Demetri Martin (born May 25, 1973) is an American comedian, actor, artist, musician, writer and humorist. Martin is best known for his work as a stand-up comedian, contributor on ''The Daily Show'' and for his Comedy Central show ''Important Things with Demetri Martin''.

Early life

Demetri Martin was born to a Greek American family in New York City, New York, and grew up in Toms River, New Jersey. He is the son of Lillian, a nutritionist, and Dean C. Martin, now deceased, a Greek Orthodox priest. Martin graduated from Yale University in 1995. Although he was accepted into Harvard Law School, he went to New York University School of Law after he received a full scholarship.

Career

In 2001, Martin caught his first big break in stand-up comedy when he appeared on Comedy Central's stand-up showcase ''Premium Blend''. At the 2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe he won the Perrier award with his show ''If I...''. The show was turned into a British television special in 2004. From 2003 to 2004, Martin wrote for ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien''. In 2004, Martin had his own ''Comedy Central Presents'' stand-up special. His special was divided into three parts. In the first, he performed in traditional stand-up comedy fashion. In the second segment, he used humorous drawings as visual aids, which would serve either as the punchline or a background. During the third segment, he played a guitar and put on a pseudo-play where he would strum his guitar while alternating between playing harmonica and talking; some of his comedian friends dressed as fairies and dragons acted according to the story he was telling, detailing the magical land where his jokes came from. Martin's mother and grandmother also appeared.

Since late 2005, he has been credited as a contributor on ''The Daily Show'', on which he has appeared as the named "Senior Youth Correspondent" and on which he hosts a segment called "Trendspotting". He has used this segment to talk about so-called hip trends among youth such as hookahs, wine, guerilla marketing and Xbox 360. A piece about social networking featured his profile on MySpace. On March 22, 2007, Demetri made another appearance on ''The Daily Show'', talking about the Viacom lawsuit against Google and YouTube.

He has recorded a comedy CD/DVD titled ''These Are Jokes'', which was released on September 26, 2006. This album also features ''Saturday Night Live'' member Will Forte and stand-up comedian Leo Allen.

Martin returned to ''The Daily Show'' on March 22, 2006, as the new Youth Correspondent, calling his segment "Professional Important News with Demetri Martin". In 2007, he starred in a Fountains of Wayne music video for "Someone to Love" as Seth Shapiro, a character in the song. He also starred in the video for the new Travis single "Selfish Jean", in which he wears multiple t-shirts with lyrics written on them.

On September 2, 2007, Martin appeared on the season finale of the HBO series ''Flight of the Conchords''. He appeared as a keytar player named Demetri.

He also had a part in the movie ''The Rocker'' (2008) starring Rainn Wilson. Martin played the part of the videographer when the band in the movie was making their first music video.

In 2009, he hosted and starred in his own television show called Important Things With Demetri Martin on Comedy Central. Later in June, it was announced his show had been renewed for a second season. The second season premiered, again on Comedy Central, on February 4, 2010. Martin has stated that ''Important Things'' will not return for a third season.

Prior to completing work on his second season, Martin starred in the comedy-drama film ''Taking Woodstock'' (2009), directed by Ang Lee, which premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. In the film Martin plays Elliot Tiber, a closeted gay artist who has given up his ambitions in the city to move upstate and help his old-world Jewish family run their Catskill Mountains motel. The film is based on the book written by Tiber.

On April 25, 2011, Martin released his first book, titled ''This Is a Book by Demetri Martin''.

Martin was slated to portray Paul DePodesta as Oakland Athletics assistant GM to Billy Beane in the 2011 movie Moneyball (film), however was dropped and Jonah Hill took his place in the movie.

Future plans

Martin sold his movie concept ''Will'' to DreamWorks; he is expected to play a key supporting role. He will play the lead in the film ''Moon People'', a pitch that he sold to Columbia Pictures.

Martin also signed a blind script deal with CBS in October 2010 to produce, write, and star in his own television series.

After CBS was shown the pilot for the series, they decided not to air it.

On August 11, 2011, Fox ordered a presentation of a new animated show they might air.

''If I''

''If I'' is a Perrier Comedy Award-winning comedy one-man show written and performed by Demetri Martin at the 2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It was also aired on British television as a special. The show is an autobiographical examination of Martin's life, as seen through various definitions of the word "if."

The title of the special comes from a lengthy palindromic poem that Martin wrote; the words "if I" are at the center of the poem.

