Tracy Morgan: Why I Made My Big Return at the Emmys

A year after his accident, Morgan returned Sunday night to the stage.

ByABC News
September 21, 2015, 10:40 AM

— -- It was an ending to the Emmys people will be talking about for some time to come. One year after a serious car accident left him in a coma for eight days, Tracy Morgan walked onto the stage Sunday night, back where he belongs.

"I'm here, standing on my own two feet," Morgan said, following a standing ovation. Morgan suffered a traumatic brain injury from the June 2014 crash on the New Jersey Turnpike and has been fighting to get back to his old self ever since.

Shortly after the big moment, Morgan spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about how the return came to fruition.

"This was my publicist Lewis Kay's idea. He said, 'What you want to do is let Hollywood welcome you home,'" Morgan told the magazine. "And I loved that idea. I loved the idea of getting back with my community, the show business community. I loved it."

Morgan said it was the people in attendance at last night's Emmys -- the stars in the room, his friends -- that helped get him back in front of the camera.

"Speaking to people like Steve Martin and Lorne Michaels, people who were there, that meant a lot to me," Morgan said. "I've been really, really excited about doing this. I wasn't nervous...nervous is for people who can't wait until it's over. Excited is for people who can't wait for it to start. I couldn't wait for it to start."

PHOTO: Tracy Morgan onstage during the 67th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at Microsoft Theater, Sept. 20, 2015, in Los Angeles.
Tracy Morgan onstage during the 67th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at Microsoft Theater, Sept. 20, 2015, in Los Angeles.

The 46-year-old comedian also updated fans on his condition.

"I have my good days and I have my bad days," Morgan said. "Sometimes on my bad days, I get really frustrated. Sometimes, I lock myself away in a room until I calm down. Overall though, I feel blessed that I'm alive, and that's the bottom line," he added, fighting back tears. "I'm on my way back, and it's starting to hit me. I want you to see me smiling, not crying. But this is a big step for me. And I'm just thankful, I'm really thankful."