Actor who played God, Nelson Mandela gets Golden Globe honors

Morgan Freeman

LOS ANGELES—An actor who played a variety of roles, from God to Nelson Mandela, is the 2012 Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille awardee.

On behalf of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), actress Amy Adams and director Pedro Almodovar announced Wednesday morning Morgan Freeman as the recipient of the lifetime achievement award.

Freeman, noted for his distinctive voice, will receive the award at the 69^th annual Golden Globe Awards on January 15.

With an impressive career that spans theater, television and film, the 74-year-old actor has won numerous awards and nominations, including a Best Actor Golden Globe for “Driving Miss Daisy” and a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for “Million Dollar Baby.”

Freeman’s causes include the promotion of the use of clean-burning fuels, Artists for a New South Africa and the Campaign for Female Education.

The newest recipient of the honor, determined by HFPA’s board of directors, joins a long list of accomplished talents who have won the award, including Sidney Poitier, Walt Disney, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese.

Adams and Almodovar, who were introduced by HFPA president Aida Takla-O’Reilly, made the announcement in a press conference at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills.