A step in the right direction. Tracy Morgan was seen walking without a cane on Tuesday, July 21, showing progress from the tragic accident that left him with physical and mental ailments.
The comedian, 46, was seen on his feet in New Jersey, walking independently without help from another person or a balancer. Morgan was still using a cane earlier this year following the June 2014 car crash that left his friend James McNair dead.
"The pain is always gonna be there for Jimmy Mack," Morgan said of his late friend in June during an interview on the Today show. "He was a close friend of mine, a comrade in comedy. He was a loving man and he was a warm man. He was a good man. It just hurts me to see that he's gone."
The 30 Rock alum has been struggling both mentally and physically in the year since his limo bus was hit by a tractor-trailer on the New Jersey Turnpike. After settling his lawsuit with Walmart in May, Morgan sat down for an emotional interview with Today's Matt Lauer last month, breaking down repeatedly as he reflected on the crash.
"I have my good days and my bad days," he told Lauer. "Sometimes I don't feel well, sometimes emotionally I don't feel well and I'm not ready for crowds of people because I'm really focused on my memory coming back to me, my walking getting better. My balance is still off so I have to really focus on those things before I'm out here."
Morgan seems to be seeing improvements in his walking and balance as he was able to stroll on his own in his Puma sneakers. The star, who was hospitalized for days in critical condition after the accident, spent months in a wheelchair.
While the Saturday Night Live alum is working to get his strength back, he may not be returning to comedy in the immediate future. Morgan spoke to Lauer about his passion for humor and the trouble he is having seeing the bright side of things as he fights depression.
"I love comedy," he told Lauer. "I wonder how I'm going to be funny again, how I'm going to get to it, remembering my identity, what do I do? The fans let me know, 'We can't wait for you to come back, we can't wait for you to come back.' I can't wait to make them laugh again. When I couldn't do it, and I have the audience there, for a long time, that was it for me. It was making people laugh and crack up — then that was taken from me. I guess that's God's way of saying, 'Do you really love it?' So, I love it."
