Happy birthday to The Walking Dead‘s Jeffrey Dean Morgan! The star of many iconic movies and TV shows celebrates turning 54 today (April 22nd).
The American actor’s career goes back decades, with his filmography including over 70 screen credits. It’s fair to say, though, that he’s reached a whole other level of fame in the past 15 years or so. In 2005, he played the all-important part of John Winchester, father to Sam and Dean, in Supernatural. He appeared multiple times across The CW hit’s early years and returned for its 300th episode in 2019. From 2006-2009, Morgan likewise filled another memorable recurring role, this time as Denny Duquette on Grey’s Anatomy.
Also in 2009, the star’s turn as Edward Blake/the Comedian in Watchmen brought him a legion of new fans. He’d return to the superhero scene seven years later, too, when he worked with Zack Snyder again for a key cameo appearance as Thomas Wayne in 2016’s Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. In between, you may have seen him in the likes of The Losers, Jonah Hex and Red Dawn.
2016 proved to be a big year in Morgan’s career, too, as it was also when he made his unforgettable debut as Negan on The Walking Dead. Morgan was the only person who could have brought the larger-than-life comic book villain to life, and he made the most of making Rick Grimes’ existence a misery until he was defeated at the end of season 8. But Morgan stuck around, with seasons 9 and 10 exploring a fascinating redemption arc for the character.
We’ve yet to see the season 10 finale due to the lockdown holding it up, but he’s fully expected to make it out alive and survive into season 11. Morgan’s got a couple of new movies coming up, too – including Walkaway Joe and the Sam Raimi-produced horror Shrine.
Walking Dead fans, let us know your favorite Negan moments in the comments section below. And many happy returns, Jeffrey Dean Morgan!