Born:
November 10, 1968
Tracy Morgan Overview:
In every aspect of Tracy Morgan's comedy -- from his stand-up to his work on both Saturday Night Live and, later, 30 Rock -- what makes him so funny is his unpredictability. His comedy is a mix of brutal honesty and out-there absurdism, and though it took audiences several years to wrap their heads around Morgan's unique comedic sensibilities, he finally has become a big star now that people can appreciate what he's trying to do. There's no one else quite like Tracy Morgan, and that's for the best. The world isn't big enough for another.
Quick Tracy Morgan Facts:
- Tracy Morgan was born and raised in The Bronx in New York.
- He was first "discovered" my the ex-wife of Martin Lawrence while performing stand-up at New York's Apollo Theater in 1984.
- He married his high school sweetheart Sabina in 1985. The pair have three sons together.
- In 1996, Morgan joined the cast of Saturday Night Live. He remained on the show until 2003.
- His first hour-long stand-up special, One Mic, debuted on Comedy Central in 2002.
- In 2006, Morgan became a cast member on the critically acclaimed NBC sitcom 30 Rock.
- His second comedy special, Black and Blue, debuted on HBO in 2010.
Tracy Morgan, Live from New York:
After over a decade of performing as a stand-up comic (as well as a recurring role on the FOX sitcom Martin), Tracy Morgan finally got his big break when he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 1996. Unfortunately, he languished there for several years without getting a lot of screen time, as the show's writers didn't quite seem to know what to do with Morgan's unique comic voice. Eventually, thanks to a host of breakout characters including Astronaut Jones and Brian Fellows (host of Safari Planet), Morgan became one of SNL's biggest stars before leaving the show in 2003.
Tracy Morgan and 30 Rock:
After a one-season stint on his own failed sitcom, The Tracy Morgan Show, Morgan rocketed back to comedy superstardom thanks to a role tailor-written for him by his former SNL cast mate Tina Fey on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. Morgan's role, an out-of-control comedian named Tracy Jordan, boasts several thinly-veiled comparisons to Morgan's own life (including DUI arrests, trouble with the police and ignoring his own diabetic condition). For his work on 30 Rock, Morgan has been nominated for an Emmy (in 2009) and two Image Awards (in 2007 and 2008)/
Tracy Morgan Controversy:
No stranger to controversy throughout his career, Tracy Morgan drew a considerable amount of fire in 2011 after performing a set in Nashville filled with material considered to be homophobic (including a "joke" about how he would stab his son if he was gay). Morgan issued a statement of apology to GLAAD a few days after the incident, but nonstop tabloid and news coverage made the story hard to shake off.
Additional Tracy Morgan Facts:
- In 2009, Morgan published his first book, an autobiography called I Am the New Black. The book made headlines for containing harsh criticism of several of Morgan's former SNL cast mates (including Chris Kattan and Cheri Oteri).
- He was a regular performer on the syndicated sketch comedy series Uptown Comedy Club, which ran from 1992 to 1996.
- He hosted VH1's Hip Hop Honors awards show in both 2008 and 2009.
- Morgan had the recurring role of Hustle Man on Martin Lawrence's hit FOX sitcom Martin. Lawrence is the comedian who first "discovered" Morgan.
- He has acted in a number of movies, including Head of State, Are We There Yet?, Little Man, First Sunday, Cop Out and the 2010 remake of Death at a Funeral.
- Morgan became the host of the SyFy reality series Scare Tactics in 2008.
- He could regularly be heard as the voice of Spoonie Luv on the Comedy Central puppet prank series Crank Yankers.
