Tracy Morgan’s journey is one of immense success despite a past full of challenges: battling addiction, public feuds, backlash for controversial jokes, a devastating car crash, and a difficult childhood. Yet, none of these obstacles prevented him from reaching the top of his field. With over 60 nominations and several major awards, he has earned a respected place on America’s biggest stand-up stages and gained hundreds of thousands of fans. Read on to learn more about the life and career of this iconic actor and comedian, exclusively on bronx-trend.com.
A Difficult Childhood and Personal Life
Tracy Morgan was born in the Bronx in 1968, the second of five children to homemaker Alicia and musician Jimmy Morgan. After returning from the Vietnam War, his father struggled with a heroin addiction. Constant arguments eventually led to his father leaving the family when Tracy was just six years old.
During his school years at DeWitt Clinton High School, Morgan and his siblings often faced bullying with no one to stand up for them. This left Morgan with a deep-seated resentment toward his father, whom he felt had shown weakness and failed to fight for his family’s well-being. In 1985, at age 17, Tracy discovered his father had contracted HIV from intravenous drug use. Jimmy passed away in 1987 at the age of 39.
That same year, while still in high school, Tracy married his girlfriend, Sabina. They had three sons together, but the couple separated in 2001. Morgan didn’t officially file for divorce until August 2009.
He has always had a complicated relationship with his family, once stating:
“I’ve become very distant from my mother and most of my family, and I don’t know if that will ever change.”
In September 2011, at the Emmy Awards, Morgan announced his engagement to model Megan Wollover, revealing he had proposed six months prior in San Francisco. They welcomed their daughter, Maven, on July 2, 2013, in New York, and were married on August 23, 2015.
Finding His Career Path
Tracy Morgan started his career as a stand-up comedian in New York. His early success allowed him to move from a dangerous neighborhood near Yankee Stadium to the more upscale Riverdale in the Bronx. From 1992 to 1994, he was a regular on the comedy show Uptown Comedy Club, and in 1995, he appeared on the HBO special Snaps. He also performed twice on the iconic Def Comedy Jam.
Morgan’s first notable role was Hustle Man in the sitcom Martin, where he played a hilarious street hustler. In 2003, he starred in his own sitcom, The Tracy Morgan Show, which ran for a single season. Throughout the 2000s, Morgan was a television regular, performing on the One Mic special on Comedy Central, appearing on Punk’d, and voicing characters like Spoonie Luv on Crank Yankers and a wolf on Where My Dogs At?. He also featured in ESPN commercials with famous athletes.
Morgan’s memorable movie roles include:
- Mrs. Tucker – The Longest Yard (2005);
- Satchel Paige – Are We There Yet? (2005);
- Marcus – Farce of the Penguins (2007);
- Professor Xavier – Superhero Movie (2008);
- Norman – Death at a Funeral (2010);
- Vincent Carter – The Son of No One (2011);
- Mr. Poodles – The Boxtrolls (2014);
- Reem Johnson – Coming 2 America (2021).
Morgan twice hosted the VH1 Hip Hop Honors ceremony and in 2007, he hosted the first-ever Spike Guys’ Choice Awards. In 2009, he released his autobiography, I Am the New Black, which detailed his life and career.
However, stand-up comedy was always his true calling. His first stand-up special, Black and Blue, premiered on HBO in 2010. He also starred in other comedy projects, including Bona Fide (2014) on Comedy Central and Staying Alive (2017) on Netflix. In 2013, Morgan hosted the Billboard Music Awards.
He also lent his voice to animated characters in films like G-Force (2009), Rio (2011), Rio 2 (2014), Scoob! (2020), and the Netflix series Green Eggs & Ham (2019).
Parallel to his other work, Tracy Morgan continues to tour the country with his stand-up shows.
Two Shows That Made Him a Household Name
Despite his extensive work in film, television, commercials, and stand-up, two shows truly made him a star across America.
