Editing Morgan Freeman (section)

===1964–1988: Early work and rise to prominence===
Freeman worked as a dancer at the [[1964 World's Fair]] and was a member of the Opera Ring musical theater group in San Francisco.<ref name=":7">{{Cite book|last=Young, Jeff C.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/726695810|title=Amazing African-American actors|date=2013|publisher=Enslow Publishers, Inc|isbn=978-1-59845-135-1|location=New York|pages=57–61|oclc=726695810|access-date=August 1, 2020|archive-date=March 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320141307/https://www.worldcat.org/title/amazing-african-american-actors/oclc/726695810|url-status=live}}</ref> He acted in a touring company version of ''[[The Royal Hunt of the Sun]]'', and also appeared as an extra in [[Sidney Lumet]]'s 1965 drama film ''[[The Pawnbroker (film)|The Pawnbroker]]'' starring [[Rod Steiger]].<ref name=":7" /> Between acting and dancing jobs, Freeman realized that acting was where his heart lay. "After [''The Royal Hunt of the Sun''], my acting career just took off", he later recalled.<ref name=":7" /> Freeman made his [[Off-Broadway]] debut in 1967, opposite [[Viveca Lindfors]] in ''[[The Niggerlovers]]'', a show about the [[Freedom Riders]] during the [[American Civil Rights Movement]],<ref>[http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/morgan_freeman_biog/3 Morgan Freeman Biography] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070403125911/http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/morgan_freeman_biog/3 |date=April 3, 2007}}. tiscali.co.uk</ref> before debuting on [[Broadway theater|Broadway]] in 1968's all-black version of ''[[Hello, Dolly! (musical)|Hello, Dolly!]]'' that also starred [[Pearl Bailey]] and [[Cab Calloway]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.masterworksbroadway.com/music/hello-dolly-1967-broadway-cast/ |title=HELLO, DOLLY! (1967 BROADWAY CAST) |publisher=Sony Music Entertainment |access-date=May 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180525062513/http://www.masterworksbroadway.com/music/hello-dolly-1967-broadway-cast/ |archive-date=May 25, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 1969, Freeman also performed on stage in ''The Dozens''.<ref name="Weber">{{Cite news|last=Weber|first=Bruce|date=April 20, 2008|title=Driving Mr. Freeman Back Onstage|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/theater/20webe.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=July 30, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=March 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320141307/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/theater/20webe.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Beginning in 1971, Freeman starred in the [[PBS]] children's television show ''[[The Electric Company]]'', which gave him financial stability and recognition among American audiences.<ref name="actors" /> His work on the show was tiring, so he quit in 1975.<ref name=":6" /> Television producer [[Joan Ganz Cooney]] said that Freeman loathed appearing in ''The Electric Company'', saying "it was a very unhappy period in his life".<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOAXUuT205s|title=Joan Ganz Cooney discusses the beginnings of "The Electric Company"- EMMYTVLEGENDS|date=October 21, 2011|work=YouTube|access-date=August 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927150516/http://www.sj30jet.com/news9-details.php|archive-date=September 27, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> Freeman later acknowledged that he does not think about the show, but he was grateful to have been a part of it.<ref name="street">{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JezWgZV7P6A|title=Morgan Freeman talks 'Street Smart', winning an Oscar and reveals that acting isn't hard|date=August 21, 2014|work=YouTube|access-date=August 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316154102/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JezWgZV7P6A|archive-date=March 16, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> His first credited appearance in a feature film was in 1971's ''[[Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow!]]'', a family drama starring [[Jack Klugman]].<ref name="Weber"/> Also that year, Freeman performed in a theater production of ''[[Purlie]].''<ref>{{Cite web|last=Morales|first=Tatiana|date=January 15, 2004|title=Morgan Freeman's 'Big Bounce'|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/morgan-freemans-big-bounce/|access-date=July 30, 2020|website=CBS News|language=en-US|archive-date=March 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320141307/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/morgan-freemans-big-bounce/|url-status=live}}</ref> After a short career break, he returned to work in 1978, appearing in two stage productions: 1978's ''The Mighty Gents'', winning a [[Drama Desk Award]] and a [[Clarence Derwent Award]] for his role as a [[wikt:wino|wino]],<ref>{{Cite news|last=Eder|first=Richard |author-link=Richard Eder |date=April 17, 1978|title=Stage: The Mighty Gents'|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/04/17/archives/new-jersey-pages-stage-the-mighty-gents-the-gang-grown-up.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=July 29, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180201101726/http://www.nytimes.com/1978/04/17/archives/new-jersey-pages-stage-the-mighty-gents-the-gang-grown-up.html|archive-date=February 1, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> and ''White Pelicans.''<ref name=":5" /> Freeman continued to work in theater and a year later, appeared in the [[Shakespearean]] tragedies ''[[Coriolanus]]'', receiving the Obie Award in 1980 for the title role<ref name=":7" /> as well as ''[[Julius Caesar (play)|Julius Caesar]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Pacino, Streep, Kline, Portman, Freeman, Goldblum, Sheen and More! Celebrating 50+ Years of Shakespeare in the Park|url=http://www.playbill.com/multimedia/gallery/photo-special-pacino-streep-kline-portman-freeman-goldblum-sheen-and-more-c-6029/17|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20141029113635/http://www.playbill.com/multimedia/gallery/photo-special-pacino-streep-kline-portman-freeman-goldblum-sheen-and-more-c-6029/17#selection-703.1-703.131|archive-date=October 29, 2014|access-date=July 30, 2020|website=Playbill}}</ref>

