Tracy Morgan moves from 'SNL' to sitcom

Morgan still enjoys getting back to stand-up, the root of his career.
By MARIJKE ROWLAND
MODESTO BEE
Sure, you know him as Dominican Lou. Or perhaps Safari Planet host Brian Fellow. Or even Woodrow, the homeless romantic.
But how about a father and a husband?
Former "Saturday Night Live" cast member Tracy Morgan is set to show off his less-outrageous side with his new sitcom, "The Tracy Morgan Show." The projected NBC midseason replacement features Morgan as blue-collar business owner and family man.
The role, he said, is closer to his real life. The 34-year-old comic is married and the father of three children -- ages 17, 16 and 11.
But Morgan is still touring as a stand-up comic.
"Every chance I get, I love to do stand-up," Morgan said. "Stand-up is my foundation; that is what I built my career with. If I wasn't able to do that, I'd walk away from all of it."
Leaving 'SNL'
Morgan left "SNL" last spring after seven seasons. He crafted several memorable characters on the show and impersonated the likes of Mike Tyson, Star Jones and Busta Rhymes.
Exiting the show, he said, was inevitable.
"Everybody has to leave daddy's house," he said. "The baby bird has to leave the nest."
But that doesn't mean he won't miss his old home.
"I'm still a fan of the show," he said. "I've always been a fan. I'm on the outside looking in now, but they're my friends. One day I want to go back and host it."
In the meantime, Morgan is focused on making his sitcom a success. He plays the owner of an auto-repair shop who is married with two kids. The cast includes Tamala Jones ("Head of State") as his wife and rapper Heavy D as one of his mechanics.
Although no airdate has been set, nine shows already have been filmed. Ratings won't be the only thing Morgan chases once he makes it to the small screen.
"I want mine to be a classic," he said. "Any show can win an Emmy. Everyone [doesn't] get on TV Land and Nick at Nite."
His career
Morgan's profile has been steadily rising since he entered comedy in the early 1990s. In 1996, he was added to the "SNL" cast.
"My career fell in my lap," he said. "It's on-the-job training. I'm still learning. I didn't want to be a comedian when I was young. I wanted to be a tailback in the NFL."
Although his football dreams are over, his fame is just warming up. Last year, he had his own Comedy Central special, "Tracy Morgan: One Mic." He has appeared in films including "A Thin Line Between Love and Hate," "Half Baked" and "Head of State."
Morgan even got to live out a football fantasy recently. He signed with ESPN to promote its new sports video-game series. In the first ad, he plays a fan who taunts Tampa Bay Buccaneer defensive powerhouse Warren Sapp.
Producers of his new show said Morgan is more than ready for prime time.
"The magic of Tracy is, he is who he is; the comedy just comes right out of him," co-executive producer David M. Israel said in the trade magazine Variety. "He's a guy with humble beginnings from the streets of New York."
Although the show is based on his life in New York, Morgan and his family have moved -- at least part-time -- to Los Angeles. He's looking forward to making the left coast laugh.
"It's an awesome concept to take something and make it funny," he said. "We going to have a ball in there. Buckle up."