Smallscreen News

Tracy Morgan interview reveals regrets, on PBS

By April MacIntyre Feb 17, 2010, 16:00 GMT

Actor Tracy Morgan of "30 Rock" Fame Pictures, Inc - Santa Monica, CA, USA

"30 Rock" star and comedian Tracy Morgan appeared yesterday on PBS’ “Tavis Smiley” to discuss his new film with Bruce Willis, “Cop Out,” and the ups and downs he’s experienced on his turbulent road to fame.

Morgan spoke candidly about the consequences he faced after being charged for Driving Under the Influence (DUI):

“I had fun. Nobody got hurt. But I hurt me. I thought I was winning. And I lost my family. I lost a twenty-one year old marriage. And that just made me go, 'Wait a minute.' You know, I'm walking around with a bracelet on my ankle and my son looking at me like I’m Kunta Kinte, like, 'What'chu doing Dad? What if I start driving and drinking? Would that be cool?' And that was it for me. That was the end of it."

Morgan then spoke about how his son inspired him to hold himself to a higher standard:

"This is my son. And I disappointed him. So that made me change. Some people don't even care, they get wrapped up in their own little world, that they don't even see who they're hurting. I didn't. My son said, 'What if I start driving drunk and kill somebody?' And right there just made me look in the mirror like, I gotta step up my game. So I did. And I'm glad it came from my son, I love him. He saved my life - again. Cuz before, I was on a street corner in Brooklyn hanging out, just hanging out. Then I had these kids and they gave me responsibility and grow up and become a man. So again, there he was, to rescue me." 

Tracy Morgan currently plays the role of Tracy Jordan in the NBC sitcom, “30 Rock.”

The character Tracy Jordan is in fact a caricature of Morgan himself, and his performance earned him a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the 2009 Emmy Awards.

Morgan broke onto the comedic scene with his role on the television show, “Martin,” in which he played the character, Hustle Man. He was also a regular cast member on the show, “Uptown Comedy Club,” a sketch comedy filmed in Harlem.

Morgan’s autobiography, I Am The New Black, was released in October 2009. In his new film, “Cop Out,” to be released on Feb. 26, Morgan will play a detective alongside Bruce Willis.