Morgan Freeman is an actor, producer, and storyteller like no other. His career spans over five decades, during which time, he has transported his audiences to grand new worlds and taught them about history, society, politics, and the mysteries of our universe. Even at 87 years old, his voice is just as smooth and rich as when he first joined the industry. Some days, it is hard to believe that the same actor who broke out in Driving Miss Daisy in the late ''80s is still working today.
Freeman has had an excellent career in movies, television and documentaries. He has particularly established himself as a celebrated narrator in Hollywood because of his calm voice and emotive delivery. Whether he is exploring topics of ancient history, talking about the wonders of nature, or inspiring people with tales of human achievement, Freeman’s narrative skills have made countless works better and more memorable.
His movie roles may be fewer than in past decades, but the Oscar-winning actor shows no signs of slowing down in the non-fiction world. In recent years alone, he has lent his voice to blockbuster nature documentaries like Our Planet for Netflix and The Story of God for National Geographic. But there’s more to his work. This list takes a look at 20 of the best and most fascinating documentaries narrated by Morgan Freeman.
20 Island Of Lemurs: Madagascar (2014)
Set on the beautiful yet increasingly endangered island nation of Madagascar, this documentary takes viewers to the remote rainforests where a dedicated scientist named Dr. Patricia C. Wright and her team are working to understand and protect the species of lemurs who arrived at the island millions of years ago and are found nowhere else on Earth today.
Glimpse Into a Hidden World
During the hour-long film, we follow the researchers as they observe the troop’s behavior, identify the lemurs and learn their systems. Morgan Freeman’s soothing narration not only brings the lemur world to life, but it also adds sincerity to the environmental challenges that Madagascar is facing. Island Of Lemurs: Madagascar itself feels more like a discovery than a lecture because of its artistic and unforgettable direction.
19 Magnificent Desolation: Walking On The Moon (2005)
Space travel and space exploration is more advanced and unique today than ever before. But it is also important to look back to where we’ve come from. Magnificent Desolation: Walking On The Moon is a documentary that uses restoration videos and present-day astronaut interviews to showcase the history of moon landings. A total of twelve astronauts, including Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, have walked on the moon and this film expresses their awe and humility.
Genuinely Moving Tales
Magnificent Desolation: Walking On The Moon conveys these endeavors through vivid colors and technical explanations, making sure the missions are as much the viewers’ as the astronauts’ themselves. Freeman lends the right measure of earnestness and wonder to the voice of Neil Armstrong to take the story forward. He is accompanied by voices of Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Bryan Cranston and John Travolta.
18 The Hunting of the President (2004)
Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, The Hunting of the President is a riveting watch for fans of political dramas. Except, it is a true story based on a book penned by investigative journalists Joe Conason and Gene Lyons. A scating exposé, it explores the efforts carried out by Republican strategists to smear President Bill Clinton and his campaign in the 1990s. Using candid conversations with friends and archival footage, it shows us the whole truth behind Clinton’s character assassination.
A Riveting Exposé of the 1990s
For this one, Morgan Freeman channels his most authoritative voice, making sure the timely reveals are steady but impactful. Through his narration, every insight and context is made clear. The documentary itself was massively praised for its argument about how planned defamation can influence and manipulate the public as well as the otherwise divisive media spheres and their excessive enthusiasm in trying to bring down Clinton.
17 March Of The Penguins 2: The Call (2017)
It is rare to see a documentary get a sequel. March Of The Penguins 2: The Call is among the very few. It follows a young penguin trusting his instincts and charting out into the unknown to get to a destination the viewers don’t know of. Against the harsh Antarctic elements, he faces constant challenges, locates patches of food, and humbly celebrates victories both large and small.
Equally Fascinating Sequel
Not as glorious or rewatchable as the original, The Call still manages to get a few things right. It features stunning cinematography that captures the penguin in magnificent and vulnerable ways. There are playful moments to add tenderness and poignancy to the struggles of survival. While the music, too, elevates the experience, it is Freeman who describes each detail and highlights every experience in an emotive tone.
