Few zombie franchises have been as successful as The Walking Dead. What began as a gritty comic became an iconic television show. Now, it’s a massive multimedia empire. There’s so much to love about the series, from its visual pizzaz to its plot, and a bit of something for everyone. But its greatest strength may be its characters. The show’s masterful writing turns everyone, even the most despicable villains, into fascinating figures.
Of all its antagonists, few have achieved the pop culture success of the Savior’s leader, Negan Smith. His dastardly ways and eventual change of heart captivated audiences, and most of his charm can be traced to his actor, Jeffrey Dean Morgan. But, like many actors, Morgan didn’t start with a single smash-hit role. Before assuming the guise of Negan, he had three near-simultaneous roles on very different shows. Believe it or not, the future face of Negan Smith was once a doctor, a monster hunter, and a mischievous husband.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Rise to Stardom
Jeffrey Dean Morgan is The Comedian in Zack Snyder’s Watchmen
Before pursuing acting, Morgan eyed a career in professional basketball.
In addition to acting, Morgan enjoys working on his 100-acre farm.
Morgan’s first role was “Sharkey” in Roger Corman’s Uncaged.
While his fame has only grown in recent years, the inimitable J. D. Morgan has been acting since 1991. He began in film, but most of his success has come from his television roles. In 1995, he made his television debut as Jack Hawkins in ABC’s short-lived search-and-rescue drama, Extreme. Like many actors, Morgan’s early roles were neither ground-breaking nor particularly important. But everyone starts somewhere, and these small jobs would lead to his eventual success.
Some of Morgan’s roles didn’t even have names. For his one-episode appearance on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in 2003, he was given the uninspiring moniker of “Undercover Agent #1.” He was billed simply as “Mike” for his brief inclusion in a 2003 Jag episode. His early film roles were slightly more notable. In 1996, he had a leading role as Jessy Tafero in the made-for-television film In the Blink of an Eye. He also enjoyed named parts in some direct-to-DVD movies. However, in the mid-2000s, Morgan’s fortunes changed forever.
The Three Roles That Made Morgan Famous
Jeffrey Dean Morgan Appeared on Grey’s Anatomy, Supernatural, and Weeds
Between 2005 and 2009, Jeffrey Morgan landed three simultaneous roles on some well-recognized shows. The first of these may be the least renowned, as he briefly played Judah Botwin, the doomed husband of Weeds’ protagonist. This short stint spanned just two episodes, but it quickly led to his next hit role. That same year, in 2005, Morgan joined the crew of Supernatural.
His stellar performance as the beloved Winchester twins’ father, John, spanned two years, and he returned in 2019 to reprise the role in the show’s 300th episode. While he hasn’t returned since then, his portrayal informed the writing of the iconic show’s spin-off, The Winchesters. Finally, in 2006, Morgan gained widespread acclaim with his appearance on Grey’s Anatomy. In America’s longest-running medical drama, Morgan became the lovable Denny Duquette.
Despite suffering from congestive heart failure, his charismatic personality earned him plenty of fans. He even wooed Izzy Stevens, played by Katherine Heigl. Despite a successful, and characteristically dramatic, heart transplant, Duquette’s time on the show ended with a fatal post-surgical clot. His death traumatizes the young trainees and leaves Stevens reeling. Fortunately for fans, he didn’t disappear forever; he literally haunted the narrative. He continued appearing as an apparition until 2009, when his character finally left the show.
10 years after his debut on Grey’s Anatomy, Morgan’s fame would skyrocket with his stellar performance in The Walking Dead. His iconic presence and talent served him well, and he quickly gained increasingly notable roles. Now, Morgan enjoys plenty of attention from fans of The Boys and Netflix’s Invincible. In 2023, he even returned to his landmark role with The Walking Dead: Dead City.
