“I’m expendable, that I didn’t have the talent”: The Walking Dead Star Jeffrey Dean Morgan Made His Manager Eat Her Own Words After She Dumped Him for Being Too Old

Before becoming a big star, Jeffrey Dean Morgan was told by his former manager that he wouldn’t succeed in the industry.

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SUMMARY

  • Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s journey to stardom has been a challenging one.
  • The actor auditioned for multiple roles for that one big break which eluded him for many years.
  • These failures made his manager also dump him as she believed he didn’t have the skills to succeed.
  • But Morgan continued to work hard and never gave up on his dreams before finally entering the big leagues.
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The saying ‘success comes to those who wait’ is relevant for many celebrities in Hollywood who have ridden the wave of failure to achieve stardom. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is an actor whose career followed a similar path. While the star was the toast of the town on television in the 2000s with shows like The Walking Dead and Supernatural to his credit, his journey to the big leagues wasn’t easy.

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Jeffrey dean Morgan
Hollywood star Jeffrey Dean Morgan (image credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Despite entering the industry in the 90s, Morgan spent many years auditioning for that one big break which eluded him constantly. Even when his manager who no longer believed in his talents dumped him, the charismatic star proved that perseverance always pays rich dividends by proving her totally wrong.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan Gave A Fitting Reply To His Former Agent Through His Success

Being a celebrity in Hollywood is no bed of roses, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan knows this more than anyone else. The actor who is an instantly recognizable face for his marquee roles in Supernatural, The Walking Dead, and Grey’s Anatomy, has been a constant presence in the industry for many years.

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Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Jeffrey Dean Morgan in The Walking Dead (image credit: AMC)

While he was seen in many small and supporting roles in the 90s, Morgan was still struggling for that one big break that would open up bigger opportunities for him in Hollywood. This led to a period where the star auditioned for a number of roles but failed to bag any of them.

The challenging period further augmented when his manager at the time washed her hands off the responsibility and left him with scathing words that Morgan continued to remember for many years. In a 2015 interview with Moves, the Supernatural star elaborated on his agent’s opinion of his future, and how it galvanized him to work even harder.

“I’m expendable, that I’m too old, whatever it was, that I didn’t have the talent. It was crushing. But I remember thinking, ‘I’ve got no other option, here. What the? I can’t give this up now.'”

As it turned out, Morgan signed on with a new manager and succeeded through his steadfast determination, and eventually became a hugely popular star in films with roles in Watchmen, PS, I Love You, and Rampage, apart from his blockbuster television shows.

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Jeffrey Dean Morgan Almost Gave Up On His Acting Career After This Role

While everyone knows Jeffrey Dean Morgan for his roles in Supernatural and The Walking Dead, the actor also featured in the 63rd episode of Star Trek: Enterprise titled Carpenter Street. Though he is no stranger to long and strenuous hours on set following his gig on Supernatural, the Heist star was not prepared for the physical effort that was required for his appearance in the space saga.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Jeffrey Dean Morgan in Star Trek: Enterprise (image credit: Paramount Network)

Morgan, who played a Xindi-Reptilian named Damron who was part of a group seeking to wipe out the human race, discovered that this character was no small feat. The role which required lengthy hours in the makeup chair, also proved to be extremely tough in terms of handling the various physical requirements.

In addition, Morgan was also under pressure to make a name for himself as an actor while trying to make ends meet during a difficult period in his career. The star confessed to Entertainment Weekly that his vulnerable emotional state almost made him give up.

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“I had to pay my bills. I knew I’d play some guy saying some stuff. Then I got a call saying I needed to go in for a prosthetic fitting. I remember them dripping goop on my face, and I had straws sticking out of my nose. I couldn’t eat lunch. I was claustrophobic. I’d go home in tears. This was the job that made me want to quit acting.”

Despites the hardships he faced during the show, Morgan persisted with his dreams and went on to gain a lot of success in his future projects.

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Written by Sharanya Sankar

Articles Published: 1053

Sharanya Sankar, Writer for Fandomwire
Having completed her Masters degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, Sharanya has a solid foundation in writing which is also one of her passions. She has worked previously with Book My show for a couple of years where she gained experience reviewing films and writing feature articles. Sharanya’s articles on film and pop culture have also been published on Film Companion, a popular film-based website. Apart from movies and pop culture, her interests include music and sports. She has contributed over 650 articles to Fandomwire so far.