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Morgan Freeman is a reluctant American treasure. Dignified and wry, humble yet confident, he's a journeyman actor who suddenly found himself an overnight success at 50, an age when many actors, especially those of color, are forced into retirement for lack of work. In Mississippi, he stumbled on what would become his life's passion when a teacher encouraged him to channel his show-off energy into performing. After a stint in the military cured Freeman's romantic notion of being a fighter pilot, he moved to New York City where he spent years working his way up from bit parts in regional theater to featured roles on Broadway. Despite earning a reputation as one of New York's premiere theatre actors, Freeman was frequently out of work and took odd jobs to scrape by.