http://whatculture.com/tv/10-embarrassingly-awful-tv-roles-taken-hollywood-stars.php

No matter how successful an actor becomes, how much money they make or the number of awards they win, they all had to start somewhere. It’s always fun to see established actors at their most desperate, struggling through the early days, taking on terrible roles and reading the worst scripts in an attempt to make it.

Take a look at some of the most embarrassing TV roles that some of Hollywood’s brightest stars willingly agreed to, and decide for yourself if they were really worth taking.


Read more at http://whatculture.com/tv/10-embarrassingly-awful-tv-roles-taken-hollywood-stars.php#zS1F2VfmUAvxaRgK.99

10. Morgan Freeman – Easy Reader, The Electric Company

Ever since he was a boy, people have enjoyed the sound of Morgan Freeman’s voice. Especially his singing voice, as displayed in The Electric Company back in the 1970s. No, not a fly on the wall documentary about a utilities provider, but a show created by the Children’s Television Workshop as a sort of Soul Train meets Sesame Street for elementary school kids.

Playing a character called Easy Reader, a funky Freeman grooved his way through grammatical constructions (watch below, and I mean, seriously, watch it) complete with afro, headband and flares, with the catchphrase “top to bottom, left to right, reading stuff is outta sight!”. Another episode sees him in a classic, Shaft-resembling turtleneck, and another has him seemingly coming onto a female presenter with the rhyme “Miss Jones has nice bones”. Slick.

His singing voice is actually pretty good, even if most of the song is just him singing “uh, uh, uh”. We all know he’s cool, so he really doesn’t need to continually high five the presenter and dance awkwardly. Still, it’s easy to forgive and forget, because it’s Morgan Freeman!

Ironically, Morgan Freeman, these days, is ashamed he was ever on that show.

Ironically, Morgan Freeman, these days, is ashamed he was ever on that show.

Provide a link where he says this. I've never read or heard him say one thing about being ashamed. His career certainly wasn't harmed by it so why he'd be ashamed is beyond me.

Here's a quote from Morgan Freeman, he admits he was on the show too long but doesn't say anything about being ashamed or embarrassed by it.

"It was my idea to just do "The Electric Company" (1971) for a couple of years and go on. But, you get trapped by that money thing. It's golden handcuffs. It gets a lot of people, including soap opera actors and commercial actors. Then, they don't want to see you in serious work. That was going to be me, having people come up to me saying 'My kids love you!'. I was there three years too long".

http://whatculture.com/tv/10-hollywood-stars-got-big-break-embarrassing-tv-shows.php

When you’re a struggling actor trying to get your big break, no job is too small or demeaning for you. After all, even if it’s a cheesy, humiliating show, there are perks. You’re getting a credit for your resume – maybe even earning your SAG card – and if you have to do that while wearing a dog costume on a PBS kid’s show, so be it. At least you’re working and getting your name out there. It’s kind of unfair to rag on jobbing actors for taking these roles. I mean, a job’s a job. But as far as I’m concerned, celebrities are fair game – they did what they had to do to make it to the top, and now they’re reaping the benefits. So it’s just a bit of (deliciously evil) harmless fun to take a look at these massive Hollywood stars and mock the crap out of them for the painfully embarrassing roles they took back when they were just regular people.

In a way, it makes them more relatable, that you can pinpoint the moment back when they were drunk and broke just like you. Of course, all things must end – these guys eventually made it to the big time. But we can get one last beautiful moment of schadenfreude by taking a look at the last, demeaning roles they did before becoming really famous.


Read more at http://whatculture.com/tv/10-hollywood-stars-got-big-break-embarrassing-tv-shows.php#fSvcTYyQQQTm4sSx.99

Jaleel White aka Steve Urkel took over family matters was originally going to be about the family then Steve Urkel got popular then it became Steve Urkel show. same goes to fonize.