I realized that my philosophical aversion was b-------. I liked Alex Cross. That’s a rare thing for a Black actor to find," he noted.
7. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
![morgan freeman favorite roles](https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/hA6ouDhbH/480x252/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-7-1721762175779.jpg 480w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/hA6ouDhbH/640x335/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-7-1721762175779.jpg 640w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/hA6ouDhbH/768x402/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-7-1721762175779.jpg 768w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/hA6ouDhbH/1024x536/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-7-1721762175779.jpg 1024w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/hA6ouDhbH/1280x670/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-7-1721762175779.jpg 1280w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/hA6ouDhbH/1440x754/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-7-1721762175779.jpg 1440w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/hA6ouDhbH/1600x838/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-7-1721762175779.jpg 1600w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/hA6ouDhbH/2160x1131/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-7-1721762175779.jpg 2160w)
Fourth time was the Oscar charm. “It occurred to me that winning the nomination is probably the height of it. It’s about as far as you can reasonably go. But when they call your name, all that goes out the window!” he said.
8. Invictus (2009)
![morgan freeman favorite roles](https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/3RL8wGNF0/480x252/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-8-1721762056750.jpg 480w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/3RL8wGNF0/640x335/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-8-1721762056750.jpg 640w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/3RL8wGNF0/768x402/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-8-1721762056750.jpg 768w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/3RL8wGNF0/1024x536/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-8-1721762056750.jpg 1024w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/3RL8wGNF0/1280x670/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-8-1721762056750.jpg 1280w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/3RL8wGNF0/1440x754/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-8-1721762056750.jpg 1440w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/3RL8wGNF0/1600x838/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-8-1721762056750.jpg 1600w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/3RL8wGNF0/2160x1131/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-8-1721762056750.jpg 2160w)
Before playing the South African icon Nelson Mandela, Freeman “felt destined to do something about Mandela. When he published his autobiography, he was asked who he would want to play him. He named me. I was sort of the chosen one, as it were.”
9. Red (2010)
![morgan freeman favorite roles](https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/RMtR70Eje/480x252/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-9-1721761921560.jpg 480w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/RMtR70Eje/640x335/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-9-1721761921560.jpg 640w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/RMtR70Eje/768x402/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-9-1721761921560.jpg 768w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/RMtR70Eje/1024x536/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-9-1721761921560.jpg 1024w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/RMtR70Eje/1280x670/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-9-1721761921560.jpg 1280w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/RMtR70Eje/1440x754/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-9-1721761921560.jpg 1440w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/RMtR70Eje/1600x838/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-9-1721761921560.jpg 1600w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/RMtR70Eje/2160x1131/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-9-1721761921560.jpg 2160w)
Freeman played a retired spy but as far as acting, “I think this business retires you. I’m not quite sure I can say, ‘Well, yeah, I’m going to retire,’ because if your phone keeps ringing, you’re probably going to keep working," he said.
10. The Story of God (2016)
![morgan freeman favorite roles](https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/n8-ts6eNl/480x252/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-10-1721761823157.jpg 480w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/n8-ts6eNl/640x336/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-10-1721761823157.jpg 640w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/n8-ts6eNl/768x403/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-10-1721761823157.jpg 768w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/n8-ts6eNl/1024x537/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-10-1721761823157.jpg 1024w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/n8-ts6eNl/1280x671/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-10-1721761823157.jpg 1280w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/n8-ts6eNl/1440x754/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-10-1721761823157.jpg 1440w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/n8-ts6eNl/1600x838/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-10-1721761823157.jpg 1600w, https://media.morninghoney.com/brand-img/n8-ts6eNl/2160x1131/morgan-freeman-favorite-roles-10-1721761823157.jpg 2160w)
Hosting docuseries The Story of God and The Story of Us helped Freeman find himself, including which religion he’s most aligned with: Zoroastrianism. “It is a belief system that is intrinsically me: ‘Good thoughts, good words, good deeds’ pretty much sums it up," he said.