Morgan Freeman will be honored at the next Golden Globes Awards telecast with the Cecil B. DeMille Award for his outstanding contribution to the entertainment field.
Dr. Aida Takla-O’Reilly, president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), was joined by Golden Globe Award-nominated actress Amy Adams (The Muppets, Man of Steel) and Golden Globe Award-winning director Pedro Almodóvar (The Skin I Live In) in making the announcement this morning.
The Cecil B. DeMille Award will be presented to Freeman at The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, January 15, 2012, LIVE coast-to-coast on NBC with the pre-show from 4:00-5:00 p.m. (PST)/7:00-8:00 p.m. (EST), and main telecast from 5:00-8:00 p.m. (PST)/8:00-11:00 p.m. (EST) from the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Chosen by the HFPA Board of Directors, the Cecil B. DeMille Award is given annually to the talented individuals who have made an incredible impact on the world of entertainment. Recent recipients include Robert De Niro (2011), Martin Scorsese (2010), Steven Spielberg (2009), Warren Beatty (2007), Anthony Hopkins (2006), Robin Williams (2005), Michael Douglas (2004), Gene Hackman (2003), Harrison Ford (2002), Al Pacino (2001), and Barbra Streisand (2000).
Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman is one of the most recognizable figures in American cinema. His works are among the most critically and commercially successful films of all time and Freeman himself ranks 10th among worldwide top-grossing actors of all time.
Freeman received the 39th AFI Life Achievement Award in 2011.
Freeman won the Academy Award in 2004 for Best Supporting Actor for his role in “Million Dollar Baby.” In 1990 he won the Golden Globe for Best Actor for his performance in “Driving Miss Daisy.” Freeman also received an Academy Award nomination in 1987 for Best Supporting Actor for “Street Smart” and in 1994 for Best Actor for “The Shawshank Redemption.”
In 2010 he received an Academy Award nomination, a Golden Globe nomination and a Broadcast Critics Association nomination for his performance as Nelson Mandela in the acclaimed film “Invictus.” He also won the National Board of Review award for Best Actor and was the film’s executive producer. The picture was produced by Revelations Entertainment, the company he co-founded with Lori McCreary in 1996 with a mission to produce films that enlighten, express heart, and glorify the human experience.
In 2000 Freeman was honored with the Hollywood Actor Award from the Hollywood Film Festival. Eight years later he received the coveted Kennedy Center Honor for his distinguished acting.
In 1978 Freeman won a Drama Desk Award his role as Zeke in “The Mighty Gents.” He also received a Tony Nomination for Best Performance by a Featured Actor.
His stage work continued to earn him accolades and awards, including Obie Awards in 1980, 1984 and 1987 and a second Drama Desk Nomination in 1987 for the role of Hoke Colburn which he created for the Alfred Uhry play “Driving Miss Daisy” and reprised in the 1989 movie of the same name.
Freeman’s most recent film credits include Alcon Entertainment’s “Dolphin Tale.” His upcoming Revelations Entertainment projects include Rob Reiner’s drama “The Summer of Monte Wildhorn,” and “Through The Wormhole with Morgan Freeman” on Science Channel which is currently in production on its third season.
Freeman is currently in production on “The Dark Knight Rises,” the third installment in Nolan’s Batman film series.
Produced by dick clark productions in association with the HFPA, The Golden Globe Awards are viewed in more than 160 countries worldwide and are one of the few awards ceremonies to include both motion picture and television achievements.
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About the Hollywood Foreign Press Association:
Founded in the 1940s during World War II, the HFPA was originally comprised of a handful of LA based overseas journalists who sought to bridge the international community with Hollywood, and to provide distraction from the hardships of war through film. Sixty-eight years later, members of the HFPA represent 55 countries with a combined readership of 250 million in some of the world’s most respected publications. Each year, the organization holds the third most watched awards show on television, the Golden Globe Awards, which have enabled the organization to donate more than $12 million to entertainment related charities and scholarship programs. For more information, please visit www.goldenglobes.org, and follow us on Twitter (@goldenglobes) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/goldenglobes) for exclusive celebrity videos and up to the minute Golden Globes news!
