Myrna Colley-Lee is an American costume and set designer. She is also known for her long career in theatre. Many people first heard about her because of her marriage to actor Morgan Freeman. However, her own creative work deserves attention too. She built a respected career in costume design across theatre and film. Her work has appeared at major theatres and cultural institutions. She has also worked on productions connected with important Black theatre writers. The Goodman Theatre described her work on The Ballad of Emmett Till during its 2007–2008 season. It also listed several earlier costume projects.
The story of Myrna Colley-Lee is not simply a celebrity marriage story. Her career shows how costume design can shape a stage production. Costumes help audiences understand time, place, personality, and culture. Her work has therefore had value beyond entertainment news. She has also supported literary and cultural work through her involvement with the SonEdna Foundation.
Myrna Colley-Lee Biography at a Glance
| Biography Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Myrna Colley-Lee |
| Profession | Costume and set designer |
| Field | Theatre, costume design, visual arts |
| Known For | Theatre costume design and work in the arts |
| Former Husband | Morgan Freeman |
| Marriage | 1984 |
| Separation | 2007 |
| Divorce Finalized | 2010 |
| Notable Theatre Work | The Ballad of Emmett Till, The Piano Lesson, Gee’s Bend, Fences |
| Career Reach | More than 70 productions and two films |
| Major Recognition | Mississippi Governor’s Award for Excellence in Costume Design |
| Other Honors | National Black Theatre Festival and Mississippi arts awards |
| Philanthropic Work | SonEdna Foundation |
| Public Profile | Mostly private |
The available sources show that Myrna Colley-Lee has spent decades working in the arts. Arizona Theatre Company says she has designed costumes for more than 70 productions and two films. Her work has reached about 50 theatres and venues.
Early Life and Background
Public information about Myrna Colley-Lee’s early life is limited. Several online biographies give different details about her birth and upbringing. For that reason, it is better to avoid presenting uncertain information as proven fact. What is clear is her strong connection to the arts and theatre. Her professional record shows years of creative work and collaboration with theatre companies.
Her career developed during an important period for Black theatre. Arizona Theatre Company notes that she developed professionally during the resurgence of Black Theatre in the late 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. This was a major period for new voices, stories, and cultural expression. Costume designers played an important role in bringing those stories to life.
The path taken by Myrna Colley-Lee also shows why theatre careers deserve more attention. Designers may not appear on screen, but their choices influence how audiences experience a story. Clothing, color, texture, and historical detail can make characters feel real. Her long career suggests a deep understanding of those creative elements.
Myrna Colley-Lee and Costume Design
Costume design became the heart of Myrna Colley-Lee’s professional identity. A costume designer does much more than select attractive clothing. The designer studies characters, historical periods, scripts, movement, and the director’s vision. Every outfit can help tell part of a story.
Her theatre credits include productions such as Gee’s Bend, The Piano Lesson, Forest City, Ain’t Misbehavin’, and Relativity. The Goodman Theatre also lists her work on The Wedding Band and Becoming Adele. These projects demonstrate the range of her design career.
Myrna Colley-Lee has also worked with important African American theatre material. This part of her career is especially meaningful. Costumes can help preserve cultural details while supporting the emotional world of a play. Her work shows that design can be both artistic and historical.
Her Work in Black Theatre
One of the strongest parts of Myrna Colley-Lee’s career is her connection with Black theatre. Her credits include productions based on works by respected writers such as August Wilson. She designed Fences, Seven Guitars, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Arizona Theatre Company also lists her work on Trouble in Mind by Alice Childress.
These productions often explore race, identity, family, music, history, and community. Costume design becomes especially important in such stories. Clothing can reveal social position, personal pride, cultural background, and changes in a character’s life.
The career of Myrna Colley-Lee is therefore connected to more than stage decoration. Her designs helped support stories that have become important parts of American theatre. Her professional record gives her a place in the wider history of stage costume design.
Myrna Colley-Lee and The Ballad of Emmett Till
One notable project in Myrna Colley-Lee’s career was The Ballad of Emmett Till. The Goodman Theatre listed her as costume designer for the production during its 2007–2008 season.
The story of Emmett Till carries deep historical and emotional weight. A costume designer working on such a production must think carefully about period details. Clothing helps establish when and where events happen. It can also help audiences connect with the people represented on stage.
