Morgan Freeman early career struggles with The Electric Company unveil a rarely discussed side of the acclaimed actor, revealing the emotional depths and hardships he faced as he built his reputation. Before achieving recognition in Hollywood, Freeman battled personal demons and professional dissatisfaction while working on the children’s PBS show in the early 1970s.
The Beginning of A Difficult Journey
For many actors aiming to break into the entertainment industry, initial roles often come from any source—be it commercials, voiceovers, or minor television jobs—rather than major movie leads. Even figures as celebrated as Morgan Freeman started in this challenging environment. It took Freeman nearly 15 years to appear in his first feature film, and almost two subsequent decades to truly make his mark in Hollywood. Yet, well before his acclaimed role in “Driving Miss Daisy,” Freeman found his first reliable source of income in television.
Freeman’s first major and lasting job came in 1971 when he joined the cast of The Electric Company. The show, created to help educate children in America, mixed live-action skits, puppetry, and music. Freeman portrayed ‘Easy Reader,’ a hip character who encouraged children to read and understand grammar. The position offered him regular employment, but it soon took an emotional toll.
Trials of Performing on The Electric Company
Morgan Freeman remained with The Electric Company for five years, though he later admitted that his passion faded after the first two. The routine nature of the show and the predictability of each season left him feeling stuck. More troubling for Freeman was becoming publicly identified for a character he did not cherish playing, dampening his sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.
“I walk down the street and it’s ‘Hello, Easy Reader!’”
he lamented.
“It’s an ego problem. I’m an actor, and I don’t want to be Easy Reader forever!”
—Morgan Freeman, Actor
Despite repeated vows each year to leave, Freeman kept returning to the show, admitting that the secure paycheck held him back from walking away. The disconnect between his creative aspirations and his everyday reality bred resentment and a sense of moral compromise. He confessed to feeling like he was
“working, not that I liked the work, but I needed the money.”
The self-described feeling of exploitation intensified his internal conflict and unhappiness during those years.
Personal Struggles and Coping Mechanisms
The emotional turmoil caused by his work on The Electric Company spiraled into unhealthy coping habits. Freeman’s struggles with job dissatisfaction and guilt led him to drink heavily. A routine drink at lunch quickly turned into three whiskies, eventually leading to consuming quarts of alcohol each week. He openly described the low point of this period as waking up face down in his apartment doorway with no memory of how he got there. Realizing the severity, Freeman took decisive action and quit drinking altogether.
Lingering Discontent and Final Departure
Once sober, Freeman confronted the underlying reasons for his unhappiness, recognizing that his aversion to the job on The Electric Company was a major contributor.
“I could hardly stand to get up in the morning and go to work,”
he confessed, pointing to
“greed and insecurity – the actor’s constant bane”
as forces that kept him trapped in a role he no longer wanted.
Freeman didn’t end up leaving the show by his own hand. Instead, he remained until the show was cancelled in 1977. Reflecting on that moment, he said,
“It just shut down. I’m afraid if it hadn’t, I would never have left.”
The cancellation gave him a release he couldn’t give himself, although he later admitted his regret for not finding the courage to walk away on his own.
Reflection and Impact on Freeman’s Path
Morgan Freeman’s early career struggles with The Electric Company shed light on the emotional cost that can come with early success and steady employment in show business. His experience illustrates the personal and professional battles often hidden behind seemingly positive milestones, showing that even well-known actors like Freeman confront doubt, frustration, and self-reckoning before reaching lasting success. His story serves as both a warning and inspiration for those entering the industry, emphasizing that perseverance can coexist with struggle, and that sometimes outside circumstances ultimately set us free to pursue our deepest ambitions.
