There are very few artists that work as much as Jeffrey Dean Morgan does. When reviewing his career, it's mind-blowing to see how many amazing projects he has been involved in. And how incredibly successful they were. From Supernatural to The Walking Dead, to Grey's Anatomy and then playing Joe DeMaggio, Jeffrey proved time and time again his talent and versatility.
There are many interesting things to learn about the different moments of his career. Why he chose certain projects, why he left others, what motivated him to work with certain people, and why he got into acting in the first place. All of that will be answered in this article.
10 How He Joined 'The Walking Dead'
One of the many important projects Jeffrey Dean Morgan is a part of is The Walking Dead, a show he was very much a fan of before he incorporated into the cast. So, surely it was exciting news when he was told he had the chance to be in the show. Apparently, he already knew the character he was going to play before they even announced him. He had read The Walking Dead comics and he'd loved Negan, so when his agent told him there was an audition for a new villain, he immediately knew who that was and jumped at the chance. Needless to say, he did great.
9 How He Became An Actor
While Jeffrey was always interested in art and had done acting projects during his childhood and youth, he wasn't planning on becoming an actor. Luckily for his fans, he found soon enough that that was his calling.
"I had no intention of being an actor ever," he stated. "I was an artist—I fancied myself an artist—I sold paintings at bars to pay my rent. And then four years later, I moved to Los Angeles and met a casting director named Eliza (Roberts) and went from there. Then I spent 20 years struggling, trying to figure out how the f*ck I was going to make a living and feed my dog. And now we’re doing okay."
8 He Had Never Watched 'The Good Wife' Before He Joined The Cast
When Jeffrey got the offer to be part of the show The Good Wife, he liked the description of his character, but he didn't really know what the show was about.
"I got a call one day from my agent who just said, 'You've been offered something on The Good Wife and (the creators) would like to speak to you,'" he explained. "I had never watched The Good Wife before, believe it or not. I had heard it was a great show and I've known Julianna for a while but I'd never seen it. So I got on the phone with them and they told me what they were thinking of as far as the character."
After the call, he watched some of the episodes and fell in love with the show, so after a couple of days he called the creators back and accepted the offer.
7 He Was Frustrated With The Finale Of 'The Good Wife'
The Good Wife was a very long series that aired from 2009 to 2016, and Jeffrey joined for the last two years of the show. His character became pretty important for the plot, and while he loved the production, he was not satisfied with the ending.
"I didn’t like it. But it’s not my show, you know what I mean? If Julianna was happy, then I was happy," he said, nonetheless. "My feeling was we raised so many questions about Jason and this relationship that he had with Alicia that I felt like nothing was ever answered, you know? So I walked away frustrated for my character and Alicia’s character in not having any kind of closure with that."
6 His Very First Performance
When asked about his first acting role ever, Jeffrey told, half-joking, the story of a fairy tale school play that he starred in third grade. While that was not a serious production, he told the story because it sparked something in him. He was clearly already talented when he was just a kid. However, he joined his first real project because of a friend of his, Twilight actor Billy Burke. He got him a gig as an extra for a movie he was doing in Seattle. He didn't share the name of the movie, but it was an important moment for him.
5 Why He Left 'Supernatural'
Supernatural was Jeffrey's breakthrough, and it brought him international fame. His role as John Winchester was iconic, and Supernatural fans felt his absence when he left in 2007. There were speculations back then about the reason why he left the show, but there were no fights or problems between him and the cast or the crew. It was simply bad timing. After the show, Jeffrey's career really took off and he had many offers and new responsibilities, so he couldn't dedicate himself completely to Supernatural. However, everyone in the show stayed friends.
4 Why He Returned To 'Supernatural'
Over ten years after his last appearance in Supernatural, Jeffrey joined the thirteenth episode of the fourteenth season, which was special because it was the 300th episode in total. It was important for the plot of the episode to bring John Winchester back, so he reprised the character. Jeffrey had said on many occasions that he would always be open to going back to the series, but he wasn't sure if a return would fit in the story. He was more than happy to hear that his character would finally have closure.
3 He Didn't Want To Leave 'Grey's Anatomy'
Grey's Anatomy fans will remember vividly the tragic fate of Jeffrey's character Denny Duquette. And, surprisingly, despite knowing what was coming, Jeffrey was just as heartbroken as the viewers. He even tried to convince the creator, Shonda Rhimes, to change the story, but it couldn't be done.
"I had no idea what it would be like," Jeffrey admitted. "How attached I would get. To Denny and everyone there. It is such a great show, such a great group of people. It was the only time in my career when I didn’t mind getting up at 5:30 in the morning, didn’t mind the 16-hour days. I couldn’t believe it. So … yes, I fought to stay."
2 He Didn't Particularly Like 'Extant,' But He Couldn't Say No To Spielberg And Halle Berry
When Jeffrey received the offer to join the Extant cast, he wasn't that excited. He had never watched the show, and while he liked the character, his schedule was already too busy. However, when he was approached by Steven Spielberg, who was the executive producer, and Halle Berry, who starred in the series, he just couldn't deny them.
"I liked the character, but that being said, it was really the two of them. I didn’t want to do a TV series, and I didn’t want to do a network TV series. But when you’re dealing with the likes of Spielberg and Halle, it’s hard to say no," he said. "How many opportunities in life do you have to go and do that?" He added. And he had a point.
1 He Accepted A Role As Joe DeMaggio After Watching A Marilyn Monroe Documentary
Jeffrey was already working too much when he had the opportunity to star in The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe as Marilyn's longtime partner Joe DeMaggio. While the script was good, it was learning about the real story that convinced him to do the movie.
"I watched a documentary with Joe and Marilyn. I was so fascinated with this couple that had such a tumultuous relationship and yet, they were supposed to be remarried on the day that she died. He never married again. He visited her grave every single day for the rest of his life. Watching that documentary made me say yes to doing the movie because I was so fascinated with that love. They couldn’t hardly be in the same room together, but they couldn’t be apart," Jeffrey explained.