Comedic style

Martin is known for being an unconventional stand-up comic. He uses one-liners and drawings on a "large pad", as well as accompanying his jokes with music on either guitar, harmonica, piano, keyboard, glockenspiel, toy bells, ukulele, or tambourine, sometimes all at once. He has cited comedian Steven Wright as an important influence (both use deadpan one-liners in their acts) and he is also a fan of Bill Cosby.

Personal life

According to a July 2011 interview on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast, Demetri had a short-lived marriage to a girl he knew from high school. They began dating after high school and got married when he was in NYU Law School and she was attending NYU Medical School. He was aged 25 and in the end of his marriage when his stand-up career began.

He is extremely allergic to nuts and peanuts.

Martin moved to Santa Monica, California in 2009.

Discography

''Invite Them Up'' (2005)

''These Are Jokes'' (2006)

''Demetri Martin. Person.'' (2007)

Filmography and television work

''If I'' ''12:21'' ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' "''Someone to Love (Fountains of Wayne song) ''Flight of the Conchords (TV series) ''The Rocker (film) ''Paper Heart'' ''Post Grad'' ''Taking Woodstock'' ''Important Things with Demetri Martin'' ''Take Me Home Tonight (film) ''Contagion (film) ''Conan_(TV_series)

Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
2002	''Analyze That''	Personal Assistant
2003	|	Himself	British television special, also writer
2004	|	Himself	short film, also writer
2004	|	Himself	1 episode, series writer
2007	Someone to Love''" ||	Seth Shapiro	''Fountains of Wayne'' music video
2007	Flight of the Conchords'' ||	Demetri	Season 1, Episode 12
2008	The Rocker'' ||	Kip (a music video producer)
2009	|	Himself
2009	|	Ad Exec
2009	|	Elliot Tiber
2009–2010	|	Himself / Various	writer, series creator, executive producer, and composer
2011	Take Me Home Tonight'' ||	Carlos
2011	Contagion'' ||	Dr. David Eisenberg
2011	Conan'' ||	Himself	guest

Written works

''This Is a Book'', April 2011, .

Awards and nominations

AwardPerrier Comedy AwardEmmy Awards Shared with Mike Sweeney (writer)Writers Guild of America Award Shared with Mike Sweeney (writer)Barry Award (for comedy)

Year	|	For	Category	Result	Other notes
2003	|	''If I''		Won	At the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
2004	|	''Late Night with Conan O'Brien''	Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Program	Nominated	Mike Sweeney (head writer), Chris Albers, Jose Arroyo, Andy Blitz, Kevin Dorff, Daniel J. Goor, Michael Gordon, Brian Kiley, Michael Koman, Brian McCann, Guy Nicolucci, Conan O'Brien, Allison Silverman, Robert Smigel, Brian Stack, Andrew Weinberg
2005	|	''Late Night with Conan O'Brien''	Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series	Won	Mike Sweeney (head writer), Chris Albers, Jose Arroyo, Andy Blitz, Kevin Dorff, Daniel J. Goor, Michael Gordon, Brian Kiley, Michael Koman, Brian McCann, Guy Nicolucci, Conan O'Brien, Allison Silverman, Robert Smigel, Brian Stack, Andrew Weinberg
2006	Barry Award ||	''Dr. Earnest Parrot Presents Demetri Martin''		Won	Award for best show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival

References

External links

Interview from November, 2006, in Onion AV Club

Interview from October 2006, in The DePaulia

Article, in ''The Scotsman''

Article, in ''Gelf Magazine''

Interview by Brian M. Palmer

MP3 Audio Interview on ''The Sound of Young America'' public radio show and podcast

Interview Believer Mag

New Jersey Monthly Magazine

Fresh Air, NPR.org

Category:1973 births Category:Actors from New Jersey Category:Actors from New York City Category:American comedians Category:American comedy musicians Category:American comedy writers Category:American film actors Category:American humorists Category:American people of Greek descent Category:American stand-up comedians Category:American television actors Category:American television writers Category:Living people Category:New York University alumni Category:Writers from New Jersey Category:Writers from New York City Category:Writers Guild of America Award winners Category:Yale University alumni Category:The Daily Show correspondents and contributors

cs:Demetri Martin da:Demetri Martin de:Demetri Martin fr:Demetri Martin gl:Demetri Martin it:Demetri Martin ru:Мартин, Деметри simple:Demitri Martin fi:Demetri Martin sv:Demetri Martin

Coordinates	46°19′25″N48°02′12″N
Name	Chantal Chamandy
Background	solo_singer
Origin	Alexandria, Egypt
Genre	Adult Contemporary, Dance-pop, World
Years active	2005–present
Label	Ninemuse
Website	www.chantalchamandy.com }}

Chantal Chamandy (born at Alexandria, Egypt) is a Canadian singer and entertainer based in Montreal, Quebec. She previously performed under the names Chantal Condor and Chantal.

