Jeffrey Dean Morgan: Balancing Negan's Darkness With A Sweet Life On The Farm

For a decade now, Jeffrey Dean Morgan has been bringing the scary, yet sometimes likable, Negan to life on The Walking Dead and its many spin-offs. Most recently, he starred in The Walking Dead: Dead City. If you have seen any of his work, you know he can play a truly intense character. But what is really fun to think about is how different his real life is from the dark worlds he often acts in.

Just recently, Jeffrey flew to France for the premiere of the new season of The Walking Dead: Dead City. His wife, Hilarie Burton, joined him. TV fans probably remember her as Peyton Sawyer from One Tree Hill. Jeffrey mentioned how special it was to have his family there. "To have my family there made it even more special," he told Variety. His two children also came along. I can only imagine how exciting that must have been for them.

He even joked about his son. "I was convinced after day one that [my son] Gus was going to walk away with a multi-picture deal from Paramount, he was just so cool." It is clear he is a very proud dad. Seeing him talk about his family like this makes you realize that the actor behind Negan is really just a down-to-earth family man. It is a nice contrast.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Family Life: How He Met Hilarie Burton And Their Journey To Parenthood

From A Blind Date To Building A Farm And Raising Two Talented Kids

Jeffrey and Hilarie’s story of how they met is pretty sweet. They had a blind date on May 8, 2009. Mutual friends Jensen and Danneel Ackles set them up. Hilarie looked back on that important date in 2021. She posted on Instagram saying "twelve years ago today, @jensenackles and @danneelackles512 made me go on a blind date." She added that the "smokin hot @jeffreydeanmorgan showed up and it was game over." She celebrated their time together saying, "Here's to being crazy kids, living all over the country, giving birth to two doppelgängers, getting gray hair and still being totally inappropriate....together."

Less than a year after that successful first date, they welcomed their first child, son Augustus. He is now 15. He was born on March 14, 2010. They confirmed his birth later in an interview. Hilarie shared that they were "really happy, and we're a very good team." She said she wanted to protect them like a "mama wolf should." She did not even share his name or birthday at the time. I love that they kept things private in the early days.

Eight years later, their second child arrived. Their daughter, George Virginia, was born through a natural birth. Jeffrey even helped deliver her. "Hey y’all... baby gal morgan is spectacular. We just respecting her wishes for laying low a bit longer," Jeffrey wrote on X. "We super appreciate all the well wishes n stuff (sic). Thank you. Xojdhilgusandbabygal." He even joked about helping with the birth. "George started coming and the midwife moved aside. And I just went in and grabbed her by her little cheeks and had her out in 3 seconds," he told Jimmy Kimmel. He said he loved the name George and Hilarie did too. They thought it fit their "weird western theme" with Augustus’ name.

They waited a decade to actually walk down the aisle. On October 5, 2019, they had a small ceremony in upstate New York where they live. Hilarie wrote on social media that they had "lived as husband and wife for a decade. We've built a family, and a farm and found our community." She also clarified that previous reports of them already being married were not true. She explained that from the moment she met Jeffrey, he was her husband. Instead of making vows right away, they lived them for over ten years. She said it was bliss standing there with their children, celebrating everything they had built. She described it as private and magical. It is a really sweet way to build a life together.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Career and Other Ventures Beyond The Walking Dead

From On-Screen Collaborations With His Wife To Owning A Sweet Shop With Paul Rudd

Jeffrey and Hilarie even worked together on screen. In 2015, after six years together, Hilarie joined Jeffrey in his TV sci-fi series Extant, which starred Halle Berry. Then, in 2021, Hilarie made a memorable appearance on The Walking Dead. She played his character Negan's late wife, Lucille, in a flashback scene. It was a powerful moment that many fans appreciated. Seeing them act together, especially in such a personal role, was a treat.

Beyond acting, they also became business owners. They teamed up with long-time friend Paul Rudd and his wife Julie. The four bought Samuel's Sweet Shop, a local candy store in Rhinebeck, New York. They did this after the owner passed away. "We moved to upstate New York. The first guy I met in this town called Rhinebeck was this Ira, and he owned this candy store," Jeffrey shared with fans. "He passed away a couple years ago, and Paul and I had been friends for a while and we just didn't want it to turn into a smoothie stand or something. It had been there since the early '90s, so we were like, 'Yeah, let's pool our money together and get a candy store,' so now we're the proud owners of Samuel's Sweet Shop." I love that they stepped in to save a local landmark. It shows a real connection to their community.

They are raising their children in Rhinebeck. In 2018, they bought Mischief Farm, a 100-acre working farm. It is home to many animals. This includes Jack and Diane, a donkey and an emu famous on the internet. They were both abandoned by the same owners and formed a close bond. This meant they had to be adopted together. Jennifer Gordon, executive director of Carolina Waterfowl Rescue, said that Jack and Diane have a very nice paddock with lots of green grass. She also mentioned that Jeffrey was building them a new heated enclosure, even though the one they had was already good. "They will be spoiled," she said. It sounds like they are very caring animal owners.

"I think Diane sees Jack as a mate since she ‘drums’ for him,” Jennifer told People, talking about the emu mating call. "When we separated them trying to load Jack into the trailer, she was frantic. She was drumming for him, and that’s a way that emus call to their mates. Jack is very protective of her." It is a really sweet story about an unusual friendship. It is easy to see why they found a home on Jeffrey and Hilarie's farm.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Latest Movie And Future Projects Beyond The Walking Dead Universe

Exploring His Role In 'Neighborhood Watch' And What Else He Might Be Doing Next

Jeffrey Dean Morgan has been busy with new projects. Film fans in Alabama have been looking forward to "Neighborhood Watch," a crime thriller he stars in with Jack Quaid. The movie was previously called "Nowhere Men." It was filmed at several places in Birmingham in the fall of 2023. People in the Crestwood neighborhood were talking about it when trucks and crew members were there for several days that November. They were shooting scenes at a house on Eighth Terrace South. Now, about 18 months later, "Neighborhood Watch" is out on streaming services and in some theaters. Birmingham’s Sidewalk Cinema had a screening on April 25, when it was released.

The movie is about a mentally ill young man who thinks he sees an abduction. The police do not believe him. So, he reluctantly asks his next-door neighbor, a grumpy, retired security guard, to help him find the missing woman. Jack Quaid, who is 33, and known for his main role on Amazon’s superhero series "The Boys," plays the young man. Morgan, who is 59, and famous from AMC’s "Walking Dead" shows, plays the security guard. Both stars were seen by fans during filming, though the production mostly kept a low profile. Malin Akerman from "Watchmen" was also in the cast. Many background actors from Alabama also took part.

Jack Quaid was very positive about working with Jeffrey Dean Morgan. He said on Instagram that "Jeffrey Dean Morgan is a national treasure. We knew each other a bit beforehand, but we quickly became brothers over the course of the shoot. I love stories about unlikely friendships and getting to take that journey with Jeff was one of the great joys of my career." He added that he was "immensely proud of this thing" and encouraged people to watch it. Reviews for the movie have been mixed, but it sounds like it has some strong points, especially the chemistry between the leads. It is good to see him taking on different roles outside of the zombie apocalypse.

It is clear that Jeffrey Dean Morgan leads a full and interesting life, both on and off screen. From his demanding roles like Negan to his quiet farm life with Hilarie, his family, and their animal friends, he truly seems to have found a good balance. And with new projects like "Neighborhood Watch" and more Dead City on the way, fans will have plenty of chances to see him in action. It is always great to see a talented actor who also clearly enjoys his life outside of work.