Jeffrey Dean Morgan candidly reveals how his role as Denny in Grey’s Anatomy changed the trajectory of his career. Morgan rose to prominence with his role in the medical drama. He joined the Grey’s Anatomy cast as Denny, a patient at Seattle Grace Hospital who had been diagnosed with viral cardiomyopathy, in season 2. Denny also appeared in seasons 3 and 5. But, with Morgan’s skyrocketing career and his Grey’s Anatomy character’s status, the actor soon moved on to other projects (like The Walking Dead).
While speaking with People, Morgan recounted his time on Grey’s Anatomy. Even though he only starred in 23 episodes (out of almost 450), the actor’s time on the popular show opened the door to a world of possibilities for him. He didn’t even have to audition for most of his parts. Based on his comments, Morgan might not have been offered the role of Negan (or any of his other famous characters) outright if it wasn’t for Grey’s Anatomy. Check out Morgan’s quote below.
“That show honestly gave me a career. I was doing that, Weeds and Supernatural simultaneously… I’ve auditioned zero times since playing Denny Duquette… I’d been kicking around Hollywood for a long time, but nobody certainly knew who I was. My whole career launched out of that character.”
What Playing Denny In Grey’s Anatomy Has Meant For Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Career
The Seemingly Small Role Helped Morgan Get To Where He Is Now
To this day, many still recognize Morgan for his role as Denny in Grey’s Anatomy. However, he has also starred in a variety of other popular projects that have made him a household name, the most obvious being The Walking Dead. As Morgan admitted, though, he likely wouldn’t be where he is today if it weren’t for Grey’s Anatomy.
Grey’s Anatomy wasn’t Morgan’s first TV show. He had been active in Hollywood since the early 1990s, and he didn’t start playing Denny until 2006. But once he appeared in the ABC medical drama, everything changed. According to the actor, the auditioning process became a thing of the past. As Morgan told The Hollywood Reporter, he was cast in P.S. I Love You and Watchmen because of Grey’s Anatomy. Then, a decade later, The Walking Dead offered Morgan the role of Negan, which has undoubtedly become the magnum opus of his career.
Our Take On The Impact That Grey’s Anatomy Had On Morgan’s Filmography
Would Morgan Be As Successful Without The ABC Series?
No one can deny that Morgan is a talented actor. If he weren’t, he wouldn’t have come this far in his career. So, even if Morgan hadn’t starred as Denny in Grey’s Anatomy, he would’ve likely found his big break somewhere else. But because he did, it’s clear that the medical drama has had a profound impact on Morgan’s success in Hollywood. The odds are that Morgan won’t reprise his role as Denny in future seasons of Grey’s Anatomy (for obvious reasons), but that won’t stop him from reflecting on his experience and attributing his accomplishments to the ABC show.