Career

Her first success was as part of Voggue, a disco duo she formed with Angela Songui. In 1980, the duo released its first self-titled album, which contains the singles "Love Buzz", "Here We Are" and their most successful single, "Dancin' the Night Away". In 1983, a second album was released on Matra Records, containing the singles "I Want To Dance" and "Sunstruck Lovers". Voggue disbanded in 1984.

After Voggue, she recorded as a solo act. She released the single "Hands Up" in 1985 on Epic Records using her full name Chantal Condor. The song would be remade by Canadian trio Sway in 1987 and become a big Canadian hit. The single led to an album deal with the label, and she released the album ''Chantal Condor'' in 1986. Her style was sometimes described as Italo disco. Off the album came the singles "Marinero" (backed with "Don't You Want My Love") and "Nightmare". She received a Juno Award nomination in 1986 for Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year, but lost to Kim Richardson.

In 1989, she dropped use of her last name, releasing ''Chantal'', on the Columbia Records label. The single "A Little Lovin'" became her only charting single on Canada's RPM 100 Singles chart. In 1991 she became a member of the French-Canadian dance quartet Collage and appeared on their first and only album, but soon left the group. They then became a trio and the album was re-released without Chantal on the cover.

She did not release new material again until 2006, when she released a series of singles on her own independent label Ninemuse. She also used a number of unconventional strategies to get her name and material back into the public eye, including a self-financed marketing campaign on public transit and selling her single "Feels Like Love" for $1 a copy in the Dollarama chain of dollar stores, which resulted in the single selling over 10,000 copies and being picked up for sale in conventional record stores. She released ''Love Needs You'', her first new album since 1989, later the same year.

On 7 September 2007, she performed a concert in front of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt in conjunction with the Cairo Symphony Orchestra. That performance was released on album and DVD in 2008 as ''Beladi'', and was also made available for broadcast on PBS in the United States.

Chamandy is also credited with some small appearances in Canadian films.

Albums

''Chantal Condor'' (1986)

''Chantal'' (1989)

''Love Needs You'' (August 15, 2006)

''Beladi'' (2008)

Singles

"Hands Up" (1985)

"Marinero" (1986)

"Nightmare" (1986)

"A Little Lovin'" (1989)

"Angel In Your Eyes" (1989)

"You Want Me" (January 1, 2006)

"Feels Like Love" (August 8, 2006)

''Chantal'' album (1989)

List of track titles (writers) - Chantal performs lead vocals for all songs, unless noted otherwise.

"A Little Lovin'" (Brian Macleod)

"Angel in Your Eyes" (Brian Macleod)

"Don't You Want My Love" (Aldo Nova)

"Can't Dance Forever" (Ken LeRay)

"Let Me Be the One" (Peter Wood, Chantal) - Duet with Chantal and Michael Ruff

"Sometimes Love Can Heal a Broken Heart" (Peter Wood, Chantal)

"Imagination" (Ross, Bayyan)

"You've Got Potential" (Michael Jay, Alan Scott)

"Some Kind of Magic" (M. Mangold, Aldo Nova)

"Ready or Note?" (Peter Wood, Chantal)

"Bells" (D. Allen, R. Van Hoy, M. Humpris)

''Chantal'' was produced by Peter Wood

DVDs

''Beladi: A Night at The Pyramids'' (2008)

Filmography

''Scanners III: The Takeover (1992)'' - Female Guest. One of the sequels to ''Scanners''

''Crazy Moon'' (1987) - Cleveland's Girlfriend

''Wednesday's Children: Robert'' (1987) (Short film)

''Miles to Go'' (1986) (TV movie) - Meg

''Discussions in Bioethics: Critical Choice'' (1985) (Short film)

References

External links

Chantal Chamandy's official website

Chantal Chamandy on Virb

Chantal Chamandy's Myspace

Ninemuse's website

Chantal Condor at Discogs

''Chantal'' (album) at Discogs

"Marinero / Don't You Want My Love" at Discogs

[ "Dancin' the Night Away"] at Allmusic

Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:Canadian dance musicians Category:Canadian female singers Category:Canadian pop singers Category:Egyptian emigrants to Canada Category:Musicians from Montreal Category:People from Alexandria

Coordinates	46°19′25″N48°02′12″N
name	Pete Holmes
birth date	March 30, 1979
birth place	Lexington, Massachusetts, U.S.
medium	Stand-up, television
active	2005—
website	PeteHolmes.com

Pete Holmes (born March 30, 1979) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and cartoonist based in Los Angeles, California.

