Who Plays Negan In The Walking Dead?

"The Walking Dead" franchise is filled to the brim with scene-stealing characters but there's no one more deadly than Negan.

First introduced in Season 6, the fan-favorite character from the comics quickly became a television sensation. As the leader of the Saviors, Negan becomes a force to be reckoned with after he murders Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) and Glenn (Steven Yeun). After his terrifying debut, audiences immediately latched onto the complex character, who blurs the lines between hero and villain. The Saviors' head honcho continued to appear in the second half of the series and recently called it curtains alongside the original players with Season 11.

As "The Walking Dead" progressed, so did Negan's on-screen characterization, with the once haunting villain now somewhat redeemed, depending on who you ask. The character now headlines "The Walking Dead: Dead City," a sequel series that follows him and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) navigating their way through the Big Apple. With "Dead City" set to be the next major offering from "The Walking Dead," audiences can expect more of Negan's redemption as he headlines his own show.

Who is the driving force behind the nefarious character? American actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan has been playing Negan since the character's on-screen debut in 2016.

Audiences with even the most basic pop culture diet have seen Jeffrey Dean Morgan before. Besides his stint as Negan in "The Walking Dead" franchise, Morgan has lent his talents to several different projects and franchises over his three-decade-plus career. The actor made waves in 2005 when he landed the role of John Winchester on The CW's beloved "Supernatural" series. The gig made him a key player in the world of geek fandom, opening the door to several other properties.

While he had starred in several big screen productions, the actor's most notable role in the 2000s was starring as the Comedian in Zack Snyder's adaptation of "Watchmen." He later reunited with Snyder for a brief appearance in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" as Thomas Wayne, a role which could've led to him playing The Caped Crusader. Audiences have also seen Morgan in the spoof film "They Came Together" and Dwayne Johnson's "Rampage" flick. 

Of course, the actor's most notable comic-book project is playing Negan in "The Walking Dead" franchise. While speaking during the Television Critics Association press tour, Insider was on hand to see the actor express just how much Negan has evolved and enhanced the actor's life. "The great thing about Negan in this role, for me, is how much he's changed from that day that he walked out of the RV," the actor said. He continued by pointing out how the scene where Negan kills Glen is the most impactful. "It changed my life. That one scene changed my life, literally, in so many ways. And I still get [expletive] for it."