Garrett Morris from SNL Celebrates 89th Birthday: Reflections and Regrets

Garrett Morris on ‘SNL’ in 1980 (left); Morris on Oct. 26, 2025 at an event in Parsippany, N.J.
Credit :

Alan Singer/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Bobby Bank/Getty

NEAT TO KNOW

• Garrett Morris will celebrate his 89th birthday on February 1.
• An original member of the Saturday Night Live cast, he was with the show from 1975 to 1980.
• His later credits include roles on sitcoms The Jeffersons, Martin, and 2 Broke Girls.

Garrett Morris is just weeks away from his 89th birthday, engaging in a phone interview filled with humor and anticipation. “Ask me what I’ll be doing on my birthday,” he says, marking the significance of February 1.

His playful response reflects a sense of humor about aging: “Regretting the passage of time.”

Morris, who jokingly remarks about his birthday, has spent a significant part of his life making others laugh. He gained recognition as the first Black cast member of SNL, performing from 1975 to 1980. His television career later embraced popular roles in shows like The Jeffersons, Martin, and 2 Broke Girls. His film contributions also include noteworthy performances in Cooley High and Car Wash, with the latter celebrating its own milestone anniversary this coming October.

Garrett Morris on ‘SNL’ in 1978.

Fred Hermansky/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Morris emphasized his ongoing passion for performance: “I just felt if you enjoy your work, why not do it to the best you can in whatever way you are asked to do it until you transform.” He acknowledged the reality of fewer roles suited for older actors, saying, “I mean, let’s be realistic, there are less roles for an 80-year-old who’s got arthritis — but there are roles out there.”

Garrett Morris on SNL’s 50th anniversary special in 2025.

NBC

Morris recently returned to Studio 8H for SNL50: The Anniversary Special. Reflecting on his time away, he noted, “I just act like time has not passed. I just act like there’s got to be a role for somebody who’s as old as I am.”

He expressed confidence in his ongoing relevance: “Because every other movie has an old person in it and they’ll get a young actor to do it and put on makeup. Why not get old motherf—ers like me to play the role? We don’t have to stretch.”

Recent roles for Morris include appearances in The Neighborhood and How I Met Your Father. He is also focused on his forthcoming memoir, Ain’t That a Btch*, co-authored with Chloé Hilliard. Morris described the long-awaited project, humorously noting, “certain people who work for the judicial community do not read it because if they do, I may have to leave the country and become an expat.”

He recounted his initial proposal for the memoir and expressed gratitude for Hilliard’s collaboration: “I got with Chloé and she’s a brilliant Black woman that I’m happy to say I’m lucky to have her as my partner.”

Regarding the timing of his autobiography, Morris joked, “I’m a capitalist. I’m looking at making a lot of money.”