Early life

Holmes was born in Lexington, Massachusetts, United States.

When he attended Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts, he participated in the improvisational comedy troupe, The Sweaty-Toothed Madmen.

Career

Holmes has appeared on Comedy Central's ''Premium Blend'', VH1's ''Best Week Ever'' as a regular panelist and VH1's ''All Access''. His cartoons have appeared in ''The New Yorker''.

Holmes has provided the voices for several of the characters on Comedy Central's cartoon ''Ugly Americans''. He is the voice of the e-trade baby on television commercials and is also credited as a writer for the commercials.

In 2010, he performed on ''John Oliver's New York Stand Up Show'' as well as ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon''. On February 26, 2010, he performed his first television special on the series ''Comedy Central Presents''. On March 21, 2011, he appeared on the TBS talk show ''Conan''.

He writes for the NBC primetime sitcom ''Outsourced''.

Notes

External links

Front Page Films

Category:1979 births Category:American stand-up comedians Category:Living people Category:Place of birth missing (living people)

sv:Pete Holmes

Coordinates	46°19′25″N48°02′12″N
Name	Justin Long
birthname	Justin Jacob Long
birth date	June 02, 1978
birth place	Fairfield, Connecticut
occupation	Actor
yearsactive	1999–present
domestic partner	''Drew Barrymore'' (2006–2008)
website	}}

Justin Jacob Long (born June 2, 1978) is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his roles in the Hollywood films ''Galaxy Quest'', ''Jeepers Creepers'', ''Dodgeball'', ''Live Free or Die Hard'', ''He's Just Not That into You'', ''Drag Me to Hell'', and ''Youth in Revolt'', and his personification of a Mac in Apple's "Get a Mac" advertising campaign.

Early life

Long, the middle of three brothers, was born in Fairfield, Connecticut. His father, Raymond James Long, was a philosophy and Latin professor at Fairfield University, and his mother, Wendy Lesniak, is an actress who has mostly appeared on stage. Long had a conservative Roman Catholic upbringing. His grandmother is Sicilian. His older brother, Damian, is a local stage actor as well as a teacher and theater director at Weston High School. His younger brother, Christian, appears in Justin's film ''Accepted'' as the school mascot. Long attended Fairfield College Preparatory School, a Jesuit school, and Vassar College, where he was a member of the sketch comedy group Laughingstock and starred in several plays, including ''Butterflies Are Free''. Long worked at Sacred Heart University as an acting instructor/counselor for a children's theater group.

Career

Long's film credits include ''Idiocracy'', ''Waiting...'', ''Jeepers Creepers'', ''Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story'', ''The Break-Up'', ''Crossroads'', ''Galaxy Quest'', ''Dreamland'', ''Alvin and the Chipmunks'' and ''Live Free Or Die Hard''. He was also a regular on the NBC TV series ''Ed'' (2000–2004), playing socially awkward Warren Cheswick. He voiced the character of Alvin in 2007's ''Alvin and the Chipmunks'' and played the main character in the 2006 comedy film ''Accepted''.

He made a guest appearance in the 2006 documentary, ''Wild West Comedy Show''. In 2007, he co-starred with Bruce Willis as a "white-hat hacker" in ''Live Free or Die Hard'' and had a role in the film, ''The Sasquatch Dumpling Gang''.

Long is known for his depiction of a Mac in Apple's “Get a Mac” campaign. The campaign features commercials in which Long as a Mac and John Hodgman as a PC engage in playful banter about "the strengths of the Mac platform and weaknesses of the PC platform."

Long also had a small role in the 2008 comedy ''Zack and Miri Make a Porno'', where he plays Brandon St. Randy, a gay porn star. In 2009, he starred in ''He's Just Not That into You'' along with co-star Ginnifer Goodwin and ''After.Life'' opposite Liam Neeson and Christina Ricci. He also provided the voice of Humphery in ''Alpha and Omega'' (2010), starring with Hayden Panettiere. Also in 2010, Long starred in the comedy ''Going the Distance'' with Drew Barrymore. He was cast as a one-armed Civil War veteran in Robert Redford's ''The Conspirator''.

Long read the audiobook version of Judy Blume's ''Then Again, Maybe I Won't'' and Stephen King's ''Everything's Eventual''. From July 7–18, 2010, he appeared in a production of ''Samuel J. and K.'' at the Williamstown Theatre Festival.

