Actor says iconic bat feels like part of him as Walking Dead spin-off returns
Summary
– Jeffrey Dean Morgan revealed a tattoo of “Lucille” in tribute to Negan’s barbed-wire bat
– Though his wife played Lucille on-screen, Morgan says the ink is dedicated to the bat
– Dead City Season 2 premieres May 4 on AMC and AMC+
Jeffrey Dean Morgan has permanently marked his connection to one of The Walking Dead’s most iconic props—Lucille, the barbed-wire baseball bat carried by his character Negan.
Morgan rolled up his sleeve to reveal a new tattoo in a behind-the-scenes feature for Season 2 of The Walking Dead: Dead City. “I got a tattoo this year, it says, ‘Lucille,’” he shared. “My wife played Lucille, but really it’s the bat.”
Lucille, named after Negan’s wife, who died before the apocalypse, has become one of the most memorable weapons in TV history. Though Hilarie Burton—Morgan’s real-life wife—portrayed Lucille in a Season 10 flashback, Morgan clarified that the tattoo is more about the weapon than the character.
“I never had a prop in my life that felt so innately mine,” Morgan said. “To have Lucille back, that’s when Negan is at his most Negan.”
Morgan also reflected on working with Burton on the series and their recent film project, Bloody Axe Wound. Despite nerves before filming together, he said the experience exceeded expectations.
“I go to work. We better bring it,” Morgan said. “That first day with her, I went home just like, ‘Thank God!’”
Dead City returns to AMC and AMC+ on May 4, reuniting fans with Negan and his beloved bat.
