Tracy Jamal Morgan (born November 10, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy television series Saturday Night Live from 1996 to 2003 and played Tracy Jordan on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock from 2006 to 2013, both of which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. He also starred as Tray Barker on the TBS comedy The Last O.G.
Early life
Morgan was born on November 10, 1968, in Brooklyn and raised in Brooklyn's Marlboro Houses and Tompkins Houses in its Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood.
His father named him Tracy in honor of a platoon mate and friend who shipped off to Vietnam with him and was killed in action days later.
The target of bullies as a child, Morgan attended DeWitt Clinton High School. His father died in January 1987, aged 38. but began earning money performing comedy on the streets During the same year, he was featured on an episode of Punk'd in which his car was towed from valet parking.
thumb|right|Morgan on stage during [[Opie and Anthony's Traveling Virus Comedy Tour (2006)|Opie and Anthony's Traveling Virus Comedy Tour in 2006]]From 2006 to 2013, Morgan was a cast member of the television series 30 Rock. He played the character Tracy Jordan, a caricature of himself. His work on 30 Rock was well-received, and he was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the 2009 Emmy Awards. He returned to the role in July 2020 for a reunion episode during the COVID-19 pandemic that was an upfront special for NBCUniversal. After 30 Rock, beginning in 2018, Morgan began starring in the TBS series The Last O.G. It ran for four seasons until 2021.
Morgan also returned to host SNL on March 14, 2009, and reprised his roles as Brian Fellow and Astronaut Jones. He later made a guest appearance on the 2011 Christmas show, hosted by Jimmy Fallon, and again hosted the show on October 17, 2015.
In addition to his television and comedy career, Morgan has acted in several comedy movies, alongside Adam Sandler, Eddie Murphy, and Will Ferrell. In Adam Sandler's film The Longest Yard, he plays a transgender inmate. He has also taken on a number of voice acting roles. He plays Spoonie Luv on the Comedy Central program Crank Yankers and as Woof in the animated series Where My Dogs At?. He also was the voice of Luis in the animated film Rio.
Morgan has had a number of solo stand-up specials produced throughout his career. One Mic was produced and aired on Comedy Central in 2002. His other comedy specials include Tracy Morgan: Bona Fide in 2014 and Staying Alive in 2017, released after he was severely injured in a 2014 car accident. Morgan made a surprise appearance at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 20, 2015, and was greeted with a standing ovation. He also hosted the first Spike Guys' Choice Awards, which aired on June 13, 2007.
Current work
Morgan acted in commercials for NFL 2K, NBA 2K, and NHL 2K, co-starring with Warren Sapp, Ben Wallace and Jeremy Roenick.
In July 2019, he hosted the ESPYs in Los Angeles.
In 2022, the New York Friars Club bestowed the Entertainment Icon Award on Morgan at the club's spring gala. Morgan is the ninth recipient of the prestigious comedy award, and the first Black recipient.
In May 2025 it was announced that Morgan would star in the Tina Fey-produced television series The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Erika Alexander. In October 2025, the sitcom Crutch starring Morgan was released on Paramount+. The show follows Morgan playing a recent widower who is a devilish yet loving father to two adult children who move back home to Harlem.
Autobiography
On October 20, 2009, Morgan's autobiography, I Am the New Black, was released. The book includes stories about living in Tompkins Projects in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, to becoming a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Morgan appeared on National Public Radio's Fresh Air hosted by Terry Gross, at times becoming very emotional about his former life in a New York ghetto.
Personal life
Family
In 1987, while in high school, Morgan married his girlfriend Sabina. The pair have three sons together. Morgan filed for divorce in August 2009, after having been separated for approximately eight years. Morgan credits one of his sons with having saved him from his alcoholism. Of his extended family, Morgan said in 2009, "I'm estranged from my own mother and most of my family, and I'm not sure that's going to change much".
In September 2011, on the red carpet at the Emmy Awards, Morgan announced he and model Megan Wollover had become engaged six months earlier in San Francisco. Their first child, a daughter, was born in New York City on July 2, 2013. Morgan and Wollover married on August 23, 2015. Morgan filed for divorce July 2020.
In 2023, on an episode of Finding Your Roots, Morgan discovered he is third cousins with American rapper Nas.
Morgan joked that working with Daniel Radcliffe on The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins made him "a cool Dad".
Health
In 1996, Morgan was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and for years has been an alcoholic. Morgan has conceded that many of his own troubles were incorporated within 30 Rock episodes. In early December 2010, Morgan received a kidney transplant necessitated by his diabetes and alcohol use. In March 2024, he told Jimmy Fallon that he had "learned to out-eat Ozempic" and "gained 40 lbs," but later clarified that he was joking, saying "Ozempic did great by me and I was glad to use it."