On August 16, 2010, he co-hosted ''WWE Monday Night RAW'' with ''Going the Distance'' co-stars Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Filmography

Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
1999	''Galaxy Quest''	Brandon
		Donald
	Darry Jenner
	2002		Henry
	2003	''Jeepers Creepers 2''	Darry Jenner	cameo
	''Raising Genius''	Hal Nestor
''Hair High''	Dwayne	voice
''Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story''	Justin
''Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie''	Chris Harken
	''Robin's Big Date''	Robin
	Dean
	''Herbie: Fully Loaded''	Kevin
	''The Sasquatch Gang''	Zerk Wilder
''That 70s Show''	Andrew Davis
	Mookie
''The Break-Up''	Christopher Hirons
''Accepted''	Bartleby “B” Gaines
''Idiocracy''	Dr. Lexus
	''Live Free or Die Hard''	Matt Farrell
''Battle for Terra''	Senn
''Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story''	George Harrison	uncredited
	''Strange Wilderness''	Junior
	Spoonie
''Zack and Miri Make a Porno''	Brandon St. Randy
	Justin	deleted scene
		Alex
''Still Waiting...''	Dean	uncredited
	Chase Revere	Straight-to-DVD
	Todd
''Drag Me to Hell''	Clay
''Funny People''	Himself	cameo
''Planet 51''	Lem	voice
	Troop Leader Adam Devlin	uncredited
''After.Life''	Paul
''Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel''	Alvin	voice
		Paul Saunders
	Garrett
''Megamind''	Brainbots	voice
	Humphrey
		Nicholas Baker
	Luke Burn
	Alvin	voice
''Bunnicula''	Peter Monroe

References

External links

Mac Ads

RadarOnline Article about Apple not bringing Long back, and bringing him back after all

Interview with Justin Long at SuicideGirls.com

Video interview with Justin Long at the premiere of ''The Break-Up''

"Robin's Big Date" on Transbuddha.com

Category:1978 births Category:Actors from Connecticut Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:Sacred Heart University faculty Category:Apple Inc. advertising Category:Living people Category:People from Fairfield County, Connecticut Category:Vassar College alumni Category:American people of Sicilian descent

ar:جوستين وونغ da:Justin Long de:Justin Long es:Justin Long fa:جاستین لانگ fr:Justin Long ko:저스틴 롱 id:Justin Long it:Justin Long he:ג'סטין לונג sw:Justin Long hu:Justin Long nl:Justin Long ja:ジャスティン・ロング no:Justin Long pl:Justin Long pt:Justin Long ro:Justin Long ru:Лонг, Джастин fi:Justin Long sv:Justin Long th:จัสติน ลอง zh:賈斯汀·隆

Coordinates	46°19′25″N48°02′12″N
birth date	June 01, 1937
birth place	Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
birth name	Morgan Freeman
spouse	Jeanette Adair Bradshaw (1967–79; divorced)Myrna Colley-Lee (1984–2010; divorced)
occupation	Actor, director, narrator
years active	1964–present }}

Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an American actor, film director, aviator and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in ''Street Smart'', ''Driving Miss Daisy'', ''The Shawshank Redemption'' and ''Invictus'' and won in 2005 for ''Million Dollar Baby''. He has also won a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Freeman has appeared in many other box office hits, including ''Unforgiven'', ''Glory'', ''Seven'', ''Deep Impact'', ''The Sum of All Fears'', ''Bruce Almighty'', ''Batman Begins'', ''March of the Penguins'', ''The Bucket List'', ''Evan Almighty'', ''Wanted'', ''The Dark Knight'', and ''Red''.

Early life

Morgan Freeman was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the son of Mayme Edna (née Revere), a teacher, and Morgan Porterfield Freeman, a barber who died in 1961 from cirrhosis. He has three older siblings. Freeman was sent as an infant to his paternal grandmother in Charleston, Mississippi. His family moved frequently during his childhood, living in Greenwood, Mississippi; Gary, Indiana; and finally Chicago, Illinois. Freeman made his acting debut at age 9, playing the lead role in a school play. He then attended Broad Street High School, currently Threadgill Elementary School, in Mississippi. At age 12, he won a statewide drama competition, and while still at Broad Street High School, he performed in a radio show based in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1955, he graduated from Broad Street, but turned down a partial drama scholarship from Jackson State University, opting instead to work as a mechanic in the United States Air Force.

