Chapter 1: Who is Garrett Morris and what was his role in the original SNL?
Garrett Morris, Dana, is first season SNL standout. You might not remember him because you're just a young pup but Garrett Morris was, I was very excited to have Garrett on because to have his perspective of being in that whirlwind of the first season.
Yeah. That first five years is sort of the story of SNL. He was, he just came to play. He was full of energy and fun. Laughing. And I don't know if it's okay to say, so it's like that or whatever. So I think he might have smoked marijuana for a bit. Mary Jean. But he was really, really funny and full of a lot of. Yeah.
Happy to be there. Like talking. And those are the best guests because they come ready to play and they're just want to screw around. And we did learn a lot, but we also learned a lot. That's all we want to do.
Him and Chevy did some things together. Chevy wrote for him, and he did the interpretive guy. I was yelling when I remember that from the 70s. The hearing-impaired newscaster, yeah. But it's a really fun interview with Garrett. I would listen to this.
Here he is, Garrett Morris. Garrett, my last name is Spade.
It's convict on your show, okay?
Whoa, let's get down to it. Did you serve time? That's my only question.
I'm not lying. I'm not lying. I actually spent a year and a half at what is known as Great Meadows Correctional Facilities. I was a teacher.
Oh, I was at the Tim Meadows Correctional Facility. Now, Garrett, you were a teacher in there? You too. Go ahead. Go ahead, Garrett. Let's hear about that.
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Chapter 2: What challenges did Garrett face with the law during his career?
I still speak with my brother, unfortunately, but he know I'm such a pussy. I would never really give him any trouble about it. And I didn't.
Is he out of jail?
No, I was the one out. He never went. I had to do the time for him.
I had three older brothers that would stuff stolen items down my pants because I was nine and they were 11, 12, 13, and they were all juvenile delinquents. We fought, we smoked, we stole, but they would stuff them down my pants because I looked so little and so innocent and I'd walk out. But yeah, I stole a lot of stuff when I was nine. I'm just putting it out there right now.
I stole 10 yo-yos in one day.
I had three weekends in the tank myself. Okay.
See, we're all not soft. We're all from the fucking streets. Let's get that out of the way.
Got it. I'm not innocent at all. But one time, it was because a traffic cop broke the law and used a Slim Jim to go into my car and he looked under the mat in the front seat and found a bag of marijuana, which is illegal, cop.
Anyway, I go to the impounder to get in my car and I see about four or five cops standing around my car. I'm not stupid. So I wait, right? And they wait about 30 minutes.
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Chapter 3: What memorable stories does Garrett share about Richard Pryor?
You got a strong voice. You just have a fun vibe.
And I think that's positive. People want to work with you. So when it comes to comedy, this is what I say. I am an actor who was in a comedy show many, many years ago. And I have been suffering ever since.
Yeah.
Now, why have you been suffering?
So are we.
Because everywhere I go, people want me to be funny. And as my ex-wife would tell you, well, she used to tell me all the time, N-word, you ain't funny. Fill in the blanks. I got it.
Yeah.
Well, I think you're funny. And, you know, a lot of people have a funny vibe about them. Like people say when I date girls, I go, what do you look for? And I go, I like a girl that's funny, but I don't mean she needs to be Robin Williams. Some girls just have like a charm and fun thing about them. And that's funny to me. And it's a lightness and fun.
They don't have to be like, you know, Henny Youngman. Yeah. So I like that. I'll take care of that part. Take my wife. Exactly. Yes. By the way, Dana, Garrett has worked with Pryor and all these huge, huge stars, which I look over and I can't believe how cool it is.
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Chapter 4: How did Garrett Morris contribute to the early days of SNL?
A monologist.
Anyway, sometimes I have trouble with English. I knew what you meant.
I want to tell my Richard Pryor little story here.
Go ahead.
Tell me. So I'm working at the Holiday Inn as a waiter. And it was near the Circle Star Theater up near San Francisco. Richard's headlining there. So Richard's in the restaurant. So I got to go serve Richard. And I was really nervous. So I brought him a Denver omelet.
And then later on I came back and I took the plate and he looked up at me and said, quote, whoever made that omelet can suck my dick. And I never knew if it was a positive or negative review. 12 years later, I'm in a movie with Richard Pryor, which I'll tell you about. We're at lunch, and I just wanted to know what he meant that day, but I didn't want to bring it up.
He probably wouldn't remember. So I look at him, I take a bite of my cheeseburger, and I said, this cheeseburger's really, really, really good. And he goes, wow, you must want to suck somebody's dick. No, I can't. I got the headline.
