Comedian Tracy Morgan candidly shared that his manager has been his backbone during his multi-decades-long career. On Oct. 25, he told attendees of The Hollywood Reporter’s annual Power Business Managers breakfast about his longtime relationship with manager Mark Landesman.
The pair have worked together for two decades, and Morgan was on hand to pay tribute to Landesman as he took home the Business Manager Icon Award.
“I don’t know where I’d be without you, bro,” he said. “Whenever I want to buy a new Ferrari, Mark is always here to say, ‘No, Tracy.’ If it wasn’t for Mark, I would’ve had 26 Ferraris and a terrible tax problem.”
Morgan, who suffered extensive injuries from a car crash in 2014, also relayed the closeness of the pair’s bond, revealing that Landesman was the first person at the hospital following his accident.
“I love you, I’ll always love you,” he said. “You mean a lot to me. You were there for me.
“He’s more than just a business manager. He’s more than just a friend. Mark is like a member of my family,” Morgan continued. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all that you’ve done and all you’ve done for me.”
Landesman, who took time to explain to attendees that his position was about more than just money for his clients, also relived the harrowing account of the aftermath of Morgan’s accident and subsequent recovery.
“My immediate reaction was to get to the hospital as soon as possible because I knew Tracy just completed his estate plan, and I was named his power of attorney and health care proxy,” he said. “After walking into the emergency room, I was escorted into the conference room, briefed on the situation and was introduced to
numerous doctors. I then realized Tracy’s family were heavily relying on me for guidance and to help interpret the situation. Very tough decisions had to be made; Tracy’s recovery was long and difficult. I visited him throughout the hospital and then at the rehab facility, which went over several months. I tried to keep the spirits positive, and there was so many unknowns ahead of him: What kind of recovery would Tracy have, and would he ever be able to work again?”In Morgan’s 2014 accident, caused by the negligence of a Walmart truck driver, he sustained a
broken leg, a broken femur, a broken nose, several broken ribs, as well as head injuries. He also spent several weeks in a coma and was wheelchair-bound for months. The funnyman joked about the ordeal in his 2023 comedy special, Takin’ It Too Far, saying, “Walmart took care of me. Walmart gave me a grip. They gave me so much money I could roll my eyes at White people.”