Jeffrey Dean Morgan is opening up about a difficult period in his career when he nearly walked away from acting altogether. The actor, best known for playing Negan on “The Walking Dead,” was in his mid-30s and struggling to find his place in the entertainment industry before landing a trio of roles that helped turn his career around.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan began his professional acting career in the early ’90s, but he struggled to find his footing in the industry for more than a decade before having stable success. For years, Morgan juggled minor guest roles on TV shows and movies with side hustles just to make ends meet.
It came to a point when he was fired by his longtime manager, as she figured he was past his prime in the competitive industry. In his mid-30s, Morgan contemplated quitting. “My manager had just fired me right before I got the three shows. I’d been with her forever. And she was like, ‘You’ve aged out, bro. You missed your window’,” Morgan shared on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast.
The actor said he shot some pilot episodes and had guest spots and small roles in “movies that people never heard of” before his career entered a new phase.
The Actor Nabbed Three Roles That Changed His Career
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To help make ends meet, Morgan did side jobs that “involved hammers,” saying that people always needed something built. “I would build fences or whatever,” he shared.
Soon after his manager left him, however, things turned around quickly. “I got ‘Supernatural,’ ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ and ‘Weeds’ all at the same time, like within a week of each other,” Morgan said.
The actor played the role of Judah Botwin in “Weeds,” and although his character was deceased from the beginning of the series, he appeared in flashback scenes and videos.
In “Supernatural,” he was cast in the recurring role of John Winchester, the father of the show’s central characters, Sam and Dean Winchester, played by Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, respectively.
Arguably one of his most beloved roles was Denny Duquette in “Grey’s Anatomy,” a charming heart transplant patient who developed a romantic relationship with intern Izzie Stevens, portrayed by Katherine Heigl.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Most Polarizing Character
More opportunities opened for Morgan in the years following, including appearing in films such as “P.S. I Love You,” “Watchmen,” “The Losers,” and “The Possession.” He also appeared in other TV shows, including “Magic City,” “Extant,” and “The Good Wife.”
In 2016, Morgan was introduced in the Season 6 finale of “The Walking Dead” as Negan Smith, arguably his most notable character. The barbed-wire-wrapped-bat-wielding villain caused chaos and became the show’s primary villain in the next two seasons. Later, however, the character transitioned into an ally.
While Negan was a polarizing character, his dark humor, charisma, and complex personality earned him a devoted fan base.
In 2023, several months after “The Walking Dead” series finale, “The Walking Dead: Dead City” aired, with Negan and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) as its protagonists.
The Actor Revealed The Most ‘Horrible’ Role He Played
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Morgan revealed in 2021 that one character he played made him question his acting career. In an appearance on “Hot Ones,” he detailed how “horrible” it was to play Damron, a Xindi-Reptilian featured in an episode of “Star Trek: Enterprise.”
What made it difficult for the actor was the prosthetics he had to wear, which made him realize he was claustrophobic, sharing that he had straws up his nose while getting his makeup done.
“I’ve never been on a set where I went home at night and just thought, ‘What am I doing? I’ve made the worst f-cking decision of my life. I don’t ever want to be an actor again.’ Like I was sure that this was just wrong, and it almost made me quit,” Morgan said, adding that he took the role to pay his bills.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan Has Multiple Projects Ongoing
Morgan continues to maintain a strong presence on TV. The third season of “The Walking Dead: Dead City” premiered in late July and remains a commercial success.
The actor also hosts “Destination X,” a reality competition series that he executive produces. The show was renewed for a second season, which will air sometime in 2027.
Morgan’s newest show, “Sterling Point,” debuted on August 5 on Amazon Prime Video.
