This is not a vintage “30 Rock” episode: Tracy Morgan is part of the docuseries “Octopus!” (now streaming on Amazon Prime).
Rather than laughter, Morgan’s appearance might make you cry as the comic actor talks about Zoey, his 90-pound octopus he gave up after realizing how short the cephalopod’s lifespan is.
“I got tired of being sad,” Morgan, 56, says while tearing up in this exclusive series clip.
“I learned so much about them, because I would just sit there and watch my octopus,” says Morgan. “The thing that I learned most about them is that they taught me how to survive, no matter how long it’s for. They taught me how to live in an environment that can be sometimes hostile. She gave me knowledge. She gave me wisdom and understanding. Thank you, Zoey.”
Niharika Desai, who directs the docuseries, narrated by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, tells USA TODAY via email that the filmmakers were looking for “unexpected voices” in the science-based series.
“You can’t think of Tracy Morgan and not think of comedy,” Desai says. “His presence serves as a misdirect: You think you know him, but then you see this other side of his personality that is so compelling and thoughtful. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of cephalopods.”
“Tracy’s gonna Tracy, even when he’s teaching us about the life cycle of a Giant Pacific Octopus,” Desai adds. “I hope that audiences who know and love Tracy will find it profound to hear him open up about his life history and how he developed a love of sea creatures.”
Morgan doesn’t explain what became of Zoey once he gave her up.
“We didn’t really discuss that, and I can’t speak for Tracy,” says Desai. “However, I did feel his sense of grief, knowing how attached he feels to these creatures with such short life spans.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ‘Octopus!’ love: Tracy Morgan adds tears to Prime Video nature series
