Tracy Morgan Felt ‘Culturally Isolated’ During First 3 Years on SNL, ‘The Whitest Show in America’

The legendary comedian said things changed after a talk with Lorne Michaels.

Tracy Morgan is a legend on Saturday Night Live, but the famed comedian said he felt “culturally isolated” on the show as he was one of the few Black cast members at the time.

The SNL alumnus opened up in Peacock’s docuseries, SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night. When Morgan joined the iconic comedy show in 1996, he became only the ninth Black cast member in its history. While his standout performances cemented his place on the show, they came at a cost.

“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,” Morgan shared, according to People.

“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.”

His mindset eventually shifted after having an honest chat with producer Lorne Michaels.

“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,” Morgan recalled.

Morgan starred on SNL from 1996 to 2003. He followed in the footsteps of Garrett Morris (part of the inaugural cast), Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Yvonne Hudson (the show’s first Black female cast member), and Tim Meadows (whom Morgan worked with), among others.

SNL was a big break for Morgan, who had teased his talent in small roles on the hit sitcom Martin, as well as in films A Thin Line Between Love and Hate and Half Baked.

Morgan returned to the NBC family three years later to star with former SNL costar Tina Fey on the acclaimed sitcom 30 Rock (2006-2013). His work on the show earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2009.