Her involvement with the production reflects the serious nature of her artistic work. She was not simply connected to famous people. She was contributing to productions that explored major subjects. This distinction is important when looking at Myrna Colley-Lee as an artist.
Awards and Professional Recognition
Myrna Colley-Lee has received significant recognition for her work. The Goodman Theatre lists several honors connected with her career. These include the Outstanding Costume Design Award from the National Black Theatre Festival. It also lists the Wynona Lee Fletcher Award for Outstanding Achievement as a Designer.
She has also received recognition from Mississippi arts organizations. The Goodman Theatre records a Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Lifetime Achievement Award. Arizona Theatre Company reports that she received the Mississippi Governor’s Award for Excellence in Costume Design in 2022.
These awards help explain why her career deserves attention. They show recognition from arts communities rather than only celebrity media. Her professional reputation has been built through actual design work. That makes her story especially interesting for readers who want to understand the person behind the public name.
Myrna Colley-Lee and Morgan Freeman
Myrna Colley-Lee became widely known outside theatre because of her relationship with actor Morgan Freeman. The two married on June 16, 1984. Their marriage lasted more than two decades. Public records and contemporary reporting confirm that they later separated and divorced.
Morgan Freeman was already building a major acting career during their marriage. He later became one of Hollywood’s most respected actors. His films include Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption, Million Dollar Baby, and The Dark Knight. This naturally brought public attention to his personal life.
Still, Myrna Colley-Lee had her own professional identity. She worked in costume design and theatre while being connected to a famous actor. That distinction is worth remembering. Her career was not created by her marriage. Her theatre record shows independent artistic achievement.
Their Separation and Divorce
Myrna Colley-Lee and Morgan Freeman separated in December 2007. Their divorce was finalized in September 2010. UPI reported that the divorce was completed in Mississippi after 26 years of marriage. The settlement terms were not made public.
Reports at the time described the legal process as settled without a trial. Both sides were represented by attorneys. Contemporary coverage also reported that the parties reached a settlement.
It is important to avoid turning private relationship matters into unsupported stories. Many details about their marriage and divorce have circulated online. Not all claims have strong sources. A trustworthy biography should focus on confirmed information. The known timeline is enough to understand the major public events without adding speculation.
Family Life and E’dena Hines
Myrna Colley-Lee was also involved in the family life of Morgan Freeman. During their marriage, the couple helped raise E’dena Hines, Freeman’s step-granddaughter from his first marriage. Sources describe their family connection and her upbringing within Freeman’s extended family.
E’dena Hines later pursued acting. Her life ended tragically in 2015 when she was murdered in New York City. The event received significant media attention because of her relationship with Freeman’s family.
This part of Myrna Colley-Lee’s story is sensitive. It should be discussed with care rather than sensational language. Family relationships can be complicated, especially in blended families. What matters here is that Colley-Lee was part of Hines’s family environment during an important period of her life.
Her Connection to Mississippi
Mississippi has been an important part of Myrna Colley-Lee’s professional and personal story. Her career includes strong links to Mississippi’s arts community. The Mississippi Museum of Art once presented an exhibition of her costume renderings called GladRags: Sketches, Swatches and Costume Designs by Myrna Colley-Lee. The Goodman Theatre said the exhibition later toured through Mississippi.
This connection also reflects her interest in the relationship between art and place. Mississippi has a rich history of music, literature, visual art, and theatre. Designers working there can draw from a wide range of cultural influences.
For Myrna Colley-Lee, Mississippi was more than a background location. It became part of her creative world. Her awards and arts involvement show a lasting relationship with the region.
Myrna Colley-Lee and the SonEdna Foundation
Another meaningful part of Myrna Colley-Lee’s public work is her involvement with the SonEdna Foundation. The Goodman Theatre says she co-founded the foundation. Its mission supports literary arts in the Mississippi Delta.
This work fits naturally with her wider connection to creative culture. Theatre, literature, and visual design often overlap. Each field gives people a way to understand history and share personal stories.
Her foundation work also offers another way to view Myrna Colley-Lee. She is not simply a former celebrity spouse. She has participated in cultural and artistic projects that support communities. That side of her story may be less famous, but it provides a fuller picture of her life and values.
