'Emotionally I Was Completely Drained' Jeffrey Dean Morgan Revealed The Brutal Walking Dead Scene That Was Challenging To Film

Jeffrey Dean Morgan played his powerful villain Negan Smith on six seasons of The Walking Dead, but one scene was so violent that it was tough for him to film.

Although Morgan has said he might be almost finished playing Negan, fans have enjoyed watching him on the riveting spinoff The Walking Dead: Dead City. Hopefully the show will be renewed for a third season and the talented actor will continue to play the compelling character for at least a little while longer. Morgan's TV roster has always included gripping characters, from the mysterious John Winchester on Supernatural to the kind-hearted Denny Duquette on Grey's Anatomy. He's no stranger to horror movies, either, having starred in The Possession and the slasher Bloody Axe Wound, which didn't get much attention when it came out in December 2024. Since Negan is such a huge part of his career, Morgan often reflects on his time holding Lucille the bat and wrecking havoc, and the actor once shared a fascinating story about filming one episode.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan Revealed That Filming The Walking Dead Season 7 Premiere Was Tough

Jeffrey Dean Morgan shared with Interview Magazine in 2016 that filming The Walking Dead season 7, episode 1, "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be," was exhausting. He said:

Morgan continued that the cast filmed for 10 days and it was "heavy." He added:

Morgan was referring to the scene in The Walking Dead season 7 premiere when Negan tells Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) to cut Carl Grimes's (Chandler Riggs) arm off. Fans consider this an upsetting episode in general since it's so violent, and it's hard to forget this particular scene. As Morgan explained, Negan hurts so many beloved, likable, and kind characters, and it wasn't easy for the actor. It's no wonder that filming the first episode of this particularly sad season took such an emotional toll.

While Morgan has shared how much he appreciates his time on The Walking Dead and, of course, he's still portraying the character now, Morgan has been honest about the rough moments, too. The actor wasn't even sure that he would agree to the spinoff, but he liked the premise so much that he said yes.

Negan's actions in The Walking Dead season 7 still have ripple effects to this day. While Carl survives, there is more violence to come. His decision to kill beloved character Glenn Rhee (Steven Yeun) is on everyone's minds now that Negan and Glenn's wife Maggie Greene (Lauren Cohan) are on a unique journey together on Dead City. Considering this dramatic and devastating backstory, many fans wonder if Glenn could ever return. Even if that never happens, this history makes Negan's presence on the spinoff even more interesting since fans know he's such a complex and flawed character.

Besides hopefully playing Negan again in Dead City season 3, Morgan will play Joe Kessler/Billy Butcher again in The Boys season 5, which will wrap up the show. He also appeared alongside Jack Quaid in the crime thriller Neighborhood Watch, which was released on April 25th, 2025.