Comedy Central Insider Blog

You guys know I am a big 30 Rock fan. Without a doubt, one of the most consistent scene-stealers on the show is Tracy Morgan. Do you guys remember how fucking hysterical he was on SNL?

I had the great privilege of interviewing Tracy for the New York Comedy Festival, and I have to say, sitting right next to him, the dude is a star. He's got that captivating presence, where when he talks, everyone listens.

Right off the bat, we asked him to play a game where he'd caption some photos for us (he joked, "It's not kiddie porn or nothing like that, right?") He went off on one picture in particular…

"Let me put it to you like this, how do you know this really happened? I could say Hollywood… I wasn't on the fucking moon. For all I know it could have been done in some Hollywood studio."

So, I'm not sure where Tracy Morgan falls with the moon conspirators, but he had a ton of interesting stuff to say about his career and his life. Click after the jump to read it.

First, I should say that coming in to interview Tracy Morgan bore little resemblance to any of the other interviews. There were throngs of people crowding his dressing room, sitting around, congratulating him on the show; hugs and kisses, hugs and kisses. But also chaos.

It shouldn't have surprised me that Morgan's dressing room would basically be a party, but I have to admit I was flustered at the prospect of interviewing him in front of a denizen of his friends.

But I am a total pro. I interviewed Dan Rather, dammit! I can do this!

During Morgan's show, he repeatedly referenced women gagging on penises, his wife shitting on a glass table while he masturbated and other such crazy sex-em-ups. Did I mention this was Carnegie Hall?

I asked him how it felt going that raunchy in a national historical landmark.

"I don't look at it like that. Carnegie Hall for me is a very predominant place… This is a gathering that's a really special place but that's not how I approach it. I approach it like it was off the corner… I'm not going to change because we're at Carnegie Hall. I'm gonna stay true to what I do and who I am. I'm staying true, young blood. And you should do the same."

I'm getting life advice from Tracy Morgan!

We talked about how this year's show at Carnegie compared to last year's at the Apollo, "It is different! It's a different year! (…) I'm growing. I'm a year older. I've seen a little bit more… I don't compare. Every show is different to me… If I did a tour and I had to perform every night for twenty nights, every show would be different… There's always stuff happening.

"You don't know what could happen from the time I leave my dressing room to the time I grab the mic. You gotta stay aware! Anything could happen! What if someone had walked down the aisle and slipped, and I had locked in on some material. I miss that, I'm leaving some funny on the table. And I don't care where we at, I'm not leaving funny on the table."

I asked him about his new book I Am The New Black and how it affected his comedy, "It gives people a little bit more insight on who I am and what I went through and the steps I had to take… As far as the book is concerned, that was closure for me on many different levels. It was closure with my father's death. It was closure with me and my mom and things that happened in the hood.

"I think a big part of my core audience could identify and relate to that and I just felt them closer to me. Tonight, I just felt them closer."

Wrapping up the interview, I asked Morgan about his upcoming movie projects A Couple of Dicks and Death at a Funeral, and how performing for film differed from working on 30 Rock or SNL.

"The performance is always going to be there. It ain't about great players. It's about who played great. Put the camera on, I'm ready to play."