Freeman moved to Los Angeles in the early 1960s and worked as a transcript clerk at Los Angeles Community College. During this period, he also lived in New York City, working as a dancer at the 1964 World's Fair, and in San Francisco, where he was a member of the Opera Ring music group. Freeman acted in a touring company version of ''The Royal Hunt of the Sun,'' and also appeared as an extra in the 1965 film ''The Pawnbroker.'' He made his off-Broadway debut in 1967, opposite Viveca Lindfors in ''The Nigger Lovers'' (about the civil rights era "Freedom Riders"), before debuting on Broadway in 1968's all-black version of ''Hello, Dolly!,'' which also starred Pearl Bailey and Cab Calloway.

Career

Acting career

Although his first credited film appearance was in 1971's ''Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow?'', Freeman first became known in the American media through roles on the soap opera ''Another World'' and the PBS kids' show ''The Electric Company'', (notably as Easy Reader and Vincent the Vegetable Vampire) which he later said he should have left earlier than he did.

Beginning in the mid-1980s, Freeman began playing prominent supporting roles in many feature films, earning him a reputation for depicting wise, fatherly characters. As he gained fame, he went on to bigger roles in films such as the chauffeur Hoke in ''Driving Miss Daisy'', and Sergeant Major Rawlins in ''Glory'' (both in 1989). In 1994 he portrayed Red, the redeemed convict in the acclaimed ''The Shawshank Redemption''. In the same year he was a member of the jury at the 44th Berlin International Film Festival.

He also starred in films such as ''Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves'', ''Unforgiven'', ''Seven'', and ''Deep Impact''. In 1997, Freeman, together with Lori McCreary, founded the film production company Revelations Entertainment, and the two co-head its sister online film distribution company ClickStar. Freeman also hosts the channel ''Our Space'' on ClickStar, with specially crafted film clips in which he shares his love for the sciences, especially space exploration and aeronautics.

After three previous nominations—a supporting actor nomination for ''Street Smart'', and leading actor nominations for ''Driving Miss Daisy'', and ''The Shawshank Redemption''—he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in ''Million Dollar Baby'' at the 77th Academy Awards. Freeman is recognized for his distinctive voice, making him a frequent choice for narration. In 2005 alone, he provided narration for two films, ''War of the Worlds'' and the Academy Award-winning documentary film ''March of the Penguins''.

Freeman appeared as God in the hit film ''Bruce Almighty'' and its sequel, ''Evan Almighty'', as well as Lucius Fox in the critical and commercial success ''Batman Begins'' and its 2008 sequel, ''The Dark Knight''. He starred in Rob Reiner's 2007 film ''The Bucket List'', opposite Jack Nicholson. He teamed with Christopher Walken and William H. Macy for the comedy ''The Maiden Heist'', which was released direct to video due to financial problems of the distribution company. In 2008, Freeman returned to Broadway to co-star with Frances McDormand and Peter Gallagher for a limited engagement of Clifford Odets's play, ''The Country Girl'', directed by Mike Nichols.

He had wanted to do a film based on Nelson Mandela for some time. At first he tried to get Mandela's autobiography, ''Long Walk to Freedom'', adapted into a finished script, but it could never be finalized. In 2007 he purchased the film rights to a pre-published 2008 book by John Carlin, ''Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Made a Nation''. Clint Eastwood directed the Nelson Mandela bio-pic titled ''Invictus'', starring Freeman as Mandela and Matt Damon as rugby team captain Francois Pienaar. In October 2010, Freeman co-starred alongside Bruce Willis in ''Red''.

Other work

In July 2009 Freeman was one of the presenters at the 46664 concert (celebrating Nelson Mandela's birthday) at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

Freeman was the first American to record a par on Legend Golf & Safari Resort's Extreme 19th hole.

At age 65, Freeman earned a private pilot's license. He owns or has owned at least three private aircraft, including a Cessna Citation 501 jet and a Cessna 414 twin-engine prop. In 2007 he purchased an Emivest SJ30 long-range private jet, and took delivery in December 2009. He is certified to fly all of them.

Effective January 4, 2010, Freeman replaced Walter Cronkite as the voiceover introduction to the ''CBS Evening News'' featuring Katie Couric as news anchor. CBS cited the need for consistency in introductions for regular news broadcasts and special reports as the basis for the change.

As of 2010, Freeman is the host and narrator of the Discovery Channel television show ''Through the Wormhole''.

Personal life

Family

Freeman was married to Jeanette Adair Bradshaw from October 22, 1967 until 1979. He married Myrna Colley-Lee on June 16, 1984. The couple separated in December 2007. Freeman's attorney and business partner, Bill Luckett, announced in August 2008 that Freeman and his wife are in the process of divorce. On 15 September 2010, their divorce was finalized in Mississippi.

