Tracy Morgan recalls hardships on ‘SNL’: ‘Whitest show in America’

Tracy MorganWorking on “Saturday Night Live” from 1996 to 2003 was a pivotal moment in his career, but it was not without problems.

Since its premiere in 1975, Saturday Night Live has been a cornerstone of late-night television, launching the careers of many comedy legends, including Steve Martinand Aykroyd, Tina FeyAdam Sandler, Pete Davidsonand Kate McKinnon.

However, the experience of working on the series comes with its own challenges, as revealed by many members of the cast, including Tracy Morgan.

In Pavlin’s docuseries “SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night,” Morgan, now 56, candidly recalled feeling out of place in his first few years on the show.

“I wanted to show them my world, how funny it is. But for the first three years, I felt that I was sometimes culturally isolated,” he explained. “I come from the black world. I’m a city kid.”

Calling “SNL” “the whitest show in America,” Morgan admitted, “I felt alone. I felt like they weren’t getting it.”

Morgan credits “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels for helping him find his footing. Michaels gave Morgan valuable advice that would eventually shape his approach to comedy on the show.

“Lorne Michaels talked to me,” Morgan shared. “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 business.”

Pete Davidson, who spent eight seasons on “SNL” from 2014 to 2022, recently sparked talk about the show’s pay structure. “Do you know what they pay us?” Davidson said in a video for New York magazine in December 2024 “It’s like three grand an episode. I think I’ve had dinner.’

Jason Sudeikis echoed similar sentiments, admitting that his salary in his early years on the show didn’t allow for big purchases. “I mean, you don’t make enough money to make big purchases. “I think renting a house in New York was probably the biggest purchase I made after my first year of writing on ‘SNL,'” he shared.

Including other current and former “SNL” cast members. James Austin Johnson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Sarah Silverman, Sarah Sherman, Cheri Ottery, Seth Meyers, Bowen Janand Rachel Dretchalso expressed himself.

“I bought a pair of shoes that were out of my budget,” Louis-Dreyfus said. “Tell you what, they were $75.”

Ian also treated himself to a pair of shoes, sharing in the video: “Going to Saks across the street, buying a pair of Gucci shoes. One that everyone has, and one that I wouldn’t feel very cool wearing.”

Some cast members, including Johnson, Meyers and Ottery, revealed that they spent their first paycheck on furniture.

“Couch. I hit him three or four times, Oteri replied. “I remember the designer coming up in tears and saying, ‘Okay, those arms are too high.’ We’ve got to get… We’re going to get rid of that couch.’ I said, “Oh, no. No, no. Not today, Satan. No, the sofa remains. You’re going.”

Former child star Bobby J. Thompson accused comedian Tracy Morgan of inappropriate behavior during their appearance on The Tracy Morgan Show. In an interview with Comedy noise newsThompson claimed Morgan approached him when he was just seven years old while filming the NBC sitcom, which ran for one season from 2003 to 2004.

Thompson claimed the incident occurred during a tense encounter on set when Morgan grabbed him by the collar, cursed at him and used the N-word. Reflecting on the alleged altercation, Thompson said it was because of his reputation as a “scene stealer” with -for his energetic and comedic performances.

“I remember being a kid on a set and the star of this particular project I was working on got mad at me,” Thompson said. “I’m just a seven-year-old kid just doing my job bro. He got mad at me, grabbed me by the collar and said, “Who’s on that sign, my f—?” That’s how he treated me.”

Thompson added that Morgan repeatedly criticized him for “stuffing” during scenes, claiming the comedian often told him to get his energy back. At that time, Thompson played Jimmy, the youngest son of the hero Morgan, a garage owner who balanced family and work.