When Lamorne Morris landed his breakout role on New Girl, he had a clear goal: to appear on a nighttime talk show. Despite starring on a hit sitcom, however, the actor and stand-up comic couldn’t get a single booking for years. “I wanted so bad to be on late-night talk shows as a guest, just to feel validated a little bit, to be honest,” he says. “And I couldn’t get on one to save my life.” Cut to a decade-plus later, and Morris has just finished a stint hosting ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, as one of the summer fill-ins for the show’s eponymous emcee. He still has the desk placard with his name on it. Morris presents it in his Zoom window with a wide, proud smile.

A guide to Hollywood’s biggest races

That late-night milestone stands out in a year of firsts for Morris. He is meeting—exceeding—the expectations he’d set for himself as a young, rising Hollywood actor. Not only did he finally get a plum role on a prestige TV show, playing a main character in the fifth installment of FX’s Fargo, but he also got his first Emmy nomination for the part. Not only is he starting to work with Oscar-nominated filmmakers like Jason Reitman, but he’s playing the groundbreaking Garrett Morris in Reitman’s buzzy fall release, Saturday Night. And not only is he starting production on the big-ticket Spider-Noir superhero series, but he’s also acting opposite Nicolas Cage. (Yes, Morris already has stories about his costar.)

In conversation with Vanity Fair, Morris candidly acknowledges that he’s been working to get to this level for a long time—and gamely reflects on the bumpy road he’s traveled on the way.

Vanity Fair: You’ve always been a busy guy, but every project you’ve got going on right now seems especially high-profile. Does this moment feel different to you?

Lamorne Morris: It does, honestly. It’s directors, actors, producers, people who operate in a different space I’ve been working with lately, and it’s refreshing. There used to be a time where you would do a project with people of this ilk that could really bring the life out of you, and then you’d go a year doing other things here and there, and then you’d get another one. This particular season in my life has been a blessing. I’m learning from every single person I’m working with, and everyone that I’m working with has this senior level of ability over me that I need to learn from and that I’m absorbing.

Even just getting the call to be in something like Fargo, I would imagine, is pretty exciting. Have you been wanting to do more dramatic TV work?

Oh yeah, it’s like you’ve been on the outside looking in at all these cool things that happened in TV. Don’t get me wrong, New Girl was an epic show—but post-that, you wait for some of these invites and you read for certain things here and there, and certain things you’re just not considered for because people assume that you’re not capable of doing these things. I thank God for Noah [Hawley] that he gave me an opportunity to showcase an ability that I have. Obviously, it’s working out. [Laughs] The Emmy nomination is a lovely thing, but it just takes a director or producers or an exec or someone to give an actor an opportunity to showcase that, and I’m very glad he did.

Was there a time when you did feel on the outside looking in, as you put it, and it felt particularly frustrating trying to get into some of those rooms?

Absolutely. When I first started on New Girl, I’d hit that pilot season with a big splash. I had done a ton of commercials and didn’t have theatrical representation. Finally, when I broke through on this show, it all seemed like it was happening so fast. I came from out of nowhere. I had a few offers that pilot season, but I was an unknown actor, then I got on a show—one of the more coveted ones for that year—and so other folks were on the outside looking in. They’re like, “Man, you made it!” But for me, the conversations that I was having with my team were, “Well, this casting director won’t see you. They’re only going after certain names.”

Did it feel like rejection?

There’s always this rejection that happens when you’re trying to break into cinema and certain projects there. I do remember having very, very emotional conversations with my team, wondering, “Is this it? Does it end after New Girl? Because no one’s knocking on the door.” The phone’s not ringing, and you try to just continue to push through and persevere and keep your fingers crossed because that’s what this business is. It’s really tough, especially for actors who haven’t made it yet, who haven’t reached their idea of success, because it can be soul-crushing when you’re not reading for anything, or if you’re not meeting with anyone or not filming anything.

