Real photo of young Morgan Freeman holding “I’m just a clown” sign?

Claim:

A photo shared online for years authentically shows a young Morgan Freeman holding a sign that reads: “I'm just a clown feeling depressed.”

Evaluation:

For years, social media users have claimed that a black and white photo shows a young Morgan Freeman in the 1970s holding a sign that reads, “I'm just a clown who feels depressed.”

The post appeared on X in early October 2024, but previously also appeared on platforms such as Reddit and Facebook.

(X user @timecaptales)

The picture is actually authentic. It features a young Freeman as a performer in the children's variety show “The Electric Company.”

Freeman himself shared the image on his verified social media accounts. Therefore, we have rated this claim as true.

The image appeared on the actor's verified X and Instagram profiles in January 2021 with the caption: “Monday greetings from DJ Mel Mounds.” DJ Mel Mounds was the name of one of the characters he played on the show.

(Instagram user @MorganFreeman)

Many episodes of the series have been uploaded to YouTube via unofficial accounts and two seasons can also be found on Amazon's Prime Video.

In the YouTube video below, Freeman can be seen performing around the 5-minute mark.

Below is another video of Freeman performing as DJ Mel Mounds.

“The Electric Company” debuted in October 1971 and ran until 1977.

In addition to Freeman, the cast also included Rita Moreno and Bill Cosby, as well as guest stars such as Mel Brooks, Gene Wilder and Joan Rivers.

The aim of the show was to teach children to read.

Sources