With a new lease on life and a TBS comedy The Last O.G. debuting in April, acclaimed comedian, actor and executive producer Tracy Morgan is embracing his second chance. In the latest issue of emmy magazine, Morgan shares the struggle of learning to walk again after a life-altering car accident, the power of forgiveness and the challenge of finding his way back to television.
The award-winning official publication of the Television Academy hits newsstands March 20.
After a June 2014 traffic accident left him close to death, Morgan was physically broken and suffering from depression. The beloved actor was struggling to forgive the Walmart driver who left him critically injured and took the life of his best friend and fellow comic James "Jimmy Mack" McNair. When a doctor prescribed a healthy dose of laughter, Morgan found his cure in the sketch comedy Key & Peele, the show he credits for saving his life.
Not surprisingly, Morgan co-created The Last O. G. with Jordan Peele, who won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the blockbuster hit Get Out. The TBS comedy, about a reformed drug dealer who returns to his Brooklyn neighborhood after a 15-year prison sentence, debuts April 3.
"Tracy has this spirituality and poignancy that can take you from the biggest laughs you've ever had to tears," Peele tells emmy. "We wanted to give him a platform where he could really embody a character who's closer to him."
The show, which costars fellow comedy greats Tiffany Haddish and Cedric the Entertainer, was shot near the Tompkins housing project in Brooklyn where Morgan grew up. "It's an honor to bring back this success and prominence to these people [in his Brooklyn neighborhood] who have none," says Morgan. "You never know — maybe we can spark the next Denzel Washington or Halle Berry here."
Morgan starts every day on set with a prayer and a positive message, and while the role of actor and executive producer can be both physically and emotionally demanding, he is up to the task. "I fought so hard with all of my might to survive, and God gave me The Last O.G."
Additional feature highlights from the new issue include:
With a new role as executive producer of Crackle's The Oath, multi-media mogul Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson has emerged as a force in television and has proven to be a natural, both in front of and behind the camera. In "50 to Infinity," Jackson reveals to emmy that his deep understanding of music led to his appreciation for movies and television: "There is a rhythm to it all."
The first of three highly anticipated seasons of FX's Trust debuts on March 25 and explores the infamous 1973 kidnapping of Getty Oil heir J. Paul Getty III. But there is more to the riveting tale of this blighted American family, and creator, writer and executive producer Simon Beaufoy and director and executive producer Danny Boyle speak with emmy about the fascinating real-life stories from the Getty empire captured in the series.
In "Ticket to Rise," emmy takes readers inside NBC's new musical drama Rise with creator and executive producer Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights) and fellow executive producer Jeffrey Seller (Broadway's Hamilton) who reveal the diverse cast of the highly anticipated show based on Michael Sokolove's 2013 book Drama High.
About emmy
Emmy, the official publication of the Television Academy, goes behind the scenes of the industry for a unique insider's view. It showcases the scope of television and profiles the people who make TV happen, from the stars of top shows to the pros behind the cameras, covering programming trends and advances in technology. Honored consistently for excellence, emmy is a six-time Maggie Award winner as Best Trade Publication in Communications or the Arts and has collected 52 Maggies from the Western Publishing Association. Emmy is available on selected newsstands and at TelevisionAcademy.com for single print and digital copies as well as subscriptions.
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Download the press release here.
For issue/coverage contacts:
Stephanie Goodell
stephanie@breakwhitelight.com
818.462.1150
Carla Schalman
carla@breakwhitelight.com
310.827.3169
breakwhitelight for the Television Academy
