Tracy Morgan to portray Louis Armstrong? Video

Comic actor Tracy Morgan announced on Howard Stern’s Sirius XM show that he is working to develop a film in which he will portray legendary trumpeter and vocalist Louis Armstrong.

The project is still in its early stages of development. The script is being written by comic Jeff Stilson, who is a former producer and writer of Late Night with David Letterman, a former writer of The Daily Show, and is currently executive producing Morgan’s new series for TBS, The Last O.G.

Morgan announced on Stern’s show that he plans to channel Armstrong, rather than mimic him, for the film, which doesn’t have a release date yet. He even performed a few bars of “Mack the Knife” in Satchmo’s trademark gravelly voice.

In a previous interview with the San Diego Union-Tribute from 2016, Morgan stated: “If I had my dream movie role, it would be to play Louis Armstrong, and I would name it ‘Pops.’ He was the Michael Jackson of his generation — he pleased white people and black people. Check that out!”