Tracy Morgan feels lucky to be alive
Tracy Morgan feels lucky to be alive to celebrate 'Saturday Night Live's 50th anniversary after being left in a coma for two weeks following a car accident in 2014.
Tracy Morgan feels lucky to be alive to celebrate 'Saturday Night Live's 50th anniversary.
The 56-year-old comedian was in a coma for two weeks and had to learn to walk and talk again after a Walmart truck hit his limousine from behind in June 2014, and he has expressed his gratitude at having made a full recovery from his injuries.
Speaking to Matt Rogers during the 'SNL50: The Red Carpet' special on Sunday (16.02.25), he said: “This is incredible. Just thank the Lord that I’m a part of this, that I survived the accident and I’m alive to be here for this.”
The former '30 Rock' star was a 'Saturday Night Live' cast member from 1996 to 2003 and he admitted being chosen for the show was the highlight of his career.
He said: “The greatest memory ever was Lorne Michaels picking me to be a cast member. Greatest. Can’t beat that.”
The accident killed Tracy's friend James McNair, and Walmart driver Kevin Roper - who hadn't slept for 28 hours when he crashed - later accepted a plea deal to complete 300 hours of community service in order to avoid trial.
The comic previously expressed his forgiveness towards the driver.
He told People magazine on the 10th anniversary of the crash last year: “I want to say to everyone who was in the van with me that night I love you, and we miss you, Uncle Jimmy Mac and God bless your family.
"And to the driver that night and his family, me and my comrades forgive you."
Despite his excitement at being cast on 'SNL', Tracy recently admitted he felt "culturally isolated" for some time when he first joined.
The 56-year-old comedian joined the cast of the hit comedy show in 1996, but Tracy has admitted that he initially struggled to adjust.
He told 'SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night': "I wanted to show them my world, how funny it was. But the first three years, I felt like I was being culturally isolated sometimes.
"I’m coming from a world of blacks. I’m an inner city kid. To be on the whitest show in America, I felt by myself. I felt like they weren’t getting it."
However, his outlook changed following a conversation with Lorne Michaels, the show's creator.
The comedian explained: "Lorne Michaels had that talk with me. He said, ‘Tracy, I hired you because you’re funny, not because you’re black. So just do your thing.’ And that’s when I started doing my thing."
