10. Narrator, March of the Penguins – "Like most love stories, it begins with an act of utter foolishness... He will travel a great distance. And though he is a bird, he won't fly. Though he lives in the sea, he won't swim. Mostly, he will walk. But he won't walk alone."


Now, Morgan isn't even technically in this film, but I think it's a testament to the ability he has to make even the mundane exponentially more awesome. (With just his voice!) Which is not to say that Penguins aren't kickass-- they are. But I'm confident that someone could release a documentary about the various applications of upside-down ingestion of cod liver oil to thwart intellectual apricot mutiny, and as long as Morgan Freeman narrated, it would be awesome. That being said, I'm sure the original French version of this film was extraordinary, but I wouldn't want to watch it with any other voice over.


    9. Brig. Gen. Billy Ford,Outbreak - “What did I ever do to make your life miserable, sir?” “You got up this morning, didn't you?”


It's hard to believe this movie came after Shawshank Redemption, because Morgan almost takes a backseat to the myriad of stars in this movie-- Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, Cuba Gooding, Jr., and Kevin Spacey. Despite not having much screen time, Morgan still exhibits a level of depth for what can be called a secondary character. We see a military officer, doing what he thinks is right, despite knowing deep down that it's wrong-- a realization that we see unfold on camera. Plus, he totally sticks it to Old Man Sutherland, and I love anyone who does that.


    8. MC Mel Mounds,The Electric Company - “Righteous, delighteous, and out-of-sighteous!”


Admittedly, I know nothing about this show. It ran from 1971-1977, and I was born in 1986, but serial watching of VH1 and their “I Love (Insert Decade Here Up to 6 times)” series has informed me that Morgan Freeman was a number of characters. Including, but not limited to, a Mad Scientist, a Cop, and Count Dracula. (You'd think that would be proof enough.) Most notably, he is remembered for his “Easy Reader” character, who helped to encourage young children to read. You know, Morgan Freeman could probably get me to read a book about upside-down cod liv- oh, I did that already, didn't I? Anyways--


    7. Lucius Fox, Batman Begins - “Bean Counters didn't think a soldiers life was worth 300 grand. So what's your interest in it, Mr. Wayne?”


I'm no Batman buff, and I don't propose to be. But I've seen the movies, and I've read some of the comics, and I was in love with the old cartoon. I don't remember ever hearing about a Lucius Fox. But, Morgan managed to take this persona that could have very easily been absorbed into Alfred (as it seems it was in the old Batman films) or underacted into a sort of Q ripoff to satiate the gadgetry fix that the Western moviegoing audience so eagerly maintains. Rather, Freeman brings this man to life in a way that makes me want to go out and find out who this character is and how he relates to Bruce Wayne and to the Batman. Moreover, he serves to give Bruce Wayne even more of a sense of “family” beyond that of just old Alfie. For that reason, I consider this role a great success. Plus, the “didn't you get the memo?” quip delivered so eloquently by Fox to his old boss is something we all fantasize about saying to our bosses as we give them the axe (...and then have them fired *wink*).


    6. President Tom Beck, Deep Impact - “Cities fall but they are rebuilt. Heroes die but they are remembered.”


Morgan Freeman is the President. My dreams brought to life on celluloid. Moreover, he plays a believable president. I mean, as far as I can remember, when my friends and I first watched the movie, we didn't see Morgan and say “Holy crap, a black president!?” so much as we said “Morgan Freeman is the President!? FUCK YES!” The President Freeman I imagine is most likely 10 to 200 times better than -any- President the United States has seen to date. He stands high on a platform of being fucking cool, and he does NOT deviate. I respect him for that. Plus, he's charismatic as hell, c'mon. Even if he pulled a Nixon McClinton, I'd definitely vote for him for a third term. That is the awesomeness of President Morgan. But anyways, I digress and offer a synopsis for those who inexplicably fall comatose after reading the word President eight times in rapid succession-- Morgan Freeman as the Commander in Chief. 'Nuff said.


    5. God, Bruce Almighty - “'Smite me, O Mighty Smiter.' Now, I'm not big on blasphemy, but that last one made me laugh.”


Morgan Freeman is -God- in one of the most accurate casting jobs Hollywood has ever seen since George Burns. 'Nuff said, Part II.


    4. “The Boss”, Lucky # Slevin - “I suppose I don't need to say anything as terribly cliché as 'go to the police and you're a dead man.” “I think you just did.” “I guess I did.”


