Tracy Morgan

Tracy Morgan
Name	Tracy Morgan
Caption	Morgan in 2013
Birth name	Tracy Jamal Morgan
Birth date	10 November 1968
Birth place	The Bronx, New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Comedian, actor, writer, producer
Years active	1985–present
Spouse	Sabina Morgan (m. 1985; div. 2009), Megan Wollover (m. 2015; sep. 2020)

Tracy Morgan. Tracy Jamal Morgan is an American comedian, actor, and writer renowned for his energetic, boundary-pushing comedic style. He first gained major recognition as a cast member on the long-running sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live. His career reached new heights with his role as the eccentric Tracy Jordan on the critically acclaimed NBC sitcom 30 Rock, a character loosely based on his own persona. Morgan has also headlined comedy specials for HBO and Comedy Central and starred in films such as The Longest Yard and Cop Out.

Early life and education

Tracy Jamal Morgan was born in the Bronx borough of New York City and was raised in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. He is one of five children born to Alicia, a homemaker, and Jimmy Morgan, a musician and Vietnam War veteran who struggled with heroin addiction. Morgan attended DeWitt Clinton High School but did not graduate, instead turning to comedy as an outlet during a challenging childhood. He has often cited his father's sense of humor and the vibrant, tough environment of New York City as foundational influences on his comedic perspective.

Career

Morgan began performing stand-up comedy in New York City in the mid-1980s, honing his craft at clubs like the Apollo Theater in Harlem. His big break came in 1996 when he was hired as a cast member for the twenty-second season of Saturday Night Live, where he remained for seven seasons and created memorable characters like Brian Fellow and Astronaut Jones. Following his departure from Saturday Night Live, Morgan starred in the UPN sitcom The Tracy Morgan Show. His most iconic television role came in 2006 as the unpredictable movie star Tracy Jordan on 30 Rock, created by Tina Fey; the show aired on NBC for seven seasons and won multiple Primetime Emmy Awards. His film work includes roles in Head of State, the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard with Adam Sandler, First Sunday, and Why Stop Now. In 2009, he released his memoir, I Am the New Black. After a near-fatal traffic accident in 2014, Morgan made a triumphant return to television with the TBS sitcom The Last O.G., which he also executive produced.

Personal life

Morgan has been married twice, first to Sabina Morgan from 1985 to 2009, and then to model Megan Wollover from 2015 until their separation in 2020; he has three sons. In June 2014, he was severely injured in a multi-vehicle collision on the New Jersey Turnpike when a Walmart truck struck his limousine; the accident resulted in the death of his friend, comedian James McNair. Morgan suffered a traumatic brain injury, broken ribs, and a broken leg, undergoing a lengthy rehabilitation. He settled a lawsuit with Walmart in 2015. Morgan has been open about his health struggles, including a diagnosis of diabetes in the 1990s and a kidney transplant in 2010 donated by his then-fiancée. He is a dedicated fan of the New York Knicks and the New York Yankees.

Filmography

A selection of his acting credits includes the films How High (2001), Head of State (2003), The Longest Yard (2005), Are We There Yet? (2005), Little Man (2006), Cop Out (2010), The Boxtrolls (2014), and What Men Want (2019). His prominent television roles include Saturday Night Live (1996–2003), The Tracy Morgan Show (2003–2004), 30 Rock (2006–2013), and The Last O.G. (2018–2021). He has also voiced characters in animated series such as The Cleveland Show and Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Discography

Morgan's comedy albums include Tracy Morgan (2004) and the Grammy Award-nominated Tracy Morgan: Black and Blue (2011), which was released as a special for Comedy Central. He has also released several stand-up specials, including Tracy Morgan: One Mic for HBO in 2022. His audio book recording of his memoir, I Am the New Black, also constitutes a significant release in his discography.

Awards and nominations

For his work on 30 Rock, Morgan received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2009. The series itself won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series multiple times during its run. His comedy album Tracy Morgan: Black and Blue was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album in 2012. In 2016, he was honored with the Crackerjack Comedy Award at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal.

Category:American comedians Category:American male television actors Category:American stand-up comedians Category:Saturday Night Live cast members Category:1968 births Category:Living people