SPOILER ALERT! This post contains details from Thursday’s episode of Ghosts.
Woodstone Mansion gets a special visit from a poltergeist on this week’s episode of CBS‘ Ghosts.
When a dentist from Philadelphia checked in for a stay at the bed and breakfast, he unknowingly brought along Saul, played by none other than Lamorne Morris, who told Deadline he’d been chomping at the bit to make an appearance on the CBS comedy.
“When the show came about, I would harass [stars Utkarsh Ambudkar and Rose McIver] regularly about being a part of it,” he said. “I was like, Listen, this doesn’t make sense that I’m not a part of the show. So in any given moment, I’m gonna come for you, and I’m gonna ask that I be a part of the show.’ It worked out.”
Morris’ ghost is a former baseball player from the Negro League who died after tragically being hit by a baseball during a game. He quickly hits it off with Alberta, and the pair spark a short-lived love affair. Or, so they thought it would be short-lived. When the dentist checks out, Saul reattaches himself to Jay [Ambudkar] so he can stick around Woodstone.
At first, this seems like a great idea. But everyone, including Alberta, quickly realizes that Saul poses more of an inconvenience than anything. By the end of the episode, they’ve decided to send Saul packing, and Jay travels to Philadelphia to drop him back off with that dentist — who, according to Saul, lives a much more well-traveled life than the gang at Woodstone.
Deadline spoke with Morris about getting the role, playing on set for the episode, and what show he’s itching to guest star in next.
DEADLINE: So when they finally approached you about being in the show, did they have a character already in mind?
LAMORNE MORRIS: Yeah, it was with the character. So Utkarsh and Rose were posting season three is a go. We’re going to be doing the season…so I commented, I think I said something like, ‘No, I don’t want to be a part of your show. Thanks for asking.’ Then the showrunners decided to reach out [to Utkarsh] and they were like, ‘Oh, does Lamorne really want to be a part of the show?’ Utkarsh called me was like, ‘Hey, man, do you really want to be a part of the show?; I was like, ‘Absolutely. What the f*ck took you so long to ask me?’ It’s such a funny show, and I love all the characters and all the actors on the show. All the guest stars are great. I thought it’d be fun to come in and play around a little bit, and when they presented the character to me, I was like, ‘Oh, this is perfect.’
DEADLINE: Knowing you have a great relationship with Utkarsh makes this episode even funnier, because Saul being attached to Jay just makes Jay so mad. What was it like to get back on set with him?
MORRIS: He’s amazing. He’s one of the greatest performers I’ve ever worked with, because he’s got this very natural ability to him, that you see him working, you never feel like he’s quote-unquote acting. He always just kind of seamlessly blends right into the character. It’s hard to explain. He’s one of the funniest people I’ve ever worked with and just naturally gifted, talented.
So working with him was was was great, to bring that back from our Barbershop days…where him and I were just f*cking around a lot on set and being weird and doing bits. Apparently, that’s what the cast says that he’s like that at work. I was a fish out of water a little bit, but they were like ‘Oh, yeah, we’re used to this by now.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, I forgot that’s how he is.’
DEADLINE: We know a little about Saul’s backstory, but did you make up anything else for him that helped you get into character?
MORRIS: Well, I just started doing research on old Negro League baseball players and looking into what some of them did for a living outside of play baseball, and a lot of them are tradesmen, like plumbers. A lot of them did regular jobs. So my character was a plumber in my mind, who happen to be able to play baseball really well. They gave me a lot of information already on the how he died, where he’s from, the team he played for, where I used to hang out, where I partied, the club that we used to go to. All that stuff was given.
They did a pretty good job of setting the table for me, because it was such a short turnaround as well. When I got the offer for it was days before I had to be in Atlanta to film the SNL movie. That’s where I currently am now. So…it was quick. So in moments like that, you hope that folks give you enough heads up to to prep. They didn’t have a lot of heads up, but they did give me all the information I needed to know, which was awesome.
DEADLINE: Are there any challenges with jumping into a show like Ghosts, which has such a big ensemble cast that’s really gotten into a groove with each other?
MORRIS: I wouldn’t say challenges. I look at going on a show like that like a vacation, because the pressure is not on me, it’s on them. I’m just coming in to be a bit disruptive and then leave. So the pressure is on them. So, for me, it’s be loose, be fun. Obviously communicate with everybody and let them see in rehearsals what you’re thinking. If they like it, then just go crazy. If they don’t like it, you’re out of there in a week anyway. So, it was no pressure for me, especially given that I have a solid relationship with Trent O’Donnell…I’ve never seen him upset. He’s literally the best. It’s hard, when you work with him, it gets annoying that you at some point have to not work with him, because you have to go and do a different job and you wish everyone was as mild as he is as far as temperament on set. He’s very encouraging. He’s very funny. He’s always pitching jokes. So I knew I was in good hands.
DEADLINE: You had most of your scenes with Danielle. What was it like working with her?
MORRIS: Oh, man, she’s the best. She’s the best. She’s so gifted and funny, and more importantly than that, she was encouraging. She just kept whispering, ‘Keep doing that. Keep doing stuff like that.’ Because she knows the show. She’s been on the show since day one. It’s her show. So she knows the tone and the temperature more than I do, so having her constantly set me up stuff, you could tell she wanted somebody to come in and win. That’s kind of how the whole cast was. They invited me out to dinner, and they were all just super nice. All those long days, they didn’t have to do that. They’re like ‘No, you’re leaving. Let’s go out. Let’s grab a drink. Let’s grab some food.’ We ended up at Hooters. So they spared no expense. But we had fun. She’s so dope. So beautiful. So funny. So talented. It was easy.
DEADLINE: Her comedic timing is so spot on.
MORRIS: Oh yeah. Her facial expressions to some of the sh*t I was giving her were great.
DEADLINE: So a lot of those reactions are improv?
MORRIS: Yeah, because you can rehearse for ages. But it’s going to change the moment you actually rehearse with the actor that’s cast opposite you. I know my lines. I know my objectives and what I want to accomplish with the scenes. But it’s our facial expressions [that] make you laugh, they make you change up what you’re gonna say based off of how she’s responding. So it’s not that everything you plan for goes out the window, but you now have become a unit, and it’s not about what you’re going to do. It’s about what the scene is.
DEADLINE: What’s the next show you want to guest star on?
MORRIS: So I just watched The Gentleman. I just finished it. It was so fun. I was addicted to it. You know, I’m sad Succession has gone and Billions has gone, because I always wanted to have an arc on a show like that for fun. But watching The Gentleman — I’ve always wanted to do an English show where I can still play an American but just be over there doing it. I already know my storyline. I’m not gonna tell you, because you haven’t seen it. I don’t want to spoil it for you. But I already have my storyline planned out. Have you met Giancarlo Esposito yet? Let’s just say I want to play a son. I’m part of the family business in some way, shape or form. That’s all I’m gonna say, but I that I’ve mapped out in my head already.