*Morgan Freeman is an actor who an impressive and varied career on stage, television, and screen

*Most of the characters he has played aren't written specifically for an African-American actor 

*He has been nominated for an oscar five times, winning once

*He does not celebrate Black History month

Freeman has publicly criticized the celebration of Black History Month and does not participate in any related events, saying, "I don't want a black history month. Black history is American history." He says the only way to end racism is to stop talking about it, and he notes that there is no "white history month". Freeman once said, "I am going to stop calling you a white man and I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man." Interviewed by Mike Wallace-60 Minutes 12/15/2005. His career began in the mid-'60s, when Freeman appeared in an off-Broadway production of The Niggerlovers, and with Pearl Bailey in an all-African-American Broadway production of  Hello, Dolly! in 1968. Before studying acting, he attended Los Angeles Community College and served a five-year stint with the Air Force from 1955 to 1959. After getting his start on the stage, he worked in television on the PBS children's educational series The Electric Company (1971-1976). In 1980, he earned critical acclaim for his role in the prison drama Brubaker and the daytime drama Days of Our Lives (1982-1984). In 1987 he played a dangerously emotional pimp in Street-Smart (1987) and earned his first Oscar nomination. Freeman's film career took off and he appeared in a string of excellent films that began with; Clean and Sober (1988), Driving Miss Daisy (1989), Glory (1989), and Lean on Me. Freeman constitutes one of the few African-American actors to play roles not specifically written for African-Americans, as evidenced by his work in such films as  Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991),Unforgiven (1992).He received a third Oscar nomination in 1993 as an aged lifer in the prison drama The-Shawshank-Redemption. Other memorable performances include his work in the  films;Seven (1995), Amistad (1997), Kiss the Girls (1997), Deep-Impact, Nurse Betty, Along Came a Spider (2001),The Sum of All Fears (2002) Dreamcatcher, and Bruce Almighty (2003),Million Dollar Baby,(in which Freeman won the Best Supporting Actor oscar). By 2005, Freeman was involved in three of the biggest blockbusters of the year, War of the Worlds, Batman Begins and March of the Penguins.  He worked steadily througout the decade with: Lucky Number Slevin (2006),  Evan Almighty;  Gone, Baby, Gone and  The Feast of Love. He returned to the Batman franchise in The Dark Knight, a film that broke box-office records, in 2008. The following year Freeman reteamed with director Clint Eastwood for Invictus,where he portrayed South African president Nelson Mandela. For his work in that inspirational sports drama, he earned a Golden Globe nod, as well as his fifth Academy Award nomination. In 2010 he divorced from his wife Myrna Colley-Lee, whom he was married to since 1984. He has two sons from previous relationships,adopted his first wife's daughter and had his fourth child with Lee.  He is also close friends with Kenny Chesney. Currently, he Lives in Charleston, Mississippi and New York City, New York. He co-owns and operates Madidi, a fine dining restaurant, and Ground Zero, a blues club, both located in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He officially opened his second Ground Zero in Memphis, Tennessee on April 24, 2008.