He has two sons from previous relationships before he married Bradshaw. He adopted his first wife's daughter, and the couple also had his fourth child.

In 2008, the TV series ''African American Lives 2'' revealed that Freeman's great-great-grandparents were slaves who migrated from North Carolina to Mississippi.

Properties

Freeman lives in Charleston, Mississippi, and New York City. 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.

Car accident

Freeman was injured in an automobile accident near Ruleville, Mississippi, on the night of August 3, 2008. The vehicle in which he was traveling, a 1997 Nissan Maxima, left the highway and flipped over several times. He and a female passenger, Demaris Meyer, were rescued from the vehicle using the "Jaws of Life". Freeman was taken via medical helicopter to The Regional Medical Center (The Med) hospital in Memphis. Police ruled out alcohol as a factor in the crash. Freeman was coherent following the crash, as he joked to a photographer about taking his picture at the scene. He broke his shoulder, arm and elbow in the crash and had surgery on August 5, 2008. Doctors operated for four hours to repair nerve damage in his shoulder and arm. His publicist announced he was expected to make a full recovery. Meyer, his passenger, has sued him for negligence, claiming that he was drinking the night of the accident. She has denied reports that they were romantically involved.

Activism

Charitable work

In 2004 Freeman and others formed the Grenada Relief Fund to aid people affected by Hurricane Ivan on the island of Grenada. The Grenada Relief Fund has since become PLANIT NOW, an organization that seeks to provide preparedness resources for people living in hurricane and severe-storm afflicted areas.

Freeman has worked on narrating small clips for global organizations, such as One Earth, whose goals include raising awareness of environmental issues. He has narrated the clip "Why Are We Here", which can be viewed on One Earth's website.

Freeman has donated money to the Mississippi Horse Park in Starkville, Mississippi. The Horse park is part of Mississippi State University. Freeman has several horses that he takes there.

Comments on race

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 on an interview with ''60 Minutes''' Mike Wallace: "I am going to stop calling you a white man and I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man." Freeman supported the defeated proposal to change the Mississippi state flag, which contains the Confederate battle flag.

Freeman joined President Bill Clinton, USA Bid Committee Chairman Sunil Gulati, and USMNT midfielder Landon Donovan on Wednesday, December 1, 2010 in Zurich for the USA bid committee's final presentation to FIFA for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Politics

Freeman endorsed Barack Obama's candidacy for the 2008 presidential election, although he stated that he would not join Obama's campaign. He narrates for The Hall of Presidents with Barack Obama, who has been added to the exhibit. The Hall of Presidents re-opened on July 4, 2009 at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

Honors

On October 28, 2006, Freeman was honored at the first Mississippi's Best Awards in Jackson, Mississippi, with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his works on and off the big screen. He received an honorary degree of Doctor of Arts and Letters from Delta State University during the school's commencement exercises on May 13, 2006.

In 2008, Freeman's family history was profiled on the PBS series ''African American Lives 2''. A DNA test showed that he is descended from the Songhai and Tuareg peoples of Niger.

