Comedian Tracy Morgan says ahead of Morongo Casino show that he'd run for president

Comedian and actor Tracy Morgan isn't losing sleep over being out of work during the Hollywood strike.

When asked during a recent interview about the film industry grinding to a halt and not working since July, the "Saturday Night Live" alum referenced the 2014 car crash that could have killed him. The limousine van he was riding in was hit by a tractor-trailer truck owned by Walmart, which ended with him receiving an undisclosed multimillion-dollar settlement from the company.

"That wasn't Walgreens, that was Walmart," Morgan said. "But everything has to come to an end, you just got to hammer out a lot of stuff and something is being worked on. It's like bloodletting in the mafia. Every now and then there has to be a war."

Morgan said it "feels great" to be on tour again after some time off. He will perform on Sept. 29 at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa.

"I'm in the spirit, so I'm going to pray to the comedy gods that got me through all of this — Jackie Gleason, Lucille Ball, George Carlin and all of them," Morgan said. "I pay homage to the O.G.s in my life like my dad, my uncles and all of the people who came before me like George Carlin and Richard Pryor. That's what you have to do — stay in that lane. The wheel has already been invented, I'm just trying to put some spinners on it."

He refers to breaking out of stand-up comedy into film as a "natural progression," and when asked where he wants to go next, his answer was quick-witted but not comical — he wants to be President of the United States. Morgan said "If Trump could do it, I can do it." His platform? Immigration.

"We don't have any more space in (New York) and rent is just too damn high," Morgan said.

'I'd rather laugh than cry about it'

During his seven seasons on "Saturday Night Live" from 1996 to 2003, Morgan was a prominent cast member and known for characters such as Astronaut Jones and Brian Fellows. Even after appearing in many comedy TV shows such as "30 Rock," "Crank Yankers" and "The Last O.G." including several films, Morgan said "I still love my stand-up comedy."

In August, MAX released his new stand-up special, "Tracy Morgan: Taking It Too Far," which features subjects such as dating in his 50s, the influx of new businesses and more affluent residents in Brooklyn, and his 2014 accident.

"Stand-up comedy was my foundation, and that's where it came from during high school before show business," Morgan said. "The highest form of intelligence on the planet is a sense of humor. When my dad left my mom and all my childhood trauma, stand-up was there, and I'd rather laugh about it than cry about it."

Comedy has been Morgan's asset and saving grace. In 2003, he told Entertainment Weekly "I did some things I'm not proud of" while growing up in Brooklyn, such as selling drugs during high school around the same time his father, a Vietnam Veteran and drug user, died of AIDS in 1987. He started performing comedy on the streets and found steady work in stand-up comedy.

"I put God first in that situation, and I had my family and friends," Morgan said. "All my friends and my family know how I feel. Without some of them, I wouldn't be here. I'm tough, but I ain't that tough. I had people telling me, 'Just relax and calm down.'"

Even though Morgan jokes about the 2014 accident, the injuries he received were serious and included head injuries, a broken leg, broken femur and broken ribs. He spent several weeks in a coma and was confined to a wheelchair for months. While enduring a painful recovery, he thought about his children.

"My daughter was only 14 weeks, and I wouldn't be able to play with her unless I worked hard. It wasn't so difficult for me when I knew what was at stake. You can choose to get better or not — it's your choice," Morgan said.

If you go

What: Tracy Morgan stand-up show

When: 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29

Where: Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, 49-500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon

How much: Tickets start at $49

More information: morongocasinoresort.com

Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment for the Desert Sun. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com or on Twitter at @bblueskye.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Tracy Morgan talks presidential dreams ahead of Morongo Casino show