In case he hasn’t yet made it clear: Tracy Morgan really hasn’t forgotten about his Brooklyn roots.
“The Last O.G.” actor spent Thursday afternoon in Bed-Stuy unveiling a revamped community garden and packing bags of apples to be donated to local residents. It’s the third community refurbishment project he’s worked on in his home borough in the past 12 months.
“If I could, I’d paint it all in gold, the whole Brooklyn,” Morgan said. “I love these people here. There’s a certain breed here, man.”
Morgan, 50, partnered with nonprofits GrowNYC, Feeding America and City Harvest to unveil the improved Hattie Carthan Community Garden, which now has a “Last O.G.” mural, seating areas, and more than two dozen new garden beds full of lettuce, arugula, tomato and pepper plants.
“Come out, you want to go grocery shopping? Go to Hatties!” Morgan said. “Look, look around, we’re outdoors. We’re here.”
Joined by his wife, Megan Wollover, and 5-year-old daughter, Maven Sonae, the comedian slipped on an apron and helped pack bags of apples to be distributed to the Masbia of Boro Park food pantry by food rescue organization City Harvest.
“Whoever gets this bag, tell ’em my daughter gave it to them,” Morgan proclaimed to the more than 60 locals who gathered in the garden.
“That’s my daughter,” he said before turning to Maven. “You have to give back to the people. I love you so much and I’m glad you want to do good.”
The actor’s latest community outreach effort comes nearly a year after he returned to the Bed-Stuy Marcy Houses where he grew up to reveal a $215,000 makeover to the basketball courts “where he used to play ball” last April. Not long thereafter, he did the same to Gowanus Playground. All efforts, including Thursdays garden project, were arranged and funded in partnership with TBS, in tandem with the return of his newest series “The Last O.G.”
City Harvest’s Director of Volunteer Services Erin Butler said just about a week prior "the beds weren’t cured, the vegetables weren’t planted … You wouldn’t even believe the work that’s been done thanks to the help of TBS and Tracy."
The garden project was largely inspired by the comedy’s second season arc, which sees Morgan’s character venture out into the food-truck business. The storyline inspired Morgan and TBS to work to bring fresh, affordable food options to the neighborhood of Bed-Stuy.
It’s all about the “food. F-o-o-d,” Morgan said before asking his wife, “did I spell it right?”
“The O.G. might come here in season 3 and pick some fresh veggies. This is where he’s gonna come do his grocery shopping,” he added.
The comedian — who suffered a serious brain injury stemming from the 2014 Walmart truck crash that sent him into a coma — returned to TV last April with the Brooklyn-set series, which filmed in his old neighborhood. In the series, he plays Tray, an ex-con who struggles to find his footing after returning to a gentrified Brooklyn after 15 years in prison.
Morgan said the plot, though fictional and humorous, loosely connects back to his own feelings of returning to his Brooklyn home to find a changing borough.
The “Saturday Night Live” alum and holder of the sacred key to Brooklyn (presented to him in November) has been vocal about his desire to reconnect with his roots after suffering memory loss.
“The Last O.G.” returns to TBS next Tuesday, with Morgan, Tiffany Haddish and Allen Maldonado.