I got the headline.
He got it wrong.
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Chapter 5: What insights does Garrett provide about the dynamics of the original SNL cast?
I'm going to call his name. to Schiller. Oh, Tom Schiller. Oh, Tommy Schiller. Yeah. Right. Schiller goes over to the studio and tells it to another guy whose name I will not call. That guy then writes it down as his idea. Whoa, wait a minute. Right. When I come over, it's written down and he's not even giving me credit for even contributing. Right. So anyway, Anyway, what happened?
I'll tell you the whole story. Yeah, anyway, what happened was it became a thing called the White Guilt Relief Fund.
Yes, I remember the sketch.
Right. Yeah. And I don't know, when I started off, help me because I'm 85. I may be outside. No, I'm tracking the story.
You would ask white people for donations out of guilt and make them an honorary Negro. You'd send them a plaque.
Anyway, that was the only thing that I did that I thought was worthwhile. And this guy who at that time was a second in command to Ann Beetz, right? Now, here's what happened was, I was so mad, I was so angry about that. Took me a couple of weeks to stew over that, and I was going to make a serious mistake.
I was going to come in this particular day and let him know what's for, and even if it meant physically confronting him, I was going to do that, although I knew he was a wrestling champ. Now, I think I know who it is from Harvard. I think I know who it is. I didn't care. I said, if I get a couple of licks in. Yeah. After he whips my ass, he's still going to remember me. Right.
Yeah.
I get off to the elevator and somebody says, Garrett, Lauren wants to see you in the green room.
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Chapter 6: How does Garrett reflect on his experiences with drugs and addiction?
You have a dictator, stupid.
Why do you have to add the stupid part? Yeah, stupid. It's a pretty good joke.
No, because you didn't know what it was, stupid.
Stupid. I like the stupid at the end. It was hilarious. That could have been a guy character. So you were part of that original lexicon. I mean, who was your hangout friend of the cast? These are just basic SNL questions.
Who did you gravitate to?
Was it Gilda or just everybody, or did you have people?
Gilda, Jane, and Chevy. But I didn't do what I should have done, because I should have also, after the show, after the show, the first couple of years, you go downtown to this bar, I think, Willie.
Oh, yeah, you have the party.
Yeah. That's equal to that golf game that people talk about, where you form alliances, right? So I didn't do that. So I really had a lot of people not liking me, thinking I was stuck up and all that.
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Chapter 7: What are Garrett's thoughts on the evolution of comedy over the years?
When I did cocaine, within 30 seconds, I was very sad. I just... Really? It made me very anxious and very paranoid. I only tried it twice. And one time I did some cocaine, drove to the comedy club, and I couldn't go in the club because I knew they all hated me in there. And then I just drove back home.
But I knew people that cocaine spoke to them, that eventually they had it in a little thing and they just sniff it all day. So what did it do to you?
Cocaine did the opposite to me. It livened me up.
Oh, because you were an introvert. So it kind of opened you up a little bit.
But then you need more cocaine, right? You're losing the high. You got to get more, right?
That's the trouble.
That's the trouble because the thing, that first high, you never get it again, David. You never get it again, David. After that, you're striving to get that first high. So even if you're on for like 35 years, which I was, 35 years? Yeah. Wow. You never get that again. Then you start smoking it, right? And you get that again. And then smoking it, you're coming down. So you keep coming down.
You never get that first time again, okay?
Doesn't make you stop chasing it. I was there. I did it for a while.
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Chapter 8: How does Garrett Morris view his legacy and influence in comedy?
He was in Blues Brothers, Dana, and that's the only reason I knew who he was because I was young and I saw, I think he was in Blues Brothers. He sang Minnie the Moocher. Is that what I'm thinking?
I know he was in it, right?
He was in The Shining.
Oh, I don't know. Oh, yeah. Oh, that was him too?
Jack Nicholson. You know what? I've never seen that. It's scary. I love my man, but I hate- Scary movies. Yeah, I hate scary movies.
Yeah, so do I, dude. I'm with you.
Well, you said that Jack brought in a suitcase of pot into London. By pot, you mean cocaine? No, this was cannabis. And he goes, and they go, and Jack goes, I'm not going to sell it. It's just for my personal use. And they let him through. Really? Yeah.
Because he's a monster. Shoot, I have another thing. Did you have any favorite sketches back then, Garrett, when you were there that first year?
The Colossal President. What was that?
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