'Changed my life': Maryland's Ezra Freeman goes from crew member on ship to casted on 'The Real Love Boat'

BALTIMORE – Ezra Freeman was living in New York City, working on a cruise ship while expanding her following on social media.

She had no idea that this career path was going to lead her to a life-changing opportunity.

Freeman, who grew up in Bowie, Maryland, is on TV, weekly, serving up drinks as a bartender in the new CBS reality show "The Real Love Boat."

WJZ first introduced you to Freeman in 2020 when she was stranded for more than two months on the Emerald Princess Ship after the CDC issued a no sail order amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

She spent most of the those two months in isolation inside small rooms.

She was a guest entertainer on board, set to work for Princess Cruises until late July 2020. But then came the coronavirus pandemic.

Passengers got off on March 13, but Freeman was stranded.

Finding love on 'The Real Love Boat'

The premise of the show is to help contestants find love on a real cruise ship with help from real-live cruise members – like Ezra Freeman.

"'The Real Love Boat," they are on a real cruise ship that has real passengers on it, and we have 10 singles, and we are putting them through challenges and tests to see if they can actually find real love on the ship," Freeman told WJZ.

Freeman plays the role of a bartender in all 12 weekly episodes, which premiered last Wednesday on WJZ.

For the past four years, the 26-year-old Freeman has been a crew member for Princess Cruises.

Her side gig was as a social media star. She has more than 126,000 followers on TikTok.

But it was her beaming personality that landed her the role on "The Real Love Boat."

And, what you see on the show, that's not Ezra acting. That's how you will find her on any normal day.

"100 percent, probably 200 percent," Freeman said. "Looking back, watching episode 1, I was very happy with how I am being portrayed because with reality television, that's something you worry about. Everyone who has watched it says, 'You are so you on this show.' I am totally the one to meddle in my friends love life and that is what I got to do."

"The Real Love Boat" is a reality show based off the classic late 1970 to 80s television show, "The Love Boat."

It is hosted by Jerry O'Connell and wife Rebecca Romijn.

"Jerry and Rebecca are such amazing people," Freeman said. "Now, I can say they are life-long friends and mentors. They really took us under their wings. We are newbies to this world of being filmed, we are novices, and that's what they wanted. They wanted real crew members. They didn't want actors."

And, there are continuous guest appearances from the original cast, including Ted Lange, who played the role of bartender Isaac Washington in "The Love Boat."

While a lot of reality dating shows have plenty of drama, Freeman said this one has a little, but directors wanted to stay away from it in respect to the original "Love Boat."

"'The Real Love Boat' doesn't exist to make anyone look bad. It was really about finding real love on a real ship aided by a real crew," Freeman said. "We know that people are watching it because they love 'The Love Boat' so we did want to keep the integrity of the real show, and that it's a feel-good, family-friendly show."

Cruise trip on the Mediterranean

Freeman is a real-life crew member on a cruise ship, which is what the casting director was searching for when filling the show's roles.

She fit the perfect description – experience, bubbly personality and enjoys playing matchmaker with her friends.

She also has a film and theatre degree from Elon University in North Carolina.

Freeman was cast alongside real-life cruise director Matt Mitcham and Captain Paolo Arrigo.

"The three of us are ultimately the ones putting them through the test, setting them up on dates, playing matchmaker," Freeman said.

The show was filmed for a month, starting in late June. The cruise left the dock in Barcelona, and continued to places like Montenegro, Turkey, Greece, and so much more.

"They do all of these incredible challenges in beautiful remote destinations," Freeman said. "We really did sail through the Mediterranean."

'This is my destiny'  

So how did Ezra Freeman get this experience?

"I'm still asking myself the same thing. I don't even know the real answer to that," Freeman said. "I have quite a following on TikTok, so when I was stuck at sea in 2020, I started making TikTok's about my experience being stuck on the ship."

Freeman said she heard about casting calls for "The Real Love Boat" last March, and made a TikTok video persuading viewers she was the girl for the job.

It was destiny.

"At that time, they announced they were doing "'The Real Love Boat' in March," she said. "Then I manifested being part of it and saying this is my destiny to be on 'The Real Love Boat' I would be the perfect person for this. Literally, a week later, I got a phone call, 'Hi Ezra, this is Destiny from CBS.'"

Life-changing phone call

Ezra Freeman, adopted from the nation of Georgia, was with her parents visiting her biological parents and siblings for the first time last June when she received the call that the role was hers.

She immediately had to leave to start filming.

"We are in Georgia for the first time ever when I get this phone call that I had been cast on a TV show. So now, my Georgian family thinks I am famous," Freeman said. "We all came together and had this incredible reunion, and all of my dreams came true within that span of two weeks."

Freeman said as soon as she got onboard the cruise ship in Spain, she was fitted for her outfit, was fed, and then filming started right away.

It was a quick transition.

"It has 100 percent changed my life down to some of the mentors I now have," she said. "Who ever would have thought that I have Jerry O'Connell's number?" 

What's next?

Ezra Freeman, although she has been given a type of social media ambassador role on Princess Cruise, she has stopped as a crew member.

Her goal now is to move back to New York or head west to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career.

"When everything is settled, what is my next move? I am having some meetings with agents. I would love to continue acting but in a scripted setting," Freeman said. "I'm really going to ride the wave and see what opportunities come. Ideally, my goal has always been to be an actress."

But, with her first big experience in the spotlight, Freeman said the moment she cherishes the most is walking the red carpet with her parents.

"The most rewarding part for me this far is getting to see my parents walk on the red carpet. That was a moment I felt like I did a good job," Freeman said.

"The Real Love Boat" airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on CBS, in between "Survivor" and "The Amazing Race."