EXCLUSIVE: Lamorne Morris Talks Emmy Nomination, His Hardest Job, ‘Spider-Man Noir,’ & ‘New Girl’

Actor Lamorne Morris has worked in the entertainment industry for over two decades. He found mainstream success because of his role as Winston Bishop in the hit FOX comedy, “New Girl,” which premiered in 2011. In 2024, Morris received his first Emmy nomination for his portrayal of the North Dakota state trooper, Whitley “Witt” Farr, in the fifth season of the FX series, “Fargo.” 

In an exclusive interview with Heavy, Morris spoke about his partnership with Mike’s Hard Lemonade and hosting the brand’s upcoming pop-up event, the Jobstacle Course. The immersive August 20 event will be held from 2 pm to 8 pm on 477 Broadway in New York, New York. During the interactive event, participants can experience working various jobs, like being a food taster or bookseller.  

While speaking to Heavy, Morris shared how he reacted to the news of his Emmy nomination and whether he would consider playing Winston again in a potential “New Girl” reboot. In addition, Morris teased information about his upcoming series, “Spider-Man Noir,” which also stars Nicolas Cage, and how it was to play the legendary Garrett Morris in the 2024 film “Saturday Night.” 

Heavy: Why did you decide to partner with Mike’s Hard Lemonade for the brand’s upcoming “MIKE’S JOBSTACLE COURSE”? 

Lamorne Morris: Well, because I used to have a lot of jobs. And I still do. A lot of time, the connection between brand and actor or entertainer, it’s kind of forced together, but this one aligned perfectly. Because it fits my lifestyle and the way I’ve always thought.

When I was coming up, I did everything from a bookstore clerk, to I used to walk people’s children home from school. I worked at every restaurant in Chicago. You know, shout out to TGI Fridays. You name it. That’s what I did.

And even in the entertainment space, hosting, commercials, TV, and movies, at the end of the day, the thought was the same, I need a drink afterwards. [Laughs] I deserve a reward for all my hard work. So for me, it made a lot of sense. When they told me what they were doing, I thought it was hilarious. And I said, “Oh, I would like to be a part of that!”

Heavy: Very understandable. Why do you think fans should participate in the August 20th event? 

Lamorne Morris: Honestly, it’s all fun. But it’s a way to hang out and meet cool people. I’ll be there.

And also to test your abilities to be a food taster or a bookstore clerk, you know what I mean. And it’s just putting the awareness out there that people should prioritize taking a break. And we as a society, we overwork, a lot of times, we just keep going, we keep going, and we keep going. And we put ourselves in an early grave that way. And I think it’s time to, you know, take a moment to appreciate the job you’ve done. And relax a little bit. 

Heavy: I’m very familiar with your guest spots on the podcast “We’re Here to Help,” so I know you have great advice – what is your advice for today’s struggling workforce and those who want to break out in the entertainment industry? 

Lamorne Morris: Rest. I will say that. You know why? ‘Cause lately, I haven’t been getting the best sleep. And I got a great night sleep yesterday. And I woke up this morning with so much energy. And you feel like your brain starts to think differently. You start to think more creatively. Especially folks who are trying to get into the entertainment space, you need your brain to be functioning on a high level, creatively. Because that’s essentially what you are telling the world, that “I have an outlook on life that’s different, that’s funny, that may be this or may be that.” But you need rest. You definitely need to take a break. And to put your feet up every once and awhile. So that’s my core advice.

And also the goal is not necessarily the goal. I would say the journey is the goal. Really being in the moment and appreciating the hardships of it all. Appreciating the good and the bad. Because it’s all going to be a part of your book one day. And folks, they want to see what you went through. 

Heavy: How has previously working in the restaurant industry, retail, and as a telemarketer helped you become a successful actor, producer, and podcaster? 

Lamorne Morris: Well, you are always dealing with people. I think having people skills is great because communication is what connects all of us. And so, with entertaining, it’s the same way. You are dealing with your co-stars, you are dealing with people that surround you, that take care of you, that help you out, producers, etc. And you want to be able to articulate the things that you need, the things that you need from them, and vice versa.

I would say especially in the service industry, you have to be selfless. And your whole job is to cater to what the customer needs. And in entertainment, there is a little bit of that as well. Even though you are creating art, and you are putting it out there and people may love it or they may hate it, sometimes you have to keep your finger on the pulse of society, a little bit, and say, “The people need to laugh a little bit more these days.” You know, especially in the heightened political times that we live in, people want to go watch a comedy, I think, you know what I mean? When war is happening, it’s like “Hey, man we need to laugh for just an hour today.” And that’s my job,  is to kind of service that need.

