Nearly 20 years after appearing as heart transplant patient Denny Duquette, who captivated audiences around the world with his romance with Dr. Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl), actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan has opened up about that turning point in his career.
In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Morgan – now best known for his role as Negan on The Walking Dead – credits Grey’s Anatomy for launching the entire acting career he’s dreamed of.
“That show honestly gave me a career,” Morgan said. “I was doing Grey’s Anatomy, Weeds, and Supernatural… But after Denny, I never had to audition again.”
When he was cast as Denny, Jeffrey Dean Morgan was in his 40s and had spent years “rolling around” in small supporting roles or short-lived television series. But it took just one role – and not a very long screen time – to change everything.
“I had been in Hollywood for a long time, but almost no one knew who I was. And my whole career started off with that character,” he says.
From Grey’s Anatomy, Morgan landed bigger roles in both television and film. He credits his role in the 2007 romance P.S. I Love You as a direct result of Denny Duquette’s influence. And interestingly, director Zack Snyder – who cast Morgan as The Comedian in Watchmen – was also impressed by his performance in Grey’s Anatomy.
“Zack Snyder told me he cast me in Watchmen because he saw me as Denny. I joked, ‘It’s weird to look at Denny and think, ‘This is the nihilistic Comedian!’”
Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s story is a testament to a common Hollywood truth: the right role at the right time can open doors. After years of patience and persistence, Grey’s Anatomy gave him the platform and opportunity to break into the ranks of sought-after actors – and the rest, as they say, is history.
