The charming and brutal actor Jeffrey Morgan sought recognition for many years, and became famous already in adulthood. The series "Supernatural" and "Grey's Anatomy" helped him in this. After a string of successful film jobs since 2016, Jeffrey will once again shine on television as the villainous Negan from the hit The Walking Dead franchise.
Biography: family and choice of life path
The full name of the actor is Jeffrey Dean Morgan. He was born on April 22, 1966 in Seattle, Washington. Geoffrey was the only child of Sandy and Richard Dean Morgan. His ancestors are mostly Scots. He graduated from Lake Washington High School in 1984 and attended Scagit Valley College.
Since childhood, Jeffrey dreamed of becoming a professional athlete, played football and basketball. He was the captain and star of the high school basketball team. In college, the talented guy also got a spot on the national team, but was left out of work when he seriously injured his knee. Then Jeffrey decided to study graphic design. He then founded his own design firm in Seattle and also successfully developed his artistic and literary talents.
A trip to a friend in Los Angeles changed his life forever. Morgan decided to stay in this city and went to acting classes. Soon he joined the crowd of aspiring actors roaming the castings in the hope of getting a job. A talented, charismatic guy was quickly noticed, and in the early 90s he got his first roles.
Way to success
In 1991, Jeffrey made his acting debut in Angel in Red. Then there were a couple of cameo roles in films that did not hit the box office, but were released directly for home viewing. However, the main work of Morgan for a long time remained serials. He was the hero of one or more episodes in popular television projects:
- Military Legal Service (1995);
- Sliders (1996);
- "In an Instant" (1996);
- Burning Zone (1996-1997);
- Tough Walker: Texas Justice (2000);
- Ambulance (2001);
- Angel (2002);
- "C. S. I.: crime scene”(2003).
For many years Jeffrey was waiting for his finest hour. At some point, even his manager and good friend stopped believing in the actor. He canceled his contract with Morgan just a day before he was offered the role of John Winchester - the father of the main characters of the series "Supernatural". Jeffrey played on the project for two seasons. This turned out to be enough for the audience to remember and love him, and the representatives of the film industry finally saw in him a serious acting potential.
Actor career
In 2006, Morgan successfully auditioned for the medical series Grey's Anatomy. He was cast in the role of Denny Duquette, the beloved heroine of Katherine Heigl, whom he meets as a patient in the cardiac surgery department. Throughout the second season, viewers followed with enthusiasm the development of their relationship, treatment and desperate struggle for Denny's life.
Another successful project of Morgan of that time - the series "Datura", where he played the husband of the main character in two episodes. It is noteworthy that in all three projects that made him popular, Jeffrey's characters died. But the actor himself, on the contrary, seemed to be born again and was ready to move on, conquering new heights of cinema.
In 2007 he was approved for a key role in the new series "Correspondent" from the creators of "Grey's Anatomy", but the project was postponed for a number of reasons. But Morgan began to receive interesting proposals from the world of cinema. In 2007, he played the small but important role of musician William Gallagher in the romantic melodrama P. S. I love you. " For the credibility of the on-screen image, Morgan learned to play the guitar in just a week under the guidance of singer Nancy Wilson. His co-star was two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank. They met for the second time in 2011 on the set of the thriller "The Trap", where Jeffrey appeared in the guise of a maniac possessed by the heroine Swank.
In 2008, he landed the lead role in the drama Days of Anger. And although the film was coolly received by critics and audiences, Morgan's work deserved high marks. The director Zack Snyder, who was looking for actors in his new project "Keepers", an adaptation of the comics of the same name, drew attention to him. He approved Jeffrey for the role of the Comedian - a crime fighter and protector of people, fanatically devoted to his mission. By the way, the immersion into the world of superheroes did not end there for him. The Losers (2010) is another adaptation of the famous comic book series in which Morgan had the lead role. And most recently - in 2016 - he again starred with Snyder in the movie "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice", where he played the father of Bruce Wayne.
In addition to the films mentioned above, over the past decade, Jeffrey Morgan's acting baggage has accumulated many worthy works. These are memorable supporting roles in such films as Storming Woodstock (2009), Shanghai (2010), Elusive (2012), Peace, Love and Misunderstanding (2012). The actor also boasts an impressive list of leading roles in the following films:
- Fields (2011);
- Courier (2012);
- "Box of Damnation" (2012);
- Salvation (2014);
- Desert (2015);
- "Speed: Bus 657" (2015);
- Psychics (2015).
Having firmly established himself in the status of a movie star, Morgan does not forget about television. In 2012-2013, he was the central character of the series Magic City, which was closed after the second season. He also played Julianne Margulis's lover in the seventh season of The Good Wife (2015-2016). Finally, in 2016 Jeffrey's next high point on television came. As a special guest since the sixth season, he has been participating in the television adaptation of The Walking Dead comics. The actor managed to endow his hero - the ruthless and authoritarian Negan - with a special charm and make him a favorite of the audience. For this work, he received the Saturn Award for Best Guest Star in a Series.
Personal life
Masculine appearance, tall stature, natural charm guaranteed Geoffrey's love and attention of the female sex. The first time he married back in 1992, the actress Ana Longwell, known for the film "Death Becomes Her" (1992). The wedding took place in Las Vegas, but just a year later the couple parted ways. Morgan does not like to remember this marriage. According to some reports, despite the imminent separation, the official divorce from Anya took place only in 2003.
In 2004-2005, he had an affair with actress Sherri Rose. After parting, she gave birth to a son from Jeffrey, about whom he found out only four years later. However, he recognized the child and takes part in his upbringing. In 2007, on the set of the Datura series, Morgan met actress Mary-Louise Parker, who played his wife. A year later, the lovers got engaged, and a month later they unexpectedly broke off the engagement.
Since 2009, Jeffrey has been happy with actress Hilary Burton. In 2010, they had a son, August, and in February 2018, a daughter, Georgia Virginia. The couple formalized their relationship in 2014. As a family nest, the actors chose a house in Rainbeck, New York, where they even have a farm with pets. In his spare time, Jeffrey enjoys grilling, drawing, reading, watching movies and cheering for his favorite football team.