On March 17, 2025, while sitting courtside at an NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden between the New York Knicks and Miami Heat, Morgan experienced an episode of food poisoning, which caused him to vomit onto the basketball court sideline and suffer a bloody nose. He joked on his Instagram post from the hospital saying, "More importantly, the Knicks are now 1-0 when I throw up on the court so maybe I'll have to break it out again in the playoffs."
Comments on homosexuality
During a performance in Nashville, Tennessee, on June 3, 2011, Morgan made remarks about homosexuals, reportedly stating that if his son were gay, his son better speak to him like a man or he would "pull out a knife and stab him." Morgan apologized, saying that he had "gone too far." In response, head of NBC Entertainment Bob Greenblatt and Morgan's coworker on 30 Rock, Tina Fey, stated they did not condone the comments made by Morgan, and were happy to see him make a sincere apology.
2014 traffic collision and lawsuit
On June 7, 2014, Morgan was a passenger in a Mercedes Sprinter minibus involved in a six-vehicle crash in New Jersey in New Jersey Turnpike near Cranbury when it was struck from behind by a Walmart tractor-trailer, causing a chain reaction crash. Morgan and three other comedians, including Harris Stanton, along with Morgan's assistant and two limousine company employees, who were traveling on Morgan's "Turn it Funny" stand-up comedy tour, were involved in the crash. The crash killed Morgan's friend and collaborator, 62-year-old comedian James McNair (Jimmy Mack). From June 20 until July 12, 2014 Morgan stayed in a rehabilitation facility to recover from the injuries sustained during the crash.
The driver of the truck which caused the accident pleaded not guilty to criminal charges, and an early investigation by National Transportation Safety Board found the driver had been on the road for nearly as many hours as the legal limit. Morgan also sued Walmart for negligence, settling in 2015 for an undisclosed amount.
On June 1, 2015, Morgan made his first public appearance since the crash, in an interview with Matt Lauer on Today, stating he still suffered from symptoms of his injuries. On the November 3, 2016 episode of Conan, Morgan said that he was no longer angry about the collision and had forgiven the driver. Morgan's 2017 Netflix standup special Staying Alive joked about Walmart and the lawsuit, while detailing his hospitalization, rehab and recovery.
2019 car accident handling
In June 2019, Morgan was involved in a minor collision in his newly purchased Bugatti Veyron, and he was captured on video slamming on the other driver's window and yelling, "Bitch, get out of the car". According to Mercury News, the other driver was traumatized by Morgan's conduct.
Filmography
Film
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
|-
| 1996
|| A Thin Line Between Love and Hate || Bartender ||
|-
| 1998
|| Half Baked || V. J. ||
|-
| 2000
|| Bamboozled || TV personality ||
|-
|rowspan=4|2001
|| How High || Commercial actor/Field of Dreams Guy ||Uncredited
|-
|| WaSanGo || Woo Ping || Voice; English dub
|-
|| Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back || Pumpkin Escobar ||
|-
|| 30 Years to Life || Troy ||
|-
| 2002
|| Frank McKlusky, C.I. || Reggie Rosengold ||
|-
| 2003
|| Head of State || Meat hustler ||
|-
| 2004
|| Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind || Joel's Neighbour || Scenes deleted
|-
|rowspan=2|2005
|| The Longest Yard || Ms. Tucker ||
|-
|| Are We There Yet? || Satchel Paige Bobblehead || Voice
|-
| rowspan="3" |2006
|| Little Man || Percy ||
|-
|| VH1's Totally Awesome || Darnell
|
|-
|| Farce of the Penguins || Marcus || Voice
|-
|rowspan=2|2008
|| First Sunday || Leejohn ||
|-
|| Superhero Movie || Professor Xavier ||
|-
|rowspan=2|2009
|| G-Force || Blaster || Voice
|-
|| Deep in the Valley || Busta Nut ||
|-
|rowspan=3|2010
|| Cop Out || Paul Hodges ||
|-
|| Death at a Funeral || Norman ||
|-
|| The Other Guys || Himself ||
|-
|rowspan=3|2011
|| Rio || Luiz || Voice
|-