16 The Mona Lisa Myth (2014)
The Mona Lisa Myth is an Italian-American co-production written and directed by Jean-Pierre Isbouts and narrated by Morgan Freeman. It dives into the art of history, following Leonardo Da Vinci as a penniless artist arriving in Florence after being evicted from Milan. He wants to raise funds so he agrees to paint the portrait of a Florentine housewife, Mona Lisa. Leonardo was so smitten by her that he made two versions of the portrait.
The Story Behind A Famous Painting
Renaissance Florence is considered so iconic that it still stirs symbolism and intellectual curiosity. The documentary makes the same experience accessible to all by separating fact from fiction and examining the mysterious lady in Leonardo da Vinci's most famous painting. The narration by Freeman is alluring; it allows us to look beyond the surface of normal creativity. He conveys the reason behind the painting’s endurance.
15 Slavery and the Making of America (2004)
This four-part documentary series chronicles America’s history with slavery, the enormous wealth it generated, and the cultural and political impacts it left in its wake. It documents famous historical figures such as President George Washington and uses interviews to offer viewers a glimpse into the early encounters between colonists and African slaves and how it shaped several other social movements and rights.
How A Country Was Formed
Slavery and the Making of America also features genuinely moving stories of individual slaves as they look back to a troubled time. They tell of the moments of grand resistance and people’s resilience with care. Freeman also guides the narrative, speaking of the years of post-Civil War Reconstruction and the hard truth about the Africans’ involvement in making America what it is today. The series definitely deserves more recognition.
14 Cosmic Voyage (1996)
Directed by Bayley Silleck, Cosmic Voyage is an Academy Award-nominated documentary short that takes you on a tour across our vast cosmic neighborhood. It begins on surface, at a celebration in Venice, Italy, and gradually zooms out until we’re on the edge of the observable universe, experiencing the colorful atmosphere of other planets. The view zooms back into a drop of rain in Belgium, going beyond atomic levels.
Journey Beyond Imagination
The whole point of the documentary is to foster within us a sense of wonder and appreciation for our place in the grand universe. Freeman’s voice carries the excitement and natural curiosity we all share when we witness something so magnificent. Cosmic Voyage is made more beautiful, serene and inspirational by a classical background score provided by David Michael Frank.
13 100 Years of Warner Bros (2023)
A recent TV documentary series, 100 Years of Warner Bros celebrates the globally renowned media empire. It consists of four specials, which showcase how Warners constantly took risks and pushed boundaries in order to define an era of entertainment. From animation breakthroughs to groundbreaking musicals, there were a number of innovators, celebrities, and writers that worked together and turned the studio into a legacy.
Pays Homage to Creative Risk-Takers
It is apparent from Freeman’s narration that he adores the artists and writers at Warner Bros as much as we do. He infuses every sentence with passion, admiring the creativity and boldness of the studio’s greatest. The documentary itself is quite nostalgic and entertaining because it stimulates interest in behind-the-scenes magic. It features cameos from George Clooney, Oprah Winfrey and Tim Burton and overall admires WB’s impressive library of works.
12 BB King: The Life Of Riley (2012)
The two-hour long documentary profiles the iconic American blues musician, also known as “King of the Blues.” The film begins with his journey as a boy born into a poor sharecroppers’ family in the heart of the Mississippi Delta. He fought against impossible odds and eventually rose to international stardom. Interviews with friends, family and collaborators inform the audiences about how BB fused jazz and R&B to create a unique genre.
Honors The Healing Power of Music
BB King: The Life Of Riley is a hit among critics and audiences alike. It not only pays tribute to the artist’s music and the accolades he won but also leaves a message for future generations of listeners. To tell such a moving, sublime and inspirational story about facing prejudice and still uplifting millions of spirits, it is obvious that the production would choose a voice as well-known and celebrated as Morgan Freeman.
11 The C Word (2015)
The C Word is a fascinating documentary from the mind of writer-director Meghan O'Hara. It analyzes the science and impact of cancer, risk factors and emotional experiences of those suffering, as well as the numerous breakthroughs from two perspectives. That of O'Hara, and Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, a French neuroscientist and cancer revolutionary.