Her Artistic Style and Influence
Costume design requires both imagination and research. A designer must understand the script while thinking about how clothing will appear under stage lighting. The outfits must also allow actors to move naturally. Historical productions require additional research into fabrics, shapes, colors, and social customs.
The career of Myrna Colley-Lee reflects this broad skill set. Her work covers different plays, periods, characters, and creative teams. Her involvement with productions such as Fences, Seven Guitars, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom shows her ability to work with complex dramatic material.
Her influence is especially interesting because costume designers often work behind the scenes. Audiences may remember actors and directors first. Yet visual design can strongly affect how a story feels. Good costume work becomes part of the world without distracting from it.
Is Myrna Colley-Lee Still Working?
Available theatre sources show that Myrna Colley-Lee has remained connected with professional costume design over many years. Arizona Theatre Company describes her as actively designing for decades. It also lists more recent productions including Trouble in Mind and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
Her 2022 Mississippi Governor’s Award for Excellence in Costume Design is another sign of continued recognition.
However, information about her current private life is limited. She has generally maintained a quieter public profile than her former husband. That privacy should be respected. A lack of frequent media appearances does not mean a person has stopped contributing to the arts.
For Myrna Colley-Lee, the most reliable way to understand her career is through theatre records and professional recognition. Those sources provide a stronger picture than celebrity gossip or unverified online claims.
Why Myrna Colley-Lee Remains Interesting Today
Myrna Colley-Lee remains interesting because her story combines art, theatre, culture, family, and public attention. Many people discover her name through Morgan Freeman. They then find a professional career that stands on its own.
Her work also highlights an important lesson about creative careers. Not every important artist becomes a household name. Some people make their greatest contributions behind the scenes. Costume designers are a strong example. Their work shapes characters and worlds without placing them in front of the camera.
The story of Myrna Colley-Lee also shows why biographies should go beyond famous relationships. Her awards, theatre credits, exhibitions, and cultural work provide meaningful evidence of her achievements. These details create a much more complete picture than simply calling her Morgan Freeman’s former wife.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Myrna Colley-Lee?
Myrna Colley-Lee is an American costume and set designer with a long career in theatre. She has designed costumes for more than 70 productions and two films. Her credits include several respected stage productions. She is also known publicly because she was married to actor Morgan Freeman from 1984 until their divorce was finalized in 2010.
2. What is Myrna Colley-Lee known for?
Myrna Colley-Lee is best known professionally for costume design. Her theatre work includes productions such as The Ballad of Emmett Till, The Piano Lesson, Gee’s Bend, Fences, and Seven Guitars. She has received multiple awards for her design work.
3. Was Myrna Colley-Lee married to Morgan Freeman?
Yes. Myrna Colley-Lee married Morgan Freeman on June 16, 1984. They separated in December 2007. Their divorce was finalized in September 2010. Contemporary reports said the divorce was settled without a trial.
4. Did Myrna Colley-Lee have a career outside Hollywood?
Yes. Her main professional identity has been connected to theatre and costume design. She worked with theatres across the United States and contributed to many stage productions. Arizona Theatre Company says she designed costumes for more than 70 productions and two films.
5. What awards has Myrna Colley-Lee received?
Myrna Colley-Lee has received several professional honors. These include recognition from the National Black Theatre Festival and the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters. Arizona Theatre Company also reports that she received the Mississippi Governor’s Award for Excellence in Costume Design in 2022.
6. Why is Myrna Colley-Lee important in theatre?
Myrna Colley-Lee is important because of her long contribution to costume design. Her work supported many productions featuring major themes and Black theatrical voices. She also contributed to arts and literary projects in Mississippi. Her career shows how behind-the-scenes artists can make a lasting impact on storytelling.
Conclusion
Myrna Colley-Lee has a story that goes far beyond her connection with Morgan Freeman. She built a serious career in costume and set design. Her work reached dozens of theatres and included important productions. She earned professional awards and gained recognition from respected arts organizations.
Her life also shows the value of looking beyond celebrity headlines. A famous marriage may bring attention, but professional achievements create a lasting legacy. Her work with theatre, visual design, and cultural organizations gives readers a better understanding of who she is.
For anyone researching Myrna Colley-Lee, the strongest approach is to focus on documented career records. Her theatre credits and awards tell a story of creativity, dedication, and cultural contribution. That legacy makes her an interesting figure in American theatre and costume design.