Heavy: What has been your hardest job? 

Lamorne Morris: I had a few. I would say one of them — Hollywood Video was weird. It was just weird because my boss was weird, he would do nefarious things in the office. He was always in his office up to mischief and people would look at me crazy because they could see him through the window, and he was in there with his girlfriend. You get what I’m saying. He would do that often. But I needed the job. So, I was like, waving at customers.

Sometimes what I would do if I knew he was coming in, like, he would come in and I would see his girlfriend, and they would walk in — and he’s like “Oh, I’m going to go in the office.” And I would say, “Okay.” I would take the returned DVDs and as opposed to putting them away, I would just stack them up in front of the window, so no one could see. Because I don’t know what the hell he was thinking. But he never got fired. But they did shut the store down. [Laughs] That was just hard emotionally and mentally to work through. [Laughs].

Heavy: I bet. A big congratulations on your Emmy nomination for the fifth season of “Fargo.” How did you react to the news of your first Emmy nomination? 

Lamorne Morris: I cried like a baby in front of my baby, in front of my four-year-old daughter [Lily]. I definitely cried and she made fun of me. Because she was confused. She was like, he’s crying but he’s also laughing and smiling a little bit. She was like, “Haha, Daddy’s crying.” And yeah, so that’s what I did. 

And then I had the chance to go, unknowingly, I went and had a celebration, unknowingly. My assistant, my manager, and my friends, came to support me on a day. And I’ll just give you a quick rundown of how this day went. I was told I was going to have dinner with Nick Cage. And it turns out when I get to the restaurant, after a very hard day, a very long day, a sleepless night the night before, I get to this place, and I realize that Nick Cage isn’t there. But there are eight people there wearing Nick Cage masks. Anyway, that’s how I celebrated. 

Heavy: I mean that’s a good time, it sounds like!

Lamorne Morris: It was a good time. So I just kept ordering the most expensive wine they had. 

Heavy: Very fair. So, what have been your best and worst experiences working in the entertainment industry? 

Lamorne Morris: Best has a lot to do with the people that I meet, honestly. Like I said before, it’s not necessarily about the job itself. It’s about the process of making it and the journey that you are on. So, I got the chance to meet a lot of cool people. And that’s my favorite part, is you know, getting new friends, sharing stories, learning things. And that all comes from talking with folks and getting to know them on a personal level. And it becomes even more intimate when you work with that person. You feel like you have this bond and this connection. So for me, that’s been the best part of working in this industry. 

And then the worst part, sometimes the job takes you away from home, a lot. I have a child, and sometimes she’ll go with me. Like, she’s been with me to work. Here and there. But a lot of times, she’s not able to go. And you know, having to accommodate for that I have to go film a couple weeks and then I fly back. I got to fly back and see my kid. And then I have to come back. So moving around like that, on a long job — that can be pretty taxing. Emotionally as well. So, but not just for you, but for your family. I would say that’s probably the hardest part and that’s probably the sacrifice that folks make when they want to get into this business. 

Heavy: You mentioned Nick Cage earlier. You are playing Robbie Robertson in the upcoming live-action series, “Spider-Man Noir,” with him. Can you tease anything about the project? Have you been working with Nick Cage yet? Or is it just in pre-production?

Lamorne Morris: Kind of pre-production. I can’t tease too much. But we did shoot for a couple of days to start. But then we’ll go back into production a little later. But I will say, I have met Nick. And I’ll just put it out there, I have only spent a couple of minutes with the man, he’s one of the greatest people of all time. [Laughs] You can tell he’s a fun person to be around. 

Heavy: Did you tell him about your celebration with the Nick Cage masks?

No, because it happened right after that. And yeah, I should have put two and two together. What an idiot. I don’t know why I was thinking — anyway. Oh boy. [Laughs]. That’s pretty much all I can tease. You already know the rest. You know who I’m playing. It’s noir, so there’s a different level of cool to it. 

Heavy: Has your “New Girl” co-star Jake Johnson given you any tips on playing a “Spider-Man” character? 

Lamorne Morris: [Jokingly] No, he hasn’t been very helpful to me. I’ve tried, I’ve reached out. In fact, I’m here in New York. He’s also here in New York. And he won’t tell me what hotel he’s staying in. Because he doesn’t want me to visit him. He has been the least helpful person that you can possibly imagine. Not very helpful.

