Jeffrey Dean Morgan Says Quentin Tarantino Passed Him Over for ‘Reservoir Dogs’ Role

Jeffrey Dean Morgan has revealed that he came close to landing a role in Quentin Tarantino’s 1992 debut film, “Reservoir Dogs,” only to lose the part when Tarantino decided to play it himself.

Speaking on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, Morgan said he auditioned for the role of Mr. Brown early in his career. He first read for casting director Ronnie Yeskel and was later invited to meet Tarantino.

Morgan recalled being impressed by Tarantino’s enthusiasm during the audition and believed he was about to get the part. He later received a call telling him he would play Mr. Brown, but that decision was eventually reversed.

“I got the call that I wasn’t going to be in it and it was Quentin doing it,” Morgan said. “I was just like, ‘Oh.’”

Tarantino ultimately played Mr. Brown, a small role in the crime film, alongside Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen and Steve Buscemi.

“Reservoir Dogs” became a major success in independent cinema and established Tarantino as a filmmaker. Morgan went on to build his own career, with notable roles on “Supernatural” and “Grey’s Anatomy” before becoming widely known as Negan in “The Walking Dead” universe.