When Lamorne Morris learned he was nominated for an Emmy for his performance in “Fargo,” he processed the emotional and triumphant career moment in a way only a parent could appreciate: He was mocked by his toddler.
On that fateful morning in July, a video recording by a friend that was shared on social media shows a stunned and tearful Morris taking in the news as his then 3-year-old daughter is trying to make sense of his demeanor.
“My daughter is with me for a lot of the stuff that I go through — the ups and downs, and she’s so young that she can’t quite understand what’s happening,” he says. “To see her visceral reaction toward her daddy crying was to make fun of him, I thought, ‘Man, this is my daughter, for sure. This is my daughter, absolutely.’”
‘There was a lot of silliness happening with other characters; I wanted to play this as straight and real as possible,’ Lamorne Morris says of his role as a state trooper on ‘Fargo.’
How did he explain it to her? “I just said, ‘Well, people think Daddy did a really good job at work, and so they want to have a party for him and other people that did a good job at work too.’ She said, ‘Can I come to the party?’”
Given her bedtime, she won’t be partying it up with her pops (plus she celebrated her fourth birthday on Saturday). Morris, instead, is bringing his mother as his date to the 76th Emmy Awards. It’s his first Emmy nomination and Sunday’s ceremony will be the first time he’s attended.
Morris received a supporting actor nod for his turn as reliable North Dakota Deputy Witt Far in the fifth season of “Fargo,” the FX black comedy crime anthology created by Noah Hawley. Hours later at the ceremony, he took to the stage to accept his award.
The actor is best known for his comedic flare in TV series such as “New Girl” and films such as “Game Night,” but “Fargo” provided an opportunity for Morris to demonstrate his range. In a fictional world of effusive and eccentric characters, which included portrayals by Jon Hamm and Juno Temple, both nominated for Emmys as well, Morris’ Witt stood in contrast as a decent and unassuming man called into action.
Showrunner Noah Hawley discusses Season 5 of “Fargo,” which draws from the film and is set in a more recent period from past seasons, the writers’ strike and his upcoming adaptation of ‘Aliens.’
And Morris isn’t done showing off that range. Later this fall, his take on “Saturday Night Live” cast member Garrett Morris can be seen in Jason Reitman’s film “Saturday Night,” about the first broadcast of the long-running sketch comedy show. And he’ll star in Prime Video’s Marvel series “Spider-Noir,” opposite Nicholas Cage.
“Every actor dreams about years like this,” he says. “I just have to keep my head down a little bit and not get too high and not get too low — that’s what LeBron James always says when he’s talking about the course of a season. The journey that you’re on, the things that you’re capable of doing, obviously you want to grow and evolve, but you have to keep the same energy that got you to the place.”
For now, it’s showtime. Morris invited The Times along exclusively as he prepared for and experienced his first Emmy Awards ceremony. Here’s a diary of his day.
For the second time this year, the Emmy Awards will air Sunday on ABC. Here’s what you need to know about the red carpet, who’s hosting and who will win.
12:28 p.m.: How does a first-time nominee get ready for an event like the Emmys? After spending Saturday night hitting up some pre-ceremony parties, Morris said he was up by 7:30 a.m., his mind already at work thinking of possible jokes to make onstage should “by some miracle” his name get called. “But I quickly scrapped them all. … If I don’t win, there will be hell to pay,” he jokes. But more seriously, he adds, “I just don’t want to forget names. The people that get you to where you are matter.”
We’re at his Encino, Calif., home and he’s stationed at his kitchen island, getting groomed; his mother, Gwennett, who flew in from Chicago on Monday, is nearby getting glam done and wishing out loud about her dream run-in: “Will Denzel [Washington] be there?” (Morris has predicted she’d say as much: “She’ll be happy with Denzel or Jesus — one of the two.”) His daughter, still on a birthday high from last night, hops around near a bouquet of unicorn and princess balloons, asking when she can have a doughnut — she’s promised she can have one while watching Daddy on TV later). Until then, she begins listing off the princess dresses she received for her birthday (Elsa, Cinderella and Tiana).
