Morgan Freeman, Cate Blanchett win supporting actor awards.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

Publication: Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service

Publication Date: 28-FEB-05

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Byline: Terry Lawson

Morgan Freeman, a onetime regular on the children's TV series "The Electric Company" who went on to become one of the most critically acclaimed actors in film, won his first Oscar at Sunday's 77th annual Academy Awards for his role as a former boxer in "Million Dollar Baby."

Freeman, 67, had previously been nominated in the supporting actor category for 1987's "Street Smart," and as best actor for 1989's "Driving Miss Daisy" and 1994's "The Shawshank Redemption." He had previously teamed with "Million Dollar Baby" director Clint Eastwood in 1992's "Unforgiven."

"I want to thank anybody and everybody who had anything to do with the making of this film," said Freeman. "It was a labor of love."

Warner Bros., the studio with which Eastwood had enjoyed a long and profitable relationship, originally passed on financing "Million Dollar Baby." Only after Eastwood...

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