Happy Birthday, Jeffrey Dean Morgan
‘You’re my heaven, but maybe I’m your hell.’
Any fan of Greys Anatomy can tell you not only what character recited that phrase, but in what episode in which season during what specific conversation. It’s an iconic line from the series from an iconic member of the cast.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan played Denny Duquette like he was meant to take on the role. He stole our hearts as the cardiac patient who also stole the heart of intern Izzie Stevens. Their love story was short-lived, less than they both deserved, but it was important.
The word important feels like an understatement for his contribution to the series, and it’s not just exclusive to Greys Anatomy. Any film or TV show Jeffrey works on is made more memorable with what he brings to the table.
Jeffrey has been everything from your Denny to your John Winchester to your Jason Crouse. Right now, he’s all of our Negan. He’s the bat-wielding, smack talking, brutal – yet charismatic villain on The Walking Dead. He stole our hearts again with this role.
We are especially appreciating him now, after the season 8 finale and everything that led to it. He’s evil. It’s his thing, but he’s got a heart somewhere underneath that ruggedly handsome and totally bad guy exterior. While some have yet to see that side of him, Carl did. In terms of importance on The Walking Dead, that means a lot.
It’s Jeffrey’s heart that shines through whatever role he takes on. A heart that we’ve been lucky enough to get to know over the last couple of years. If you’re smitten by him on screen, you’ve only seen a fraction of what he’s capable of.
It’s the moments he takes with his fans, looking at them like they’re the only person in the room. It’s the way he takes on the responsibility of being a man who has encouraged his fans to keep pushing when times got hard or to become better versions of themselves. He treats his fans like old friends. He’s happy to see them succeed in whatever capacity it happens.
He’s a light in a room, an incredibly bright one. You can’t help but smile when you see him. It’s a contagious thing. He laughs and the room laughs. He smiles and everyone lights up.
He’s an idol worthy of the title, though he wouldn’t call himself one. He’s a family man, an incredible father, a lover of animals (especially his dogs and Paxton), a friend, and someone dedicated to his craft.
So on his birthday, we’re sending him all of our love. After the start of a very busy year, we hope he gets to enjoy his downtime with his family and friends today.
So here’s to you Jeffrey, Happy Birthday!
‘…but I knew him’
