On May 11,2015 actor, director and activist Morgan Freeman was honored by The Actor’s Fund at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York along with entrepreneur and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Morgan Freeman made his off-Broadway debut in 1967 in The Nigger Lovers (a play about the civil rights era “Freedom Riders”) and his Broadway debut in the all black version of Hello, Dolly! which also featured Pearl Bailey and Cab Calloway. He has won a total of three Obie Awards for Driving Miss Daisy, Coriolanus and The Gospel at Colonus. He also won a Drama Desk Award and a Clarence Derwent Award for The Mighty Gents.
The Actor’s Fund is a nationwide human services organization that helps professionals in performing arts and entertainment. The Fund is a safety net for those who are in need, crisis or transition. It was founded in 1882 by a young journalist, Harrison Grey Fiske, in a time when the profession was not highly regarded by society. Their were prejudices towards artists in the entertainment industry. Many entertainers were denied aid and benefits and The Actor’s Fund was there to fill the gaps.
For more information on The Actor’s Fund and their mission visit www.actorsfund.org.
