Morgan Freeman’s Breakthrough Role Came At 50 – The Story Behind His Grit & Hollywood Glory

Morgan Freeman didn't become a household name overnight. At 50, one gritty role finally changed everything. Here's how he broke into Hollywood stardom.

By
Pranshu Awasthi
- April 25, 2025 | 10:00 AM IST
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Every actor has a different story. Some become popular overnight, but some have endured years of struggle to make a mark in the film industry. In the Indian context, for instance, Hrithik Roshan became an instant Bollywood heartthrob after the release of Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai. On the other hand, Nawazuddin Siddiqui struggled for so many years to gain the popularity that he has today. We can call it fate, destiny, or whatever we want, but it’s true.

The Hollywood Actor Who Became a Star At Age 50

Even in Hollywood, a veteran, Oscar-winning actor got his big break as an actor only when he turned fifty years old. We are talking about none other than Morgan Freeman. Whenever we come across his name, we imagine films like ‘The Shawshank Redemption’, ‘Seven’, and ‘Unforgiven’. But these films came much later in his career.

The Film That Gave Morgan Freeman His First Big Break

Long before he mesmerized the audiences with the above-mentioned spellbinding performances, he struggled for more than twenty years before Morgan Freeman finally got the big break in acting, he had been waiting for. A role that made him quite popular at the time. The film’s name was ‘Street Smart’ and it featured Superman actor Christopher Reeve in the lead role. It was released in the year 1987. Morgan Freeman essayed the role of a pimp. Although the film didn’t do well at the box office, Morgan Freeman’s performance was unanimously appreciated, and he even received an Academy Award nomination for the role.

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Morgan Freeman: Before and After Street Smart

Before garnering respect and fame with his performance in Street Smart, Morgan Freeman played rather insignificant roles in more than ten feature films for 21 years. In one film, he played just a random man on the street, while in other films, for instance, he played a party guest and a commuter, and so on.

After Street Smart, he starred in critically acclaimed movies like Driving Miss Daisy (Oscar-nominated role), Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven, The Shawshank Redemption (Oscar-nominated role), Million Dollar Baby (Oscar-winning role), Invictus (Oscar-nominated role), Seven, The Dark Knight trilogy, and Bruce Almighty, to name a few. The list of performances and accolades is virtually endless.

Morgan Freeman’s Upcoming Projects

The 87-year-old actor will next be seen in the heist thriller flick ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’, the third instalment of the Now You See Me film series, amongst other projects.

For more such stories, check out Hollywood News

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