12:47 p.m.: While Morris’s schedule of late leaves little time for much TV viewing, he has squeezed in a few recent shows, including some Emmy nominees. “I really liked ‘Fallout’ and ‘Shogun.’ I’ve been binging ‘Tulsa King.’ Stallone is all-time in that one. But ‘Shogun’ is probably top of that list for me. And it’s crushing the Emmys. I love ‘The Bear’ but I haven’t had a chance to watch the third season yet. So that’s next on my shows to binge when I get some time.”
1:14 p.m.: Morris is nominated for supporting actor in a limited series alongside Jonathan Bailey (“Fellow Travelers”), Robert Downey Jr. (“The Sympathizer”), Tom Goodman-Hill (“Baby Reindeer”), John Hawkes (“True Detective: Night Country”), Lewis Pullman (“Lessons in Chemistry”) and Treat Williams (“Feud: Capote vs. the Swans”). And the coolness of it all is not lost on him. He shares that Downey sent him a gift package of his brand of coffee, Happy. Morris rushes into his office to pull the note that accompanied the gift: “Happy to be nominated alongside you. With tremendous respect, Robert.”
Morris leads me into a hallway lined with movie posters — a mix of stuff he’s been in, like “Game Night,” and his favorites, like “Tropic Thunder.” The poster is of Downey as the egotistical Australian thespian Kirk Lazarus, who takes Method acting to an extreme. “If I had my way, I’d do a drama with him that had comedic elements,” he says. “There’s a movie I love of his called ‘The Judge.’ Being in something like that with him would be cool. Not that we could have a father-son relationship. That’s be ‘Diff‘rent Strokes,’” he teases.
1:33-1:52 p.m.: As the time nears to head to the ceremony, Morris changes out of his zip-up hoodie and colorful shorts into a sleek Dior tuxedo, accessorized with a lily brooch on his lapel — in honor of his daughter. His stylist Danielle Premone worked with designer Eyanatia to have a custom dress made for his mother. Once she changes, a family member says, “Attention everybody! The queen is coming!” Morris whips out his phone to record video of his mother, looking regal in a black gown, posing as everyone takes in her look. The pop of a champagne bottle in the kitchen quickly startles the crowd. “Party time,” someone says.
1:55 p.m.: Glasses of champagne are passed around to Morris and his friends and family. As they gather, Morris gives a toast: “The journey is the goal. And it’s been a great journey. Thank you for all your encouragement and your faith in me. Cheers!”
2 p.m.: Morris said he’s been getting texts from friends throughout the day. He shares that a buddy he used to do theater with in Chicago, actor Michael Fatigato, used to always pull him to the side before every play and say, “Make it great.” Fatigato may not have been here physically, but he kept the ritual going. “I got his text this morning.
“My phone will blow up,” he continues. “During the show, I’m not going to answer. I know my friends. If I do win, when I go up to the stage, I know one of them will be like, ‘Let’s FaceTime his a— right now.’ I have friends who would do that.”
He says he saw some of the “New Girl” squad, including Max Greenfield, at the parties last night. Asked if he ever thought a day like today would come to fruition all those years ago, he says: “Honestly, yes. I just didn’t know where, how, what route would get me here. I’ve always been confident in what I can do. It’s just a matter of whether people dig it or not.”
2:08 p.m.: It’s time to head to TV’s biggest night. Morris and his mother get into “prom mode” and pose for one last round of photos with friends and family. After a few minutes, he declares: “Let’s get out of here. Love you guys!” His friends and family follow him out to the car, and some of them begin to get emotional. Morris gets in a black SUV and slowly rolls down the window barely three inches to teasingly bid a farewell like he’s the coolest guy in the world — mustering up just a two-finger wave. The act prompts his best friend Alesha Reneé to teasingly yell: “You still ain’t s—.” A family of jokes all the way.
6:33 p.m.: Morris is no longer just a first-time Emmy nominee. He’s an Emmy winner, who beat out Downey. How’s that for bragging rights? He may have rethought his early morning speech brainstorm, but like a true performer, he found a way to deliver a laugh once he took the stage: “My beautiful daughter, Lily. I love you. I told you I would do it. You’ve always doubted me,” he said.
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