Actor and comedian Tracy Morgan's love of family drew him to his latest project, starring in the new Paramount+ comedy series Crutch.
Morgan plays Frank Crutchfield, a widowed father of two grown children who returns to the family home in Harlem, New York. It is a spin-off of the hit CBS show The Neighborhood.
“I’ve been preparing my whole life, man. I have children. My real wife Sabina died. She passed away eight years ago. I… knew this role. I know this guy,” Morgan said in an interview on “CBS Mornings” that aired Wednesday.
Morgan's ex-wife Sabina, who was his high school sweetheart, died of cancer in 2016.
“I was with her in the hospital that day when she closed her eyes and I said, ‘I love you. I miss you and please forgive me for any pain I ever caused you and I will see you again.”
Purpose in your work
For Morgan, it's important to not just be funny, but also to send a message through his work, he said.
“If it doesn’t have heart, I don’t want to do it,” he said. “I need motivation. I have to say something. You must tell life as I see it.”
Humor has helped the comedian get through some of life's toughest moments, while building one of the most impressive resumes in comedy. Morgan found solace in commanding the public, excelling in everything he touched, including Saturday Night Live.
“When I first went there, I felt socially pushed aside,” he said. “Because it’s like the whitest show in the world and I didn’t want anyone to portray me in a way that wasn’t true. It was like the entire black community was behind me.”
Morgan said he then had a conversation with the show's creator and producer Lorne Michaels that changed everything.
“Lorne let me know, 'Tracy, we didn't hire you because you're black. We hired you because you’re funny,” and that changed everything. That’s when I let go and let God,” he said.
The car accident affected his life
In June 2014, at the height of his fame, Morgan nearly died after his limousine broke down. hit by tractor trailer. His friend and fellow comedian James McNair died in a plane crash.
Morgan was in a coma for two weeks due to a traumatic brain injury and broken bones.
“I just thank God that I’m alive, that I’m here and… I’m moving on,” he said.
Morgan said he thrives now with a renewed perspective on forgiveness and a focus on being present.
“This man almost killed me in a Walmart truck. I forgave him. As soon as I came out of the coma, I forgave him,” he said.
For Morgan, forgiveness is the key to moving forward, but he adds that forgetting is not necessary.
“I couldn't be funny anymore. I'd be too angry. He almost killed me. I forgave him just so I could move on with my life. Now look at me. “I’m funnier than ever,” he added.
After the horrific experience, Morgan says his outlook on life has changed: “You have to cherish it. Because once it's done, it's done.”