Filmography

+Film	! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1964	''''	Man on Street	uncredited
1966	''''	Unknown	uncredited
1968	''Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?''	Grand Central Commuter	uncredited
1980	''Brubaker''	Walter
1981		Lieutenant Black
1984		Al Lewis
1984	''Harry & Son''	Siemanowski
1985		Charles Traughber
1985	''That Was Then... This Is Now''	Charlie Woods
1987		Fast Black	Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting MaleLos Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting ActorNational Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting ActorNew York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting ActorNominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting ActorNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
1988	''Clean and Sober''	Craig
1989		Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins	Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
1989	''Driving Miss Daisy''	Hoke Colburn	40th Berlin International Film Festival – Silver Bear for Best Joint Performance (shared with Jessica Tandy)Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or ComedyKansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best ActorNational Board of Review Award for Best ActorNominated—Academy Award for Best Actor
1989
1989	''Johnny Handsome''	Lt. A.Z. Drones
1990	''''	Judge Leonard White
1990	''''	Voice of Frederick Douglass
1991	''Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves''	Azeem	Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo (shared with Kevin Costner)
1992	''Unforgiven''	Ned Logan
1992	''''	Geel Piet
1993	''Bopha!''		director only, his directorial debut
1994	''''	Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding, Narrator	Chlotrudis Award for Best Actor (tied with Wallace Shawn for ''Vanya on 42nd Street'')Nominated—Academy Award for Best ActorNominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting ActorNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture DramaNominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role - Motion Picture
1995		Brig. Gen. Billy Ford
1995		Detective Lt. William Somerset	Empire Awards
1996		Paul Shannon
1996		Hibble
1996	''[[Cosmic Voyage''	Narrator
1997		Theodore Joadson
1997
1997	''''	Narrator
1998		President Tom Beck
1998		Jim
2000	''Nurse Betty''	Charlie Quinn
2000		Victor Benezet
2001
2002	''''	DCI William Cabot
2002	''High Crimes''	Charlie Grimes
2003	''Bruce Almighty''	God
2003		Col. Abraham Curtis
2003		Pastor Miles Evans
2003	''Drug War''	Lt. Redding
2004	''Million Dollar Baby''	Eddie "Scrap Iron" Dupris	Academy Award for Best Supporting ActorItalian Online Movie Awards
2004	''''	Narrator	limited release
2004	''''	Walter Crewes
2005	''''	Mitch Bradley
2005		Narrator
2005	''[[March of the Penguins''	Narrator
2005	''Batman Begins	Lucius Fox
2005		Sam
2006	''Edison Force''	Ashford
2006	''''	Frank Carden
2006	''Lucky Number Slevin''	The Boss
2006		Himself
2007	''Evan Almighty''	God
2007	''Feast of Love''	Harry Stephenson
2007	''Gone, Baby, Gone''	Jack Doyle
2007	''''	Carter Chambers	Also Narrator
2008		Sloan
2008	''''	Narrator	Voice
2008	''''	Lucius Fox
2009	''Prom Night in Mississippi''	Himself	''limited release''
2009		Keith Ripley
2009	''''	Charlie
2009		Nelson Mandela	NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion PictureNational Board of Review Award for Best Actor (tied with George Clooney for ''Up in the Air'')Nominated—Academy Award for Best ActorNominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best ActorNominated—Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best ActorNominated—Denver Film Critics Society Award for Best ActorNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture DramaNominated—Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best ActorNominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading RoleNominated—St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best ActorNominated—Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association for Best Actor
2010		Joe
2011	''Born to Be Wild 3D''	Narrator
2011		Narrator
2011	''Dolphin Tale''	Dr. McCarthy	post-production
2012	''''	Lucius Fox	filming
2012	''''	Zachariah	in production
2012	''Summer at Dog Dave's''		pre-production

+Television	! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1971–1977	''''	Easy Reader, DJ Mel Mounds, Dracula, Vincent the Vegetable Vampire	television series
1978	''Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry''	Uncle Hammer	made-for-television
1981	''Ryan's Hope''	Cicero Murphy	TV series (various episodes)
1981	''''	Clarence Collins	made-for-television
1982–1984		Roy Bingham	TV series (various episodes)
1985	''''	Tony	Television series (episode "Dealer's Choice")
1986	''Resting Place''	Luther Johnson	made-for-television
1987		Dr. Sherard	made-for-television
2008	''Smithsonian Channel's Sound Revolution''	Himself (host)	television series, series host
2008	''Stephen Fry in America''	Himself	television series, appears in episode 3
2010	''''	Himself	interview
2010	''''	Himself	interview
2010	''Through the Wormhole'' ''with Morgan Freeman''	Himself (host)	television series, series host
2010	''Saturday Night Live''	Himself (celebrity cameo)	What Up With That

Other awards and honors

1978 Nominated for Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play in ''The Mighty Gents''

1997 Received an honorary degree from Rhodes College, becoming an honorary alumnus

2003 Received the Crystal Globe award for outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival

2006 Guest of honor at the Cairo International Film Festival

2007 He and his wife received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters

2007 Outstanding Contribution To Film And TV gong at the Screen Nation Film and TV Awards

2008 Kennedy Center Honors

2010 Received an honorary degree from Brown University

2011 Received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute

References

External links

in 2010

ClickStar headed by Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary

Revelations Entertainment Production company co-founded by Freeman

A detailed biography of his history as an actor

Morgan Freeman movies at Movie Information

Category:1937 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from Tennessee Category:Actors from Mississippi Category:American aviators Category:American film directors Category:American stage actors Category:African American film actors Category:African American television actors Category:African American film directors Category:Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Category:English-language film directors Category:Independent Spirit Award winners Category:People from Gary, Indiana Category:People from Greenwood, Mississippi Category:People from Memphis, Tennessee Category:Tennessee Democrats Category:United States Air Force airmen

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