Actor Morgan Freeman, a Mississippi native, has been gracing audiences with his presence since the mid-1960s. With a career spanning over six decades, Freeman has starred in an extensive range of movies and TV shows, earning countless awards and recognition. His voice, often referred to as “the voice of God,” has become iconic in the entertainment world. Freeman’s career spans 64 years, and remarkably, it shows no sign of slowing down.
In addition to his acting career, Freeman is deeply involved in several activism projects and running a honey bee sanctuary. Freeman’s philanthropic efforts reflect his desire to make a substantial impact on the world. He is also the proud owner of the Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Miss. Freeman uses this to celebrate the rich musical heritage of Mississippi, ensuring that future generations can experience the deep roots of Southern culture.
When Freeman is not working on film sets, he enjoys a variety of leisure activities. He often plays golf or sails on the open waters. Freeman grew up in the Mississippi Delta, known for its humidity and marsh-like landscape. Although Freeman has experienced a world full of diverse cultures and landscapes, he has always felt a strong pull to return to Mississippi despite the many places he has visited and lived. All roads seem to lead him back to the state where it all began.
Some of Freeman’s fondest memories about living in Mississippi come from when he was growing up. For as long as he could remember, he was kept in the good hands of everyone in the small town of Greenwood, Miss.
“I lived in a little section of town where just about everybody knew everybody so the kids were looked after by everybody, in other words you could not just act up and not have somebody to speak to you about it, which was great,” Freeman said. “That is primarily the best part I think.”
Freeman feels there is nothing like the South that fills him with joy and comfort. There is a strong sense of community that Freeman grew to appreciate, especially as he spent time in cities where the close-knit connection was less prevalent.
“I spent enough time in cities, Chicago, to be exact, to appreciate the warmth, freedom that living in the South offered a kid growing up,” Freeman said. “It was all about safety and community.”
Mississippi has played such a crucial role in Freeman’s life and development, as a home state would for most. At one point there was a strong urge to get out of the place he grew up in but eventually Freeman would wind up back where he feels he is meant to be, the thicket of Mississippi.
“When I graduated from high school, I went right into the Air Force thinking, you know, it was a way out of Mississippi and a chance to see more of the world, for free anyway,” Freeman said. “When I got out of the Air Force, it was Feb. 1959, I was 21 years old and just a short bus ride from Hollywood so, I went to Hollywood.”
After serving in the Air Force, traveling, and living the dream in Hollywood for around 30 years, 1959-1989, Freeman came to the realization that he missed the open roads and small town feel.
“By the time I left the city I was physically ill and decided that I could not do that anymore, I could not live in concrete and no grass and no trees,” Freeman said. “So I decided to move back to Mississippi, I mean my parents were there, so I decided to move back and that was in the early 1990s. And I came back to appreciate the stillness, the quietude, the wonderful sunsets in the Mississippi Delta. And so here we are, with me happily in the South. In the deep South. It is where I belong.”
Mississippi has indelibly shaped Freeman’s identity, molding him into the person he is today. The influence of his upbringing, his formative years spent in Greenwood, Miss., and the wisdom imparted to him by his parents and teachers helped set the course for his life.
“My identity is strictly, I think, strictly southern,” Freeman said. “I spent what I would call my formative years in Greenwood, Miss., and that was from the age 11 until graduation at age 18. I had teachers and my parents, primarily, guiding and encouraging me. My graduation picture in high school has a caption, ‘actor’ under it so it was pretty well established that that is the way my life would go. It is the choice I would make in life. The road I would follow. It turns out that in spite of my thinking that I wanted to take a different path, you know I think that fate has your line already drawn.”
With the little bit of freetime Freeman has, he continues to stay physically active. The south provides an ample amount of land for golf courses and other recreational activities.
“When I have down time, I play golf, which is what I do in Alabama also,” Freeman said. “That is my most useful physical outlet, playing golf.”
Through it all, Freeman’s connection to Mississippi. has remained unwavering. Even with the fame and acclaim that comes with his legendary status, Freeman believes that his roots in Mississippi will always be his foundation. He feels that no matter where his career has taken him, he remains deeply connected to his hometown and ancestors.
“I do not think fame disconnects me at all from Mississippi,” Freeman said. “It is important to me to hold onto my roots. I go way back, my ancestry is in Mississippi. It started down around Kosciusko, Miss. and in Attala County. It is just important to me; my parents are buried here and I am sure I will be buried here too.”
