“He’s so earnest and kind and giving,” Gardner says of the “30 Rock” alum.

Heidi Gardner reveals how Tracy Morgan made her ‘comfortable’ on Reggie Dinkins set

"He's so earnest and kind and giving," Gardner says of the "30 Rock" alum.

By Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at **. He began writing for EW in 2022.

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April 13, 2026 11:00 a.m. ET

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Heidi Gardner on 'The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins'; Tracy Morgan on 'The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins'. Credit:

Scott Gries/NBC (2)

- Heidi Gardner says she "never had the guts" to have a "human conversation" with Morgan when he returned to *SNL* during her time there.

- The comedian says Morgan made her feel "comfortable" on the set of his sitcom *The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins*.

- Gardner also explains why her *Reggie Dinkins* character Tisha Basmati is "a freaking dream" role and compares sitcom acting to *SNL*.

It's always a little nerve-wracking for Heidi Gardner to share the screen with the *SNL* legends who came before her.

The comedian, who exited *Saturday Night Live* ahead of season 51 in September after eight seasons on the show, has remained in the orbit of NBC comedy thanks to her guest appearances on *The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins*, the sitcom executive produced by fellow Studio 8H alum Tina Fey and starring former *SNL* cast members Tracy Morgan and Bobby Moynihan.

Gardner tells ** that she'd crossed paths with Morgan before joining forces on *Reggie Dinkins*, but had never mustered the courage to talk to him.

"He had come through *SNL* a couple times, and anytime alumni come through, you are just in awe of them," Gardner says. "At least for me, I'm always a little bit more nervous with alumni, because it's like 'You are my north stars of comedy!' He was definitely one of them, so I'd never had the guts to just have a proper human conversation with him, because I didn't trust myself."

Heidi Gardner on 'The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins'.

Scott Gries/NBC

Gardner says that she gained further appreciation for the *30 Rock* star once she worked with him on *Reggie Dinkins*, which sees Morgan portray disgraced NFL veteran Reggie Dinkins as he attempts to rebuild his reputation.

"Getting to be on set with him for an extended period of time — you know, he's so Tracy Morgan," Gardner says, laughing. "He's so funny. You know, I was laughing, but then he's so earnest and kind and giving, too."

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On the show, Gardner plays Tisha Basmati, the loud-mouthed wife of Reggie's rival Jerry Basmati (Craig Robinson). The actress says that Morgan's enthusiasm on set helped her gain confidence in her performance choices.

"I felt really comfortable as my character because he was laughing and that meant a lot to me — to be doing well by him on his show," Gardner explains. "I was having fun, but when you get to the person that's kind of at the anchor of it all, and they're appreciating what you're doing, you're like, 'Oh, awesome!' You know that, 'Okay, I can keep going in this direction and serving the project.'"

Gardner says that over-the-top characters like Tisha are "a freaking dream" for a comedic actress. "It's everything I want in a character — I keep saying she's like 100 pounds of hair and like 500 pounds of accessories and gemstones and bags," she says. "So I can really transform into that character because there's just so much hanging off of me, which I love."

Heidi Gardner in North Hollywood, Calif., on June 2, 2025.

Todd Williamson/NBC via Getty

Tisha is inspired by a lifetime of observing larger-than-life characters in the orbit of professional football. "I've been watching the NFL since I was a little kid, and just following the people," Gardner explains. "So I do feel like through osmosis, it's just like this culture has gotten into my body from watching over the years. And I do think during my time at *SNL*, I played women in that world."

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The actress says that sitcom acting feels "a bit easier" than performing live on a sketch show like *SNL* — and that it's ideal when you're the type of performer who grows attached to their characters. "You get to live in the character longer on a sitcom," she says. "I think that's why people wanna do recurring characters on *SNL* — because you do this thing, it hits, and you fall in love with it. You're just like, 'Wait, I did good! I wanna do that more.'"

Gardner speaks of her time on *Reggie Dinkins* as a refreshing change of pace. "It's just like, 'Oh my God, I get to do this woman for more than three minutes!'" she says. "You know, just being in the trailer for a week straight, getting to put on her hair and put on her clothes. It's funny to say, but it really was an honor just to live as her."

Season 1 of NBC's *The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins* is streaming on Peacock.

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Source: “EW Comedy”