Before Negan, Jeffrey Dean Morgan Credits This Character for Giving Him a Career (& It's Not Supernatural)

Nowadays, Jeffrey Dean Morgan's most defining character is Negan from The Walking Dead. He made his debut halfway through the series and, after the show's finale, he received a spinoff show, The Walking Dead: Dead City.

However, before he began Negan, and even John Winchester on Supernatural, the actor credits a different show for changing his career. In a new interview with People, Jeffrey Dean Morgan credits his role as Denny Duquette from Grey's Anatomy as the show that gave him a career.

Although Jeffrey Dean Morgan joined the long-running medical drama shortly after his appearance in Supernatural, Grey's Anatomy's Denny made more of an impact. Looking back at his roles, Morgan noted none of his current roles, including Negan, could've happened without Grey's Anatomy.

"That show honestly gave me a career. I was doing that, Weeds and Supernatural simultaneously... I've auditioned zero times since playing Denny Duquette," the actor explained.

Morgan's role in Grey's Anatomy won over the hearts of the fans. He made his debut in Supernatural in 2005, but appeared in several episodes before switching over to Grey's Anatomy. In total, he played John Winchester in only 13 episodes, despite the character's long-lasting impact, and appeared in 23 episodes as Denny between 2006 and 2009. Denny was a heart patient and one of Izzy Stevens' (Katherine Heigl) love interests. The two fell in love and got engaged on his deathbed.

"I'd been kicking around Hollywood for a long time, but nobody certainly knew who I was," Morgan explained. "My whole career launched out of that character." He continued that he got a fan-favorite rom-com due to that show: 2007's P.S I Love You, the adaptation of Cecelia Ahern's beloved novel. "P.S. I Love You, I got because of that show." The rom-com also starred Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler in the leading roles.

The actor also attracted Zack Snyder's attention because of Denny. He collaborated with Snyder on 2009's Watchmen, and explained, "[Director] Zack Snyder told me that he cast me in Watchmen because he saw me as Denny. How you watch Denny and go, ‘Well, that's the nihilistic comedian right there,’ is beyond me."

Jeffrey Dean Morgan Looks Back on His Role as Denny Often

The actor might play one of the most defining villains on TV, Negan, but he hasn't forgotten that Shonda Rhimes, who created Grey's Anatomy, gave him his start. The actor revealed that he's reminded of his time on Grey's Anatomy often and that he will forever be thankful.

"I think about him a lot," Morgan told People. "Every now and again, I'll see something on social media, a scene or something, and I'm just like, 'F---.' I still wake up every day, and I say my little thank you to [creator] Shonda Rhimes. It was lightning in a bottle, and it gave me the opportunity to have a career."

While Morgan doesn't play Denny anymore on the long-running medical drama, he still plays Negan on The Walking Dead: Dead City. The Season 2 finale of The Walking Dead: Dead City premieres on June 22 on AMC and AMC+.