I’ve had some days where I’ve been in a low space. Folks on the outside wouldn’t understand it. They’re like, “Oh, you have that show. You’re on that thing.” But what I see for myself is far greater. Essentially, I want to be Morgan Freeman. I want to be working forever, and I don’t want to have to go on these long hiatuses because people are tired of me or whatever. I just want to keep doing good work and working with great people and having fun at work, and my daughter loves coming to set, so I want her to keep coming to set. I want her to be able to see what daddy does for a living until she’s older.

I remember the last year of New Girl was the same year Game Night came out. Suddenly your show is over, and you’re in a studio movie with Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams.

Still to this day, I’m pissed and confused that we haven’t done a part two.

People love that movie!

It’s so crazy to me. There were some nerves because, again, you’re stepping into this place that you’re asking to be a part of, you’re asking to be a part of a group of performers who are operating at an elite level, and your job is to slide on in there and act like you’ve been there before. It’s hard when you’re looking at Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams and you’re like, Holy shit. I’m doing a scene with these folks. Then Jeffrey Wright shows up, and you’re doing a scene with Michael C. Hall. I think about it often because now we’re all good friends, but you start to see the ballparks that you’re playing in are a little bit different. It’s like when you grow up playing basketball, and the better you get, the more you have to play with older kids to really test your abilities. That’s what Game Night felt like. It felt like I was graduating into a different arena.

One of the unique aspects of an awards campaign, like the one you’ve been on for Fargo, is talking extensively about the work with your collaborators. You’ve been on some panels with Fargo creator Noah Hawley, for instance. What’s it like getting those postmortem insights from him?

I’m not going to lie to you: It is nerve-racking being next to him when we both are explaining the same show. He’s so quick with poignant answers, even parts of the show that I didn’t see. He would break down why he did certain things. It blew my mind thinking about his insight on it. If they could not pair me up next to him, that’d be great, because he makes me look like an idiot. [Laughs] I’m like, “I’m just happy to be here, guys. I’m just really grateful for this opportunity. I love performing!” And he is breaking down every single detail. He is an encyclopedia.

He’s one of the really singular directors you’ve worked with recently. What did you learn from his approach as a filmmaker?

When I got the job, we had a meeting just like this on Zoom, and we were talking about the scripts I had read and why I was interested in doing the show. I asked him, “What about me says that I can play this character to you?” He said two things: One, “I do a great job of casting,” and then, “Never mind the background in which people know you from, whether it be broad comedy or deep, dark drama—it doesn’t matter. Your heart and your kindness shines through in your performances. And for this character, we need someone with a lot of heart and kindness.” When he said that to me, it resonated with me.

Had you gotten that kind of feedback before, about being that heartfelt presence? Because you really are in the show.

No, that was my first time having someone see me in that way. There was a running joke on New Girl that I have kind eyes. I have snail eyes and big eyes, and they go, “You have very kind eyes.” I now get a lot of fans that shoot me messages that just say, “Hey, kind eyes.” It was fun to see that Noah recognized that as well.

So how was filming Saturday Night, and working with a director like Jason Reitman? The trailer makes it seem pretty chaotic.

I got to say, it was chaotic. That might’ve been intentional because it’s all one big cast—the same way it was back on opening night, where there was so much confusion of what we were doing. There was a lot of that while filming too. These big, long shots that were really difficult to get, that once you’re doing take number 20, 22, 23—the pressure is on and all the actors are tightening up, ready to see who’s going to fuck up this shot after a six-minute take. You’re like, Which one of us is going to screw this up for everybody? [Laughs] Jason created this environment where it’s like a cacophony of sound and music and people and props and movement, and it was like watching a master at work. It was really cool to see. He never looked stressed at all, which was crazy to me.

You’re one of the older cast members in this movie. Even though you haven’t made many projects like this, did you feel like a statesperson on set?