- Saturday Night Live.
In 1996, Tracy Morgan joined the cast of Saturday Night Live when Lorne Michaels chose him over Stephen Colbert during the final selection. Morgan became a full-time cast member for seven seasons. It was here that he created some of his most memorable characters like Astronaut Jones and Brian Fellows.
Tracy remained in the main cast until 2003, and later returned as a guest host in March 2009, as a guest for the 2011 Christmas episode, and once more as a host in October 2015.
- 30 Rock.
But even greater success came with his role as the eccentric actor Tracy Jordan. He played a satirical version of himself in the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, which aired from 2006 to 2013. His performance earned him an Emmy and an NAACP Award nomination, and the cast won a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Morgan has often credited comedy legends like Carol Burnett, Jackie Gleason, Martin Lawrence, Eddie Murphy, and Richard Pryor as major influences on his style.
Health Struggles
In 1996, Tracy Morgan was diagnosed with diabetes but initially didn’t take the illness seriously. This, along with prolonged alcohol abuse, led to a serious decline in his health. In December 2010, he underwent a kidney transplant. With his permission, many of his real-life health problems were incorporated into the script of 30 Rock.
Just as he was recovering from the complex surgery and lengthy rehabilitation, tragedy struck again. On June 7, 2014, Morgan was involved in a horrific six-vehicle pileup in New Jersey after a Walmart truck slammed into his limo bus. Morgan was returning from a show with fellow comedians and assistants. His friend and colleague James McNair was killed in the crash. Morgan himself suffered multiple broken bones, spent two weeks in a coma, and underwent several months of intensive rehabilitation.
The investigation revealed that the truck driver, Kevin Roper, hadn’t slept for more than 24 hours before his shift and likely fell asleep at the wheel. Morgan sued Walmart, accusing the company of negligence for forcing the driver to travel an excessive distance. Walmart partially blamed the passengers for not wearing seat belts, but Morgan and his legal team denied this.
Even a year after the accident, the actor was still using a wheelchair and undergoing intensive therapy to regain his speech and memory. In May 2015, Walmart reached a financial settlement with the victims, but the amount of the compensation was not disclosed. In June of that year, Morgan made his first post-crash television appearance. He admitted he had no memory of the event and continued to suffer from headaches and memory loss. In the fall of 2015, Tracy Morgan returned to the Saturday Night Live stage, later stating in an interview that he no longer held a grudge against the driver and had forgiven him.
Controversial Behavior
Tracy Morgan isn’t just known as the lovable, quick-witted guy on TV. His jokes and performances often touch on sensitive ethical topics that push the boundaries of tolerance and respect, leading to public criticism and condemnation.
In June 2011, during a stand-up show in Nashville, Morgan made homophobic remarks, including a suggestion that he would hit his son if he were gay. Following a wave of backlash, he apologized, admitting he had “stepped over the line.” NBC executives and his colleague Tina Fey condemned Morgan’s words, emphasizing that they went against the company’s values of inclusivity. Fey also expressed hope that his apology would be accepted by those he had offended.
At another stand-up performance in New York, Morgan made disparaging comments about children with disabilities, which sparked public outrage. Representatives from disability rights organizations demanded an apology, but this time, the comedian refused.
In 2012, a personal dispute between Morgan and his mother, Alicia Warden, made headlines. She claimed she was on the verge of losing her home and reached out to her son for financial help. She called his offer of $2,000 insulting and refused it. Morgan stated that he had not had a relationship with his mother and sister for many years and preferred to handle family matters without the involvement of the press.
There have been several other instances where Morgan has made harsh comments about women and various minorities. But despite this, he maintains a loyal following of fans who appreciate his brand of humor. Regardless of the controversy, health issues, and family drama, Tracy Morgan remains a prominent figure in the world of comedy and television.
As he puts it, “If one person smiles, that’s great… So I think all comedians earn their wings in heaven…”
