Entertainment

Hear Eddie Murphy's A+ Tracy Morgan Impression

by S. Atkinson

Considering I'm a human being with two eyes and a functioning television set, I love Eddie Murphy. And, considering I'm also a human being with a pretty intense 30 Rock addiction, I love Tracy Morgan. As such, Eddie Murphy's Jimmy Kimmel Live! appearance got me completely overexcited when one of Murphy's anecdotes seemed not only include a great impression of the comedian (who knew?!) but also imply that the two are close friends who hang out on the reg.

Kimmel mentioned how following the horrific car crash in 2014 which left Morgan in a critical condition, Morgan had told him that the first person who made him laugh after the crash was Murphy. Before Kimmel even got his sentence out, Murphy was not only doing an A+ impression of the comedian, but he was also professing his feelings — "I love Tracy." Same. Apparently, Morgan went over to Murphy's house for Ball Park franks. Clearly, Murphy's role in the upcoming drama Mr. Church, in which he plays a talented cook, is closer to life than we might imagine, because if you don't think that bargain frankfurters are delicious, you're totally lying to yourself.

This said, I guess the pair's close relationship isn't exactly a secret. During Morgan's speech for the 18th Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor ceremony honoring Murphy, Morgan said, "He's the reason why I'm in comedy, he's the reason why I have a job, he's the reason why I have a career."

You know, you hear a lot about how isolating fame can be, so it's nice to hear that celebrities, like the rest of us, become friends with their colleagues and hang out and cook junk food together. It's one thing hanging out on the red carpet with your buddies when they have to be there to promote their films, too. But, you know it's something real when Murphy gets his frying pan out for you.

Their relationship is, in part, particularly interesting to me because it sometimes felt as if Morgan's character on 30 Rock was partly based on Murphy: His abrupt change on 30 Rock from making comedy to making award-winning "serious" movies felt a little similar to Murphy's own career. Murphy started on Saturday Night Live, like Morgan on 30 Rock, made wacky comedies that meant he had to wear a fatsuit like The Nutty Professor, before branching out into more serious material, like Dreamgirls.

Clearly, this pair find inspiration and support in each other both in life and on screen — here's hoping these guys stay friends for life.

Images: Giphy