Original SNL Player Garrett Morris on His 40-Year Cocaine Addiction and Surviving a 1994 Gunshot Wound (Exclusive)

Garrett Morris has had quite the Hollywood ride.

In 1975, he was chosen as one of the original players Saturday night live, becoming the first Black member of the cast – although he was originally hired as a writer.

“Some of the producers didn’t want a black cast member, but Lorne Michaels knew the show needed one,” Morris, who just received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on his 87th birthday, tells PEOPLE. “I dealt with some racism there, but never with Lorne. He doesn’t have a racist bone in his body.”

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Morris says he was also heavily addicted to cocaine during his five-year stint on the show – much like his co-star John Belushi.

“We’ve lost one of the greatest talents in the country,” Morris says of his former colleague’s untimely death. “But John and I never really partied together. I was more introverted, after the show was over, usually everyone would go to the bar, but I’d just go home. I’m not sure the cocaine helped being introverted.”

Garrett Morris and John Belushi on ‘Saturday Night Live’.

NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

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His addiction didn’t end after he left the show in 1980, and Morris went on to play memorable roles in shows like the jeffersons, Martin, The The Jamie Foxx Showand 2 broke girls. It was only 10 years ago that he finally got completely sober and stopped using drugs.

“I went to Alcoholics Anonymous,” he explains. “And they give you a sponsor. And that guy calls you all day, but it works. Within six months to a year, I felt like I could stay sober forever.”

Besides his cocaine addiction, Morris went through other difficult times during his showbiz career. Early on, when he was in his 20s and singing with the Harry Belafonte Folk Singers, he says there were times when he wasn’t allowed to stay in the same hotel as the White singers.

“Black people had to go to the black part of town to find a hotel there,” he recalls.

Once in LA, when he was supposed to sing at the Greek Theater with Harry Belafonte, he was arrested for WWB. “Walking while Black,” he says of the acronym.

He says racism was a common theme during his tenure in Hollywood, though it wasn’t as overt as when he was growing up in segregated New Orleans.

“I thought Hollywood would be progressive,” he says naively, noting that the racism he encountered in New York and Hollywood was “hidden.”

“I was surprised,” he adds.

Garrett Morris in July 2019.

Jon Kopaloff/Getty

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In 1994, Morris also survived a shooting. “I ran the New York City Marathon in 1993,” he says, before saying he accidentally got caught in an attempted robbery while going to the store to get juice the following year.

Two of them asked him for money, and Morris says he always had problems with his mouth running. “I said, ‘Oh, somebody’s looking for a fight,’ but then the guy shot me. It bounced off my lumbar spine. That’s the only reason I survived. The doctors told me I might not walk or run again,” he said. he recalls.

Morris recovered, although now, at 87, he says he now needs a walker to get around, but that’s mostly due to arthritis.

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Garrett Morris on ‘Saturday Night Live’ with Shelley Duvall.

Now he is looking forward to the upcoming one Saturday night live movie in 1975, directed by Jason Reitman. It was just announced that New girl star Lamorne Morris (no relation) will play young Garrett.

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“Michael B. Jordan could play me,” Morris joked before the casting news was announced.

50 years after he became famous SNLMorris says he’s just grateful for everything and hopes to tell his full story in an autobiography.

“I’m working on it now,” he says, adding, “There’s still a lot to talk about!”

For more on Garrett Morris, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribe here.

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