Essential and Thought-Provoking
The entire point of the documentary is to shed light on society's systematic failure in preventing people from getting the disease altogether. Brutally honest and outrageously funny, it calls out agricultural corporations and their subtle way of introducing low-nutrition, high-risk foods into people's diets. Narrated by Freeman with intrigue and compassion, The C Word is a fittingly educational and naturally shocking documentary.
10 Prom Night in Mississippi (2009)
Written and directed by Paul Saltzman, Prom Night in Mississippi is a historical feature of sorts. It tells the story of the first racially integrated senior prom night in Charleston, Mississippi through the eyes of high school seniors as they make preparations at their Charleston High School in 2008. The event was funded by Morgan Freeman and was received negatively by the parents and administration. But it changed the South forever, regardless.
Captures a Singular Night of Change
Winning several Audience Choice Awards at festivals and great admiration from critics, this high-stakes cultural drama added warmth to a tender moment in history. Interviews from the kids are progressive, while those of the parents are smothering. Morgan Freeman delivered the narration with subtle emotions like hope, frustration and fear to make sure the night was recorded in history as an important one. Overall, the documentary is worth watching.
9 Born To Be Wild (2011)
An IMAX family adventure, Born To Be Wild offers a window into the ecosystem through the eyes of two devoted animal preservationists. Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas has created a natural living environment for orangutans in Borneo and Daphne Sheldrick has established an elephant sanctuary in Kenya. From being young and lonely animals to finding a place in wildlife refuge camps, these animals prove themselves important to the world just by existing.
Award-Winning Nature Documentary
With his caring voice, Freeman captures the thrill of wildlife encounters in a way that is entertaining and funny at the same time. His narration makes the everyday lives of the two women and the animals joyful. Captivating and well-made, Born To Be Wild won the Genesis Award for Best Documentary Feature from The Humane Society of the United States in 2012 for its “celebration of the people rehabilitating baby elephants and orangutans.”
8 The Long Way Home (1997)
After the Second World War ended, several Holocaust survivors were set free from the Nazi camps. Although the feeling was supposed to be liberating, the survivors were filled with despair because they had no home to return to. The intimate glimpses of their immediate lives after the war reveal the plight of Jewish refugees. It also documents the eventual formation of the State of Israel and how it churned debates at the White House and the United Nations.
Heart-Rending Story of Post-WWII
A moving piece of art from director Mark Jonathan Harris, The Long Way Home won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature back in 1998, and it has a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It was praised for adding perspective to historical events that are just as delicate and vital today, like the delicate conflict that rose in Palestine between the Jewish and Arab population. The documentary features music composed by Lee Holdridge and is narrated by Morgan Freeman.
7 Through the Wormhole (2010 – 2017)
A popular Science Channel documentary series, Through the Wormhole spans eight seasons. It takes deep and inquisitive dives into the strange and undiscovered corners of physics to make science more entertaining and accessible for all. Presented by Morgan Freeman, each episode tackles topics like parallel universes, the fabric of reality, the concepts of space, time and mortality, using experiments that highlight the science of it all.
All About the Cosmos
Life is made of big puzzles. What are we made of? Is there a greater being out there? What is our purpose in the universe? We all have had these questions run in our minds at some point in life. Through the Wormhole does not answer them directly. Instead, it builds intriguing discussions around the topics. Freeman had once expressed his fascination with the universe and space and things like “ask[ing] the big philosophical questions,” so having him narrate was perfect.
6 Breaking The Taboo (2011)
Breaking the Taboo is an eye-opening film that explores the UN-sanctioned war on drugs. It all started in 1961 with the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. The nation was intolerant towards the use of drugs (particularly marijuana) and thus made a global policy about the same. But it ended up having a devastating impact on countries like the USA, Colombia, and Russia. Eventually, the nation liberalized drugs under the 2011 panel decision by the Global Commission on Drug Policy.
Recounts an Ongoing Struggle
The subject matter of this documentary is quite heavy and sensitive. Morgan Freeman’s narration brings calm gravitas to it; his tone conveying neither fear nor dismissal towards it. Directors Fernando Grostein Andrade and Cosmo Feilding-Mellen focused on participants like Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter to offer a better understanding of the unsuccessful war on drugs. That said, Breaking the Taboo is as intellectual as it is shocking.