No, he actually hasn’t spoken to me about it. [Laughs] Not in a negative way. We were just discussing it when I was getting cast for it. We were talking about it a little bit. Because mine is live-action. His was animated. 

Heavy: Speaking of “New Girl” – the show has been off the air for six years now, but still has a loyal fanbase. Would you ever consider doing a reboot and reprising the role of Winston? 

Lamorne Morris: Absolutely. It would be a dream come true. I love all the actors that I worked with. We are all friends. I always said the first couple of seasons of “New Girl” was a struggle for me. Performance-wise. Because I was finding my footing, and the writing wasn’t necessarily tailored towards me just yet. If I had a second go at another round of that, I would. I would. And I trust my actors enough to make bold choices and weird decisions. And I trust the editors enough to make me look the weirdest. I go okay awesome, I want to do that again. 

Heavy: I always felt the show found its footing when Winston become “weirder.” 

Lamorne Morris: Yes, 100 percent [Laughs].

Heavy: What was your favorite behind-the-scenes moment while working on a set? 

Lamorne Morris: I got to say working with Prince [on “New Girl”] and just having conversations with him. There was a moment where he had one of his dancers that’s part of his crew, travels with him, and he was putting them in one of the scene. And they just had to do a look. They see Prince and they act surprised.

He pulled me to the side and he said “Hey Larmone” in these really really hush-hush tones, and he goes, “Can you teach her how to act surprised?” I went, “What do you mean?” And he said, “You know she comes down the stairs and she has to look surprised. But she’s never acted before, so can you teach her how to look surprised?” [Laughs] And I went, “Yeah, sure.” And he sits down and goes, “Okay, go.” [Laughs] He wanted me to do it in front of him. I just started doing a bit and he was laughing and like clapping his hands. I was like “This is awesome.” 

I got to say that was one of my favorite behind-the-scenes [moments]. Because it’s Prince and God rest his soul, he was one of the greatest to ever do anything. And such a kind person. 

Heavy: That’s incredible. Okay, I have a three-part question – the trailer for “Saturday Night” was just released. What was it like playing Garrett Morris in the film? Did he offer you advice about taking on the role? And have you told him that you jokingly told people he was your father when you were a child? 

Lamorne Morris: Yes, I did tell him that. And in fact, he took it a step further, in which, he then on a couple of occasions, one in a room full of people, said that he might indeed be my father. And then once I got a call and then he’s like, “Hey man, I’m not entirely sure that I’m not your daddy. Tell your mom, I owe her a call.” He would do stuff like that. He’s so funny. He’s so sharp. 

It was a lot of pressure to start [playing Morris] because you want to make sure you’re not mocking him. Meaning doing an impression of him. But you also want to service the character well. And especially for the fans of Garrett, like the diehards, they know his mannerisms and his isms. And I was trying to get his energy. You know, what was he going through on that day? Obviously, you take some of his isms and his mannerisms and his cadence and his rhythm. But it was nerve-wracking at first. But once we got the ball rolling, and you get the nod of approval from your director, Jason Reitman, you go, “Okay. Now we’re cooking. Now let’s have some fun.”

And I say along with the rest of the cast, when you watch this movie, these kids are phenomenal actors. And they are unlike any young group of actors that I’ve ever worked with. It’s so different. They’re very professional in how they approach their craft. They are all Broadway singers and musicians. So they use these instruments everyday on set. And it was just fun to see. 

Heavy: Final question, what is your dream role?  

Lamorne Morris: That’s a hard one because I feel like I’ve played a lot of cool characters. You know, my dream role – there’s a couple. Again, I’m big on the journey of it. I’m really big on just like – I’m in my dream job because of the opportunities that I get and the uncertainty and the ups and downs, and it’s all part of it. And I do enjoy that. 

But there was a character, there was a performer that I would also like to play, which is Flip Wilson. Flip Wilson, back in the day, he had a late-night talk show, in a racially charged time where he was the first, you know what I mean? And people didn’t have that opportunity.

And he brought millions of fans into his home by playing characters. And I love playing characters. So on ‘The Flip Wilson Show,” he got to play characters, he would do skits, and he would interview folks, and he would have fun doing some stand-up in front of the crowd. So – but his life’s journey was so up and down, that I think people really should see that movie made. If not by me, by somebody else. But I just want to see that movie. 

And I also want to play a 6’8″ basketball player.

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