Jeffrey Dean Morgan Reveals Manager Fired Him Before ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and ‘Supernatural’ Breakthrough

Jeffrey Dean Morgan has opened up about struggling to find acting work in his 30s, including being dropped by his longtime manager.

Speaking on Josh Horowitz’s “Happy Sad Confused” podcast on Aug. 10, Morgan said his manager told him he had “aged out” of the industry. At the time, he was in his mid-30s and had spent nearly 15 years trying to establish himself as an actor.

Morgan said he took construction jobs to pay the bills because he had no formal education and did not know what else to do. But shortly after losing his manager, he landed three major roles within about a week: John Winchester on “Supernatural,” Denny Duquette on “Grey’s Anatomy” and a role on “Weeds.”

Morgan said the roles changed his career, particularly his appearance as Denny on “Grey’s Anatomy.” His character became a fan favorite and a love interest for Katherine Heigl’s Izzie Stevens before dying following a stroke after a heart transplant.

At the same time, Morgan was appearing as John Winchester on “Supernatural,” a role he returned to several times during the show’s 15-season run.

Morgan recalled that both shows attracted large and largely different audiences. As “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Supernatural” aired at the same time, viewers began to recognize him as an actor capable of playing very different characters.

Now 60, Morgan said he was simply grateful to have steady work at the time. He described his role on “Grey’s Anatomy” as “lightning in a bottle” and said the success took him from being largely unknown to becoming a widely recognized actor.