In 1980, he had a small role as Walter in the drama ''[[Brubaker]]'', which starred [[Robert Redford]] as a prison warden.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Brubaker (1980)|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/brubaker|work=Rotten Tomatoes|date=June 20, 1980 |language=en|access-date=July 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190506162917/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/brubaker|archive-date=May 6, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Freeman next appeared in the television film, ''[[Attica (1980 film)|Attica]]'' (1980), which is about the [[Attica Prison riot|1971 Attica Prison riot]] and its aftermath.<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 22, 2018|title=Morgan Freeman|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/19/entertainment/gallery/morgan-freeman/index.html|access-date=July 30, 2020|website=CNN}}</ref> A year later he had a lead role in [[Peter Yates]]' ''[[Eyewitness (1981 film)|Eyewitness]]'' with co-stars [[William Hurt]] and [[Sigourney Weaver]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Canby|first=Vincent |author-link=Vincent Canby |date=February 27, 1981|title=William Hurt in 'Eyewitness'|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/02/27/movies/william-hurt-in-eyewitness.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=July 30, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150107075415/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/02/27/movies/william-hurt-in-eyewitness.html|archive-date=January 7, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> From 1982 to 1984, Freeman was a cast member of the soap opera ''[[Another World (TV series)|Another World]]'', playing architect Roy Bingham.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Fearn-Banks, Kathleen.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/435778789|title=The A to Z of African-American television|date=2009|publisher=Scarecrow Press|others=Fearn-Banks, Kathleen.|isbn=978-0-8108-6348-4|location=Lanham|pages=151|oclc=435778789}}</ref> After several small roles in dramas, he starred in ''[[Marie (1985 film)|Marie]]'' (1985), a film adaptation of ''Marie: A True Story'' by [[Peter Maas]]; he portrayed Charles Traughber.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ebert|first=Roger|title=Marie: A True Story movie review (1985) {{!}} Roger Ebert|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/marie-a-true-story-1985|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028194304/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/marie-a-true-story-1985|archive-date=October 28, 2014|access-date=July 30, 2020|website=Roger Ebert|language=en}}</ref> He also appeared in the miniseries ''[[The Atlanta Child Murders (miniseries)|The Atlanta Child Murders]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|title=The Atlanta Child Murders (1985)|language=en-US|url=http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/123787/The-Atlanta-Child-Murders/overview|url-status=dead |url-access=subscription |access-date=October 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325023350/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/123787/The-Atlanta-Child-Murders/overview|archive-date=March 25, 2016|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=[[The New York Times]]|first=Hal |last=Erickson|author-link=Hal Erickson (author)|date=2016|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Freeman also had a small role in the drama ''[[That Was Then... This Is Now]]'', based on the [[That Was Then, This Is Now|novel of the same name]] by [[S. E. Hinton]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Blau|first=Robert|date=November 8, 1985|title='That was then. . .' A teen story for now|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1985-11-08-8503170089-story.html|access-date=July 30, 2020|website=Chicago Tribune|language=en-US}}</ref> In the mid-1980s, he began accepting prominent supporting roles in feature films, earning him a reputation for depicting wise, fatherly characters.<ref name="actors" />

In addition to television films, in 1987, Freeman played a violent street hustler, a role that diverged from his previous roles, in ''[[Street Smart (film)|Street Smart]]'' co-starring [[Christopher Reeve]] and [[Kathy Baker]]. Freeman's performance was praised by film critics, including [[Roger Ebert]] who wrote: "Freeman has the flashier role, as a smart, very tough man who can be charming or intimidating-whatever's needed{{nbsp}}... Freeman creates such an unforgettable villain."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/street-smart-1987|title= Reviews: Street Smart|website= rogerebert.com|access-date= July 13, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200804031152/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/street-smart-1987|archive-date= August 4, 2020|url-status= live}}</ref> Freeman's performance earned him an Academy Award nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]].<ref name=":10">{{Cite web|title=The 60th Academy Awards {{!}} 1988|url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1988|access-date=July 25, 2020|website=Oscars.org {{!}} Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|date=December 4, 2015 |language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724211840/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1988|archive-date=July 24, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> He later said that he considered ''Street Smart'' to be his [[breakthrough role]].<ref name="street" /> In his next film, he played Craig in the drama ''[[Clean and Sober]]'' with co-stars [[Michael Keaton]] and Kathy Baker. Although the film was not a box-office hit, it gained fair reviews; [[Roger Ebert]] gave the film 3{{frac|1|2}} out of 4 stars and called the performances "superb".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ebert|first=Roger|date=August 10, 1998|title=Clean and Sober movie review & film summary (1988) {{!}} Roger Ebert|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/clean-and-sober-1988|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200708010227/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/clean-and-sober-1988|archive-date=July 8, 2020|access-date=July 25, 2020|website=Roger Ebert|language=en}}</ref> Freeman also received Obie Awards for his roles as a preacher in the musical ''[[The Gospel at Colonus]]'', and as Hoke Colburn in the play ''[[Driving Miss Daisy (play)|Driving Miss Daisy]]'', respectively.<ref name=":7" />