Comedian Tracy Morgan scored a starring gig on “Saturday Night Live” in 1996 and then … nothing.
No big movie career bounce like past SNL alums.
The NBC sitcom “30 Rock” changed all that. The comedy showcased Morgan’s strengths – his curious line readings, ability to mock himself and a genial smile that burned through his character’s moronic statements.
Now, Morgan is back on the big screen this weekend with “Cop Out,” and his follow-up comedy “Death at a Funeral” hits theaters later this year.
But is he the next Chevy Chase … or Chris Kattan?
“Cop Out” and “Funeral” may give us the answers. The former asks him to carry the comedy load in a major feature, while the latter asks him to shine in an ensemble setting.
“Cop Out” co-star Bruce Willis isn’t likely to steal many laughs from Jordan, and the buddy cop comedy template is one of the best ways to burnish one’s superstar bona fides.
But it remains to be seen what Morgan’s on-screen character will be. Can he replicate his “30 Rock” mojo on the big screen, or will he opt for a more multi-layered approach to his film career?
The answers start coming in Friday.
(Photo: Tracy Morgan and Bruce Willis play longtime partners in the buddy comedy “Cop Out.”/Warner Bros.)
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
But is he the next Chevy Chase … or Chris Kattan
?
I’m not sure Chevy Chase is an example of a good post-SNL career. Everything he’s done since the mid-80s has failed terribly.
Chase had a great run for a while.
Caddyshack. Foul Play. Fletch. Two terrific Vacation movies. And two under-valued comedies – Seems Like Old Times and Funny Farm. But yes, then he hit a really rough patch …
Morgan is hilarious when he is on camera and presumably has people controlling him. Live and unfiltered he is the opposite of funny. He came to my undergrad once and the tickets were free so me and my friends decided to go. He told no jokes and never attempted to be funny. Instead he made nonstop explicit sexual comments broken up only by his ridiculing audience members who obviously expected to laugh at a comedy show rather than cringe.
Four years later my friend saw him in Chicago and his account was pretty much the same as mine. Four. Years. Later. He even said during the show “This ain’t the sitcom Tracy, this is the real me.” For the love of God, give us the sitcom Tracy.
I’ll be the first to admit that he is hilarious on 30 Rock and looks like he could deliver many of the same kind of laughs in Cop Out. But I will never willingly watch him unless there are thousands of miles and a camera lens between us.
Tracy Morgan is funny on 30 Rock, but I can only handle him in small doses. I’m not sure I’d want to sit through a full-length feature film with him at he helm.
I have seen the preview for “Cop Out” quite a few times and frankly, the preview is downright annoying and painfully un-funny. But the crowd always laughs their asses off… so what do I know?
Does Tracey Morgan actually know he’s in a sitcom, or does he just think that people randomly call him Tracy Jordan, and isn’t sure if that woman he works with is named Tina or Liz?
Actually, I often call him Tracy Jordan by mistake, even though I gave up on 30 Rock a while ago. And so, apparently, do you:
Good catch, jic. I didn’t notice that either. I’m with Heidi, every time I see that trailer on TV, it gets more and more cringe-inducing. Can someone tell me why Tracy cramming tortilla chips in his mouth is supposed to be funny?
Also, I always enjoy seeing your name in other (and sometimes unexpected) places, Mr. WWTW. I will say you and Kevin Smith (the real one or not) sure got everyone riled up at EW.com in the “Cop Out” review comments section. Isn’t amazing how one little observation can get a laundry list of talking points (Bush is bad, Rush is bad) and contemptible words (racist, lynching, reparations) thrown at you? They precisely proved your point, didn’t they?
I was very careful in writing that commentary, Tink, for that very reason. But some people simply play the racist card all day long. It’s easier than joining the debate in rigorous fashion.
a bit more, Tink …
I didn’t vote for Obama, but I hoped his election would be a sign of progress in racial matters in the US.
In one way, it clearly was – he won, and he won handily in a nation that few thought would elect a black person to the Oval Office until recently.
But by framing critiques of the president to be racist is a terrible thing. It labels many kind hearted people ‘racists’ and takes the emphasis away from real racists, who we should be focusing on – and shaming for their actions.