Shawshank Redemption, Bruce Almighty, Invictus, and The Dark Knight have one thing in common: Morgan Freeman. That’s right; the brilliant actor takes the lead roles in all the mentioned movies.
He is seasoned, talented, consistent, and committed. Freeman first appeared on the big screen as a streetwalker on the acclaimed film The Pawnbroker.
He hasn’t stopped since. You’d imagine that being 80+ years will make him slow down, but he’s still on the grind, looking for his next big role.
The TV star is currently filming an upcoming TV series called the Solos which will be hitting our screens somewhere in 2021.
Freeman has enjoyed massive success in the limelight, often in a leading role. His roles have awarded him plenty of nominations and accolades. Those include the coveted Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in Driving Miss Daisy, Kennedy Center Honors in 2008, Academy Award for the category of Best Supporting Actor in Million Dollar Baby in 2004, and the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2008, just to mention a few.
His trophies could quickly fill a room.
What Happened To His Hand?
Besides making headlines for his acting talent, Morgan Freeman has also invited plenty of attention in recent years because of his gloved hand. For a little over a decade, the movie star has been making public appearances with a compression glove.
He showed up to the 2010 premiere of Invictus, sporting a glove on his left hand. It was evident that he couldn’t move the entire hand either. He also went to the 2018 Screen Actors Guild Awards, where he received a prestigious award adorning the same gloved hand.
Apparently, the Oscar-winning actor was involved in a deadly road accident on a Mississippi highway in 2008 where his car flipped over several times and landed in a ditch.
The then 71-year-old was with Demaris Meyer in the 1997 Nissan Maxima, which allegedly belongs to the latter. Freeman, who owns a 126-acre ranch near Charleston in Mississippi, was the one in the driver’s seat at the time of the crash, which happened at 11:30 pm.
The Million Dollar Baby star broke his elbow, arm, and shoulder. He had to undergo surgery to try and repair the damage from the crash.
He spoke to People in 2010 and had this to say:
“I suffered horrible nerve damage, and sadly, the situation has not gotten any better. I simply cannot move my hand. Turns out, if you don’t move your hand around, it will swell. The compression gloves help with blood flow. Did you know that an individual moves his hand a million times every single day?”
Freeman and Meyer were both removed from the vehicle by hydraulic cutters, with pieces of the car discarded at the crash site.
The police found no evidence that Freeman was under the influence. They did not comment on whether or not he was asleep on the wheel.
Freeman also sat down with Esquire Magazine in 2012 to give the details of what he went through and his health in general. He shared his struggle with fibromyalgia, claiming it causes lots of pain in his shoulder.
“It’s the terrible fibromyalgia,” he said in the interview. “It goes up and down my arm. That’s where the pain gets excruciating.”
Freeman went on to say that he has had to give up most of his hobbies, including sailing, horse-riding, and flying planes. However, he says that he has found a way to keep living his life, despite the constant pain. Now, he plays golf with one hand and just tries to enjoy his life despite the new normal.
Where Is Freeman Now?
After the accident, Morgan Freeman went ahead with his career like nothing ever happened. In 2009, immediately after the accident, he scored a lead role in one of his most successful films, Invictus, playing Nelson Mandela.
He depicted the late South African freedom fighter and former president quite impressively. He was calming, confident, and genial—all the character traits of Mandela.
Freeman then appeared in Red alongside Bruce Willis, Dolphin Tale, Through the Wormhole, Dustin Lance Black, The Dark Knight Rises, Now You See Me, Transcendence, London Has Fallen, Just Getting Started, and Going in Style.
The sought-after-actor even showed up at the premiere of Going in Style (directed by Zack Braff) without his gloves. His left hand was stiff and immovable, meaning it was still paralyzed, but that didn’t dampen his mood the least bit.
Freeman isn’t free from controversy either. The actor has been under scrutiny for inappropriate behavior. According to a CNN report, Freeman has been accused of sexual harassment by several women, on set, during movie promotions, and at his production company Revelations Entertainment. The alleged incidents involved unwanted touching and inappropriate comments.
After the publication of the CNN article, Freeman released a statement, reading: “Anyone who knows me or has worked with me knows I am not someone who would intentionally offend or knowingly make anyone feel uneasy. I apologize to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected — that was never my intent.”
During the pandemic, Freeman was busy working on several films such as Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?, The Comeback Trail, Vanquish, and The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard. Now he plays Stuart in a new TV series, Solos, which is in its pre-production stage.
If you thought that Morgan Freeman wears a prosthetic on his left hand, you are mistaken. He uses compression gloves because he suffered paralysis after the 2008 accident. Doctors thought the star would fully recover, but that is yet to take place.
The most important thing is that Freeman is content no matter what, managing his pain and living his best life. We can’t wait to see the veteran actor continue his career in feature films.