Tracy Morgan Ponders on His SNL Journey: 'The Whitest Show in the US'

Tracy Morgan, reflecting on his time on Saturday Night Live (SNL), explained he initially felt "culturally isolated" as part of the cast. Joining in the 22nd season in 1996, Morgan was eager to bring his unique humor to the "whitest show in America," yet he felt disconnected in those early years. As an inner-city kid coming from a predominantly Black background, he struggled with the cultural gap he experienced on the famous NBC show. This sentiment is featured prominently in the new Peacock docuseries, SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night. This is prepared by SSP.

Morgan's discomfort began to change after a revealing conversation with SNL creator and producer Lorne Michaels. Michaels reassured Morgan, saying, "Tracy, I hired you because you’re funny, not because you’re Black. So just do your thing." This encouragement ignited a transformation in Morgan's performance on the show.

During his tenure from 1996 to 2003, Morgan worked alongside other cast members like Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri, feeling more at ease after Michaels’ affirmation. Acknowledged as the ninth Black cast member, he followed a line of legends such as Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock.

Morgan later pursued new endeavors, becoming a series regular on NBC's 30 Rock from 2006 to 2013. His story, as well as the broader journey of SNL, including Michaels' creative vision and history with the show, is part of the archival material donated by Michaels to the Harry Ransom Center. Regarded as a cornerstone of comedy and cultural zeitgeist history, SNL continues to be a pivotal institution in shaping entertainers' careers, including those of Bill Murray and Tina Fey.

SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, featuring both a retrospective look at the series and insights like Morgan's, is now available on Peacock.

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