Morgan Freeman is popularly known as one of the greatest actors of all time, even though his acting career did not look anything like it at the beginning. The 87-year-old had developed a passion for acting since childhood, featuring in many school dramas. However, he decided to join the United States Air Force in 1955 after high school and attained the rank of airman first class.
Recently, Morgan Freeman shared that his first professional acting job came as a stroke of luck when a producer said he had made a big mistake by not hiring him earlier. This became a turning point in his life and the push his career needed.
Morgan Freeman’s early career
Following a four-year stint in the US Air Force, Morgan Freeman eventually pursued his acting career by enrolling in the Los Angeles City College. Yet, his teachers soon advised him to focus on dancing instead of acting as he could not keep up, and his dance skills would be useful in helping him get roles in plays.
However, after working as an understudy on a tour of The Royal Hunt of the Sun in 1964 and appearing on stage, Morgan Freeman was inspired by the feeling of accomplishment that came over him. Then, he went on to audition for an off-Broadway play in Los Angeles, where he debuted and was being paid $72 weekly.
This motivated him to audition for another off-Broadway play, but the story was different, as his friend was accepted. After a while, one of the producers reached out to him when his friend was fired. “I’m one of the ones who didn’t want to hire you, and that was a big mistake, so I’m going to put you on Broadway.” The producer stayed true to his word, and the legendary actor got a role in the Broadway musical Hello, Dolly!, which brought him closer to the limelight.
Does Morgan Freeman still appear in stage plays?
As Freeman continued to excel in his career, he became widely known in 1971 for acting in The Electric Company, a children’s television show. Since then, the legendary actor has appeared in other stage plays and several iconic movies and has won numerous awards. His last stage play was Dustin Lance Black’s Play 8 in 2011 where he starred as David Boies.
Recently, Morgan Freeman shared that acting on stage is more demanding than in movies. “Last time I remember being on stage, I forgot my lines, and I can’t tell you how terrifying that is.” He said, further admitting the flexibility surrounding stage plays as they are always live, while one could easily take a brief look at the script in movies.