|| The Son of No One || Vincent Carter ||
|-
|| Chick Magnet || Tracy ||
|-
| 2012
|| Why Stop Now || Leopold "Sprinkles" Leonard ||
|-
|rowspan=3|2014
|| Rio 2 || Luiz || rowspan="2" | Voice
|-
|| The Boxtrolls || Mr. Gristle
|-
|| Top Five || Fred ||
|-
|rowspan=2|2015
|| Accidental Love || Keyshawn ||
|-
|| The Night Before || Narrator / Santa Claus ||
|-
|rowspan=3|2017 || Fist Fight || Coach Crawford ||
|-
| The Clapper || Chris ||
|-
| The Star || Felix || Voice
|-
| 2019 || What Men Want || Joe "Dolla" Barry||
|-
| 2020 || Scoob! || Captain Caveman || Voice; Cameo
|-
| 2021 || Coming 2 America || Kareem "Uncle Reem" Junson ||
|-
| 2022 || Spirited || Yet to Come || Voice
|-
| 2025 || Being Eddie || Himself || Documentary
|-
| 2026 || Swapped || Boogle/Firewolf || Voice
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Year !! Show !! Role !! Notes
|-
| 1992–1994
|| Uptown Comedy Club || Various ||
|-
| 1994–1996
|| Martin || Hustle Man || 7 episodes
|-
| 1996–2003
|| Saturday Night Live || Various roles || 128 episodes
|-
| 2000
|| 3rd Rock from the Sun || Tracy Morgan || Episode: "Dick'll Take Manhattan: Part 1"
|-
| 2002
|| Tracy Morgan: One Mic|| Himself || Stand-up special
|-
| 2002–2005,<br>2019–2021
|| Crank Yankers || Spoonie Luv || Voice
|-
| 2003–2004
|| The Tracy Morgan Show || Tracy Mitchell || 18 episodes; also producer
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2006
|| Mind of Mencia || Captain Black Cawk || Episode: "Stereotype Olympics"
|-
|| Where My Dogs At? || Woof || Voice; 8 episodes
|-
| 2006–2013, 2020
|| 30 Rock || Tracy Jordan || 137 episodes
|-
| 2008
|| Human Giant || The Invisible Man || Voice; Episode: "I Want More Corn Chowder"
|-
| 2008–2013
|| Scare Tactics || rowspan="2" | Himself (host) || 20 episodes
|-
| 2009
|| Saturday Night Live || Episode: "Tracy Morgan/Kelly Clarkson"
|-
| 2010
|| Tracy Morgan: Black and Blue|| rowspan="2" | Himself || Stand-up special; also executive producer
|-
|rowspan=2|2014
|| Tracy Morgan: Bona Fide || Stand-up special; also executive producer
|-
| Mr. Pickles || Skids || Voice; Episode: "Dead Man's Curve"
|-
| 2015
||Saturday Night Live || Himself (host) || Episode: "Tracy Morgan/Demi Lovato"
|-
| 2017
| Tracy Morgan: Staying Alive|| rowspan="3" | Himself || Stand-up special
|-
|rowspan=4|2018
|Somebody Feed Phil || Episode: "New York City"
|-
| The Raw Word || Episode #1.15
|-
| The Simpsons || Himself, Tow Truck Driver || Voice; 2 episodes
|-
| Animals || Toaster || Voice; Episode: "Stuff"
|-
| 2018–2021 || The Last O.G. || Tray Barker || Main cast; also executive producer
|-
|rowspan=3|2019 || The Twilight Zone || J.C. Wheeler || Episode: "The Comedian"
|-
| Green Eggs and Ham || Michael the Fox || Voice; 2 episodes
|-
| Bubble Guppies || Dr. Bigmouth Bass || Voice; Episode: "Secret Agent Nonny!"
|-
| 2021 || Squidbillies || Early Cuyler || Voice, season 13
|-
| 2022, 2025 || The Neighborhood || Curtis Butler / Francois "Crutch" Crutchfield || Episodes: "Welcome to Bro Money, Bro Problems", "Welcome to Family Value"
|-
|rowspan=2|2023 || Tracy Morgan: Takin' It Too Far || Himself || Stand-up special
|-
| The Santa Clauses || Easter Bunny || Episode: "Chapter Nine: No Magic at the Dinner Table!"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2025 || Octopus! || Himself || 2 episodes
|-
| Crutch || Francois "Crutch" Crutchfield || Main cast; also executive producer
|-
| 2026 || The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins || Reggie Dinkins || Main cast; also executive producer
|}
Awards and nominations
- Emmy Awards
- 2009, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, 30 Rock, nominated
- 2016, Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, Saturday Night Live, nominated
- Image Awards
- 2007, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, 30 Rock, nominated
- 2008, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, 30 Rock, nominated
- New York Friars Club
- 2022, Entertainment Icon Award
References
External links
- Official website
- Interview with Tracy Morgan
- National Transportation Safety Board report on Morgan's 2014 accident