Twenty months after near-fatal car wreck, the comedian manages to make light of his injuries while playing a full part in the show that made him famous

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Tracy Morgan has returned to Saturday Night Live a year after he suffered near-fatal injuries in a deadly high-speed car accident.

Morgan, a cast member on the show from 1999 to 2006 before he left to join 30 Rock, the hit sitcom based on SNL, was joined by former co-stars including Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin, who returned to the NBC program in a show of support.

Morgan wasted no time in addressing his traumatic experience of June 2014, which killed his good friend, fellow comedian James McNair.

“It was awful,” Morgan said in his opening monologue, “but it also showed me how much love and support I have ... and here I am.”





The joke came just as fast: “People are wondering, ‘can he speak? Does he have 100% mental capacity?’ But the truth is, I never did,” Morgan said, adding: “I might actually be a few points higher now.”



He then launched into a sketch set at 30 Rock when his character almost dies. Fey and Baldwin joined the bit.

The comedian suffered broken bones and a serious brain injury in the accident in New Jersey. A speeding Wal-mart truck driver who had been awake for 28 hours was held responsible for the accident.

Lest there be any question about his ability to perform, Morgan appeared in nearly every sketch during the live show’s 90-minute broadcast on Saturday, including a reprise of his old sketch, Brian Fellow’s Safari Planet, in which he plays a somewhat dim-witted, semi-hostile host of a nature program.



He also appeared in the Weekend Update news segment and a Family Feud game show bit, and graced other sketches as a bar thug who just wants to tango with another man and as a singing astronaut on Mars, among others.

An emotional Morgan was joined on stage at the finale by his wife Megan Wollover and their baby daughter.

Morgan appeared at last month’s Emmy awards in his first live public appearance since the accident, receiving a standing ovation as he presented the award for best drama series.



