‘SNL’ Legend Garrett Morris Talks About Racism Behind the Scenes

Saturday Night Live‘s first Black cast member, Garrett Morris, has revealed insights about racial dynamics during the show’s early years. Now 87, Morris recounted his experiences from the landmark comedy series’ 1975 debut season in a recent interview, addressing both institutional support and creative obstacles in a recent interview with The Guardian.

Morris, who initially joined as a writer before becoming a performer, made a stark assessment of the show’s racial atmosphere. “I will say to the end of my days: Lorne’s writers had a lot of racism going on,” Morris stated. However, he distinguished the writing staff’s attitudes from those of SNL creator Lorne Michaels, adding, “Lorne himself? Zero racism. Because, remember, when I was hired I was the only Black writer. Lorne wanted to have somebody Black on TV at night-time. People didn’t want that. They were clamoring to make it all white. He didn’t.”

His transition from writer to performer came after an unexpected encounter in the Studio 8H green room. Morris initially assumed his days on SNL were numbered when Michaels called him for a one-on-one meeting. Instead, he discovered Michaels watching Cooley High, the Black cinema classic featuring Morris as a history teacher. The film had been recommended by cast members Gilda Radner, Laraine Newman, and Jane Curtin. “Because of that, I was asked to audition for the Not Ready for Prime Time Players [the working title for SNL],” Morris explained, “and I went from being a writer to being part of the group.”

Despite this breakthrough, Morris encountered resistance when seeking diverse roles. He recalled a pivotal interaction during the show’s first season: “It really threw me when we were going through the first show. I didn’t have a skit, but I was watching another one. I said to Lorne, ‘There’s a doctor in this skit. Why don’t I play the doctor?’ And he says, ‘Garrett, people might be thrown by a Black doctor.’” Morris noted the irony of this response, adding, “Now mind you I had come from New Orleans, where you’re surrounded by Black medical doctors and Black PhDs. In all big cities down south, for that matter.”

Morris’s most recognized characters included Chico Escuela, a Dominican baseball player known for the catchphrase “base-e-bol been beddy-beddy good to me,” and a deaf interpreter who would simply repeat Chevy Chase’s news segments louder instead of signing them. Throughout his tenure, Morris, an accomplished playwright before joining SNL, attempted to bring depth to potentially stereotypical roles.

However, his five-year run on SNL was complicated by personal struggles. “I made a lot of bad choices,” he admitted. “I was a coke fiend.” Nevertheless, Morris completed 99 episodes before departing for other television opportunities, including roles on Martin and The Jamie Foxx Show.

Morris’s impact continues to resonate with contemporary performers. Actor Lamorne Morris (no relation), who portrays him in the upcoming film Saturday Night, spoke on The Kelly Clarkson Show about their shared experience of being lone Black cast members in television shows. “If you walk into a room with Garrett, he’s the most talented person there. He’s done everything. The man helped desegregate the unions. He was protesting during the Civil Rights Movement. Then he’s on SNL. I mean, you know name it,” Lamorne Morris stated.

Reflecting on his legacy and the current state of SNL, Morris expressed both pride and concern: “I feel proud that I was a minuscule part of the beginning of SNL and that I created the chair for the non-white performer.” Although, he noted that today’s show seems to lack “the courage, the experimental impulses” that defined its first decade, adding, “I keep expecting it to attack in a funny way and bring out the foibles not only of individuals but of the government and all that. And nowadays, although people still check it out, I think they’re catering to too many people too much of the time.”