5 March of the Penguins (2005)
Perhaps one of the biggest nature/animal documentaries of all time, March of the Penguins offers an intimate look at the annual journey of Emperor penguins in Antarctica. These creatures are cute and charming, but also brave enough to tackle temperatures of the frozen tundra. As they march single file across the white for miles on end, we witness their courtship dance, the miraculous hatching of eggs, and the newborn chicks growing up against the odds.
About Love and Survival
This 2005 documentary established Morgan Freeman as an ideal voice for stories. His warm and compassionate narration brings a sense of comfort to the penguins’ precious world. He describes their graceful movements and tender moments of care quite beautifully. Moreover, March of the Penguins also features incredible cinematography. Its narrative, despite being easy to understand, is equal parts dramatic and captivating.
4 History’s Greatest Escapes with Morgan Freeman (2021)
Another captivating documentary series, History's Greatest Escapes with Morgan Freeman consists of 16 hour-long episodes, each of them revolving around the most ingenious breakouts in history. The prisons in question are all considered to be notorious because they are designed in a way that it is impossible to escape from them. From a drug kingpin getting out of maximum-security prisons in Mexico to forty prisoners fleeing in a food truck, the stories are baffling to say the least.
Enthralling Insight into Infamous Jailbreaks
The series tells a good old-fashioned prison break story in every episode by making sure the pacing is taut, and the narrative is conceptually intriguing. Freeman, the narrator and host, displays a personality like no other as he talks of the bemusing scenarios of infamous criminals. The interviews and recreations add more intensity to the jailbreaks, with the meticulous planning and step-by-step execution giving you that pulse-pounding thrill of the escape in real time.
3 Our Universe (2022)
Created by Naomi Austin, Stephen Cooter and Alice Jones for Netflix, Our Universe, as the name suggests, is a nature documentary series about the universe and its existence of over a billion years. Playing out like a cinematic adventure across space and time, the episodes explore cosmological mysteries like dark matter, the origins of time through the eyes of a chimpanzee, and the climate cycle as it changes for the Alaskan brown bear.
An Epic Exploration of the Universe
The universe is vast and splendid. It is also scary and mysterious. This BBC series explores all its facets and offers an experience so immersive and stimulating that it’s impossible for you to look away from your screens. Paired with Morgan Freeman’s soothing voice-over, it crafts awe for the cosmos and cultivates within us the need to do better. If nothing, Our Universe is worth watching for the CGI alone.
2 The Story of God (2016 – 2019)
An innovative three-part series that examines society’s relationship with religion and spirituality across various cultures, The Story of God with Morgan Freeman sees the Academy Award-winning actor journey across the globe to visit seven countries and 20 cities. He gets in conversation with locals, tries to understand their faith, reads holy scriptures and indulges in their mystical practices while focusing on their belief in God.
Life’s Biggest Questions, Answered
Religion may be a divisive subject for many, but the existence of a higher power controlling and micromanaging everything that is and will be is something one cannot deny. Interwoven with the same belief are the fifteen hour-long episodes of this series. Freeman not only narrates the thought-provoking documentary but also explores religious sites like the pyramids of Egypt, Jerusalem's Wailing Wall, and India's Bodhi Tree to reflect on faith, humanity, and meaning.
1 Life on Our Planet (2023)
Lastly, we have a recent documentary series created for Netflix. It consists of eight episodes that examine the evolutionary history of complex life on Earth. From the impact of climate change on day-to-day life to the extraordinary 4 billion-year journey of living form’s adaptation and survival, it leaves nothing. Most fascinating is the breathtaking videography of natural habitats transforming constantly and rapidly.
Strikes a Chord With the Viewers
Praised by critics for its visual effects and cinematography, Life on Our Planet uses a hybrid of both CGI and live-video where the “footage of animals that are real and sequences conjured from scratch on a computer are nearly indistinguishable.” Freeman delivers an emotive script, conveying just how much beauty we have discovered on Earth and how many mysteries are still untouched. The scale and score of the series is also quite magnificent, which allows for a compelling watch.
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