A little bit. A little bit, man. [Laughs] I joke around with the cast all the time that I could be their dad. Cory Michael Smith is a few years younger than me, but as the 40-year-old in the group, you walk around as if you are this wise sage looking to impart wisdom on these people—which is so crazy because most of them were wise beyond their years. You’d just catch them reading a novel in between takes. I’m like, What the fuck? This man’s reading a novel? He’s 21! You mean he’s not scrolling through TikTok? You’ll hear the stories about young actors who just spend most of their days partying and kicking it and hanging out. Not this group. Not this group at all.

How would you compare that to your 20s in the industry?

Man, when I got in the industry, it wasn’t at this level at their age. At 21, I was doing Second City in Chicago, and then I got my first gig in New York. When I went to New York for the first time for a gig, I was lost. I didn’t really know too many people. The people that I did know had way more money than me. I’d be hanging out a lot, and before I know it, I’m out till 7, 8 a.m. every day in New York. And I thought, Well, this ain’t going to get it done for me. So again, it goes back to being impressed with this group and how professional they were, which was awesome.

Amid all this excitement, are you noticing the kinds of offers you’re getting changing?

When Fargo came out, I remember we were doing the Golden Globes rounds, the Critics Choice Awards, going to all these events—it was interesting to see the amount of folks that would come up to you and go, “Oh my God, Fargo, I love it. Hey, we got to talk. Have your manager do this.” You’d see the shuffling of business and potential gigs, and you get more scripts, you get more opportunities to read for things. I just want to keep down that path of doing good work.

You’re going to do Spider-Noir next, right, with Nicolas Cage?

Yeah, I shot a couple days on that already. I can’t tell you anything. [Laughs] Other than it’s fucking incredible. That’s all I can say is that it’s incredible, and the fans are really going to get a kick out of it, for sure.

Have you seen Nick yet?

I have. I ran into him in a wardrobe fitting. I just said to myself, Gosh, I hope he is as Nick Cage as I imagine he is. And he comes out and he goes, “Oh my God, is this my new best friend?” And he gives me a big hug, and he’s wearing this multicolored velour tracksuit that was so Nick Cage. But also I was like, “Where can I get one?” [Laughs] I can actually tell you a story about him.

Please.

After that meeting, I got the call about the Emmy nomination, and I’m super excited, and I’m also prepping for [hosting] Kimmel and I had a few live shows that I was supposed to do around town, and so I had all these things going through my head. My manager calls me and she’s like, “Hey, Nick Cage wants to have dinner with you.” And I went, “Oh my God. What?” I’m panicking. I heard he’s a cinephile and figure he’s going to want to talk cinema, and I’m trying to figure out what his favorite movies are. One of my buddies is obsessed with him, so I’m calling him and asking him all these questions about Nick Cage.

That day, when the dinner was supposed to happen, I get a call from Eric Andre. Eric Andre is a crazy person, and he goes, “Hey, man, doors open at 7:30. I will see you there.” I went, “See me where?” He said, “You said you’d do my show. You can’t bail on me.” And I’m like, “I’m not bailing. I just don’t remember agreeing to this.” Two months prior, I had agreed, but he had never confirmed. So now I’m freaking out because I’ve got to go push this dinner with Nick Cage. I’m asking my team, and they’re calling Sony, and it’s this whole thing. I finally make it work. They say Nick is okay with a late dinner.

I go do Eric’s show. Of course, it’s a fucking disaster. He makes me drink ghost pepper hot sauce, so my throat is burning, my lips are burning. He makes me chug a beer and a Red Bull, and he wants me to drink coffee and wine. Long story short, it was a fucking nightmare, and I’m rushing over to finally meet Nick, thinking to myself, He’s going to fire me. He’s going to have me replaced.

Oh my God.

I walk into the restaurant and I ask, “I’m here for a Nick Cage?” I don’t know how to ask that question. The lady looks at me and she goes, “Oh, right this way.” I get to the table and there are eight people sitting at a table, all wearing Nick Cage masks—my fucking manager, my assistant, my friends, my team of people, just all saying, “Surprise! Congratulations on the Emmy nomination!” I turned around and walked out. I was so pissed off. [Laughs] I’m sure I’ll get that dinner one day.

This interview has been edited and condensed.