A Star For A Star: Tracy Morgan Looks Back On His Journey To The Hollywood Walk of Fame

Image by renaschild / Depositphotos

After decades in comedy, Tracy Morgan is being honored for his honest and raw work in a major way. Though his journey wasn’t anything easy, the comic has finally received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!

A Star For A Star

Tracy was honored with his star on April 10, 2018, over two decades after getting his start in the industry on Saturday Night Live. Tracy accepted the star as he was surrounded by fans and other celebrities, including fellow comedians Martin Lawrence and Jordan Peele. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce also proclaimed April 10 as “Tracy Morgan Day.” But this honor was truly a long time in the making!

The Road To Fame

Growing up on the streets of Brooklyn, Tracy never imagined being as successful he is today. He discovered his love of comedy after watching Martin Lawrence perform on stage. Loving the idea of making an audience burst out in laughter while sharing his thoughts and stories, Tracy decided to try his hand at it. “When I first got on stage, I knew this was it,” he said in an interview. “Stand-up is straight up me and them. I’m in touch — that’s the connection.

After doing stand up comedy for a while and having a recurring role on sitcom Martin, the comedian auditioned for SNL in 1996, realizing that he couldn’t be anyone else but himself. “This don’t come with no instructions. I didn’t have to do nothing but be funny,” Tracy admitted. “But more than that, I just had to be me — show them my personality.”

His seven seasons on SNL ultimately led to years of doing multiple television shows and movies including Cop Out, Death at a Funeral, and sitcom 30 Rock alongside Tina Fey. Now, after recovering from a tragic car accident in 2014, Tracy stars in TBS sitcom, The Last O.G., with Tiffany Haddish.

Leaving A Legacy

Tracy’s time in the industry has served him and others very well. While he’s gotten a lot of money and fame over the years, he insists that building up his career was about a lot more than that. “When I first got into show business it wasn’t about money, it wasn’t about girls — it was about my legacy,” he said. “You gotta spread that love, man, and my comedy is my way of doing it. God gave me that vehicle, to make this world a better place to what it was when I got here.”