This is one of my favorite roles for Morgan, because he plays an unsuspectingly sinister but absolutely loveable villain. He maintains all the wit and charm that Freeman delivers consistently from role to role, but he also harbors a dark side behind his charismatic facade. Playing a great villain to Sir Ben Kingsley's own villainous character, we get the sense that we're supposed to disapprove of The Boss' actions, but it's oh so difficult to. Even at the climax of the event of the movie, it's easy to sympathize with Morgan's character, despite the unraveling of truth and explanation that comes at the end that shows the true darkness beneath. He's that good.


    3. Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding, The Shawshank Redemption - “Geology is the study of pressure and time. That's all it takes really, pressure, and time. That, and a big god-damned poster.”


IMDB.com users have rated this movie #2 greatest movie of all time. With good reason-- Morgan Freeman is in it. Heh, really though, there are a multitude of great performances holding up a great script and story wrapped with great cinematography. There's no doubt that The Shawshank Redemption is one of the best pieces of cinema ever made. My love for this movie in terms of Freeman's performance of Ellis 'Red' Redding is from how multi-faceted this character is. Prison life has made him cold, but he is still very much human. His relationship with Andy Dufresne starts very impersonally, and grows slowly over the course of the film into one of great admiration and respect. Given the setting, no one would expect such a strong bond of friendship would occur in such a place where criminals and convicted are held. The narration of this movie comes from Red's point of view, as we see him dynamically change over time, and it's exquisite to hear as much as it is to see. I think few actors are able to offer such a performance so masterfully.


    2. Azeem, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves - “No man controls my destiny... especially not one who attacks downwind and stinks of garlic. “


Now, I'll admit-- I'm a bit biased towards this one (but that's part of the beauty behind Top 10 Lists, isn't it?). This movie was the first conscious exposure to Morgan Freeman that I can remember. I was given this movie on videocassette a number of years ago, and I must've watched it every day for months. It is one of my favorite movies ever, and I can't truly pin down why-- it may simply have been one of the coolest movies I'd ever seen at the time (I was like 7 at the time) so it was imprinted upon me. Anyways, Morgan Freeman plays a moor freed from a Turkish prison by Kevin Costner's memorable (sometimes for not for the right reasons) Robin Hood. He swears an oath to Robin of Locksley for saving his life, promising to one day repay the favor, and to follow him until his debt is repaid. Being at Robin's side throughout the majority of the movie presents an interesting sense of dichotomy as time goes on. Their dialogue is quickwitted and interesting, often because they have different outlooks and opinions on their various adventures. Azeem is generally calm and pensive, whereas Robin foolhardy and usually leaps before he looks. Through their relationship they learn much from one another, and grow as people. This serves to give the viewer a character story beyond just that of Robin's rise from near death to hero of Nottingham (as well as obvious social commentary on racial tolerance). It is not a milestone, I imagine, in Freeman's career as an actor, but it is one of my favorites and always will be.


    1. Detective Lt. William Somerset, Se7en - “Ernest Hemingway once wrote, 'The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.' I agree with the second part.”


I love this role. I love Morgan's interplay with Brad Pitt's 'Detective Mills', and it is just the icing on the cake to the wonderful thrilling storyline and gripping tension that this film exhibits. The concept of a serial killer using his homicidal intent as a way to preach the virtueless humanity around us doesn't sound all that farfetched. Moreover, the way the film is shot and how the characters are affected add to the sense that this could very well happen in our own city make this a wonderful film. But we're talking about Morgan here. Detective Somerset is soon to be retired detective who's been on the beat long enough to have lost almost all faith in the world around him. And you can see it in the lines his face, in his actions, his mannerisms. He is a “by-the-books” man of order over chaos. Somerset even uses the cold tick of a metronome to lull himself to sleep. This is in stark contrast to Detective Mills, who is a young man with a headstrong, often stubborn, method-- who is forced to sleep to the sound of a passing subway train every 5 minutes. He aspires to change the bleak society around him, where Detective Somerset has learned to give up on it. Suddenly, a man appears who is forcing attrition on the sinners of the damned world he sees, and he affirms the feelings of both detectives. Mills sees a psycho who needs to be put down, and Somerset sees a man twisted by the environment around him, proof that everything has pretty much gone to shit. It would be easy to be shown up by Pitt here, but Freeman holds his own and more. Be it sitting alone at home, having dinner with Mills and his wife, or chasing down he suspect-- he does it all in character, and with a finesse of acting that make his performance totally believable. Both characters exhibit a humanity beyond just the lines they are given, and they leave marks upon one another and upon the viewer that last well beyond the roll of the ending credits. Plus, this movie despite it's gruesome storyline, and social commentary... is really a movie about the characters, and how they change, learn and adapt. For this reason, I feel I can say that Morgan Freeman truly helps make this movie what it is.



Then again, Morgan Freeman makes every movie what it is. :p

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