Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Challenging Journey in Hollywood

Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s early experience acting in “Star Trek: Enterprise” almost led him to quit the industry. Before gaining fame through roles in “Supernatural” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” Morgan played a Xindi alien named Damron on the sci-fi series. This role involved extensive prosthetics, causing him severe claustrophobia.

“I hated it so much,” Morgan expressed on Josh Horowitz’s “Happy Sad Confused” podcast. The actor described it as an experience he’d prefer to forget, often waking up in a sweat from the memory. He sometimes spent up to 14 hours a day in makeup, making eating difficult.

“I was so claustrophobic,” he admitted.

During that period, his career was uncertain. Moving towards his mid-30s, Morgan had been making ends meet through guest roles and side jobs like building fences. Despite these challenges, when considering leaving the industry, he faced another dilemma: “What am I going to do?” He had no backup career and felt acting was not working out. Even his manager had dropped him with the claim he had “aged out” of Hollywood.

However, Morgan’s fortune changed around age 38. He landed significant roles on “Supernatural,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “Weeds” all at once. This marked a turning point after years of struggling.

Currently, Morgan stars as Negan in “The Walking Dead: Dead City” alongside Lauren Cohan’s Maggie. The series premiered on July 26, and he is also an executive producer.

Christina Dugan Ramirez, a journalist with over 15 years in the entertainment industry, contributed to this story. She joined Fox News Digital in 2024 after a long tenure at PEOPLE.