The Walking Dead star connects his latest role to his Seattle roots
Summary
– Jeffrey Dean Morgan found similarities between Sterling Point and his Pacific Northwest upbringing
– Playing an ordinary father offered Morgan a major change from his longtime role as Negan
– All eight episodes of Sterling Point are now streaming on Prime Video
Jeffrey Dean Morgan is embracing his roots and a more grounded approach to his career in the new Prime Video drama, Sterling Point. Born in Renton and raised in Kirkland, the actor still considers himself a hometown boy with strong ties to the Seattle area.
Morgan first fell in love with acting while attending Ben Franklin Elementary. He later lived in downtown Seattle during the 1990s and has performed voice-over work for the Seattle Seahawks.
“I’m still very much connected to Seattle,” Morgan said. “All my family is still Seattle-based. I’m the only one that ever got out of town.”
That connection helped Morgan relate to Sterling Point, which follows 17-year-old Annie Jacobson after she unexpectedly inherits a remote Canadian island from her estranged grandfather.
Annie, played by Ella Rubin, leaves New York City to investigate her family history. Her twin brother, Connor, played by Keen Ruffalo, joins her as they uncover secrets involving Joe, Morgan’s character.
Production on the eight-episode series took place in Muskoka, Ontario. The region’s lakes and pine forests reminded Morgan of visiting Lake Washington during his childhood.
“It really was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever had the pleasure of shooting at,” Morgan said.
Morgan also connected with the show’s theme of leaving a busy city behind and returning to a quieter way of life. His own journey took him from Washington to Los Angeles and New York City before he settled on a farm with his family.
“There’s this kind of recurring theme in the show about wanting to get back to your roots,” Morgan said.
Sterling Point also allowed Morgan to step away from Negan, the violent survivor he has portrayed for a decade across The Walking Dead and The Walking Dead: Dead City.
Morgan described the character’s longevity as difficult to comprehend. While filming Sterling Point in Canada, he traveled to Boston to shoot the opening two episodes of Dead City season 3.
The short flight allowed him to transition between the two dramatically different characters mentally. Joe is a husband and father confronting family problems, while Negan continues to navigate the brutal world of the zombie apocalypse.
Morgan found Joe appealing because the role allowed him to draw from the most important part of his own life: fatherhood. He and his wife, Hilarie Burton, have a 16-year-old son and an 8-year-old daughter.
“I care more about that than anything else,” Morgan said. “I want to spend more time with that than anything else I do.”
Instead of playing another character who relies on violence, Morgan welcomed the opportunity to portray a father attempting to raise his son, protect his marriage, and manage the unexpected problems entering his life.
Creator and writer Megan Park was another major reason Morgan joined Sterling Point. Park, whose previous projects include The Fallout and My Old Ass, is a close friend of Burton.
When Morgan received the script, his name was already written beside Joe, making it clear that Park had created the part with him in mind.
Morgan praised Park’s ability to write believable characters from different generations. As the father of a teenager, he admitted that he does not always understand what his son is saying, but believes Park captures the voices of younger people brilliantly.
Much of the cast consists of performers in their early 20s, while Morgan, Jay Duplass, and Missi Pyle appear in recurring roles. Morgan said watching the younger actors bring their enthusiasm to the set made the production especially enjoyable.
“It was just one of those shows where I had so much fun making it,” Morgan said. “The writing was so good. It made my job so much easier.”
At 60, Morgan understands that his career is changing. The action-oriented roles he played in Watchmen, The Losers, and Red Dawn are increasingly being replaced by fathers and older authority figures.
Although Morgan does not necessarily feel different, he is willing to accept that evolution and continue following the strongest writing available to him.
Sterling Point allowed Morgan to reconnect with memories of Washington, explore his experience as a father, and show viewers a quieter side of himself after years of carrying Negan’s baseball bat.
All eight episodes of Sterling Point premiered on August 5 and are now streaming on Prime Video.
