By Owen Quinn author
Photo copyright AMC
Have you seen how people throw a wake for themselves just to see who would turn up and what they would say about the deceased? Well, I thought, why wait until a celebrity you admire to die before writing how much they have impacted you through their movies or television roles.
Sometimes, meeting an American celebrity almost seems like a royal event. They are bigger, brasher and somewhat out of reach of us ordinary people. After all, we only see them on screen and we don’t live in their country so the chance of meeting them are slim to never.
But events and cons happen that bring them to our doorsteps and when Walker Stalker convention happened in London, we had to go.
Top of our list was Negan and Daryl Dixon.
We had been fans of JDM ever since Grey’s Anatomy, PS I Love You but especially as the dad of Sam and Dean Winchester in the long running Supernatural. John died at the start of season 2 in order to save Dean.
For years, fans clamoured for his return and it happened in the episode Babylon when they brought him forward in time by accident. So why did it take so long to bring him back? Well because he had become the villainous Negan in The Walking Dead and became a cerebral part of the show. Supernatural would cameo Lucille, his barb wired covered baseball bat that kills Glenn and Abraham in an episode where they say it was their dad’s favourite weapon.
I bought my Negan T shirt and booked the photo shoot and off we went.
He is a truly larger than life presence and is a literal giant towering above everyone. To play Sam and Dean’s father you would have to really tall. We saw him being escorted round and he waved to the fans and we were in his line of sight.
What really impressed me about him was the fact he took the time in the photoshoot to shake all of our hands, welcome us and thank us. In these things, you literally get your photo taken then out you go with barely a word but this elevated him in our eyes. We didn’t get his autograph because you had to pay for that separately and there were no spaces left. We will get it one day though.
But Jeffrey Dean Morgan is so laid back when meeting people and he takes his time with them. He knows that this may be their only chance to meet him so he makes sure they get the full package. Let’s face it, he doesn’t have to but when you watch interviews with him, he is a very grounded man grateful for what life has given him.
I guarantee there isn’t a fan that hasn’t walked away from meeting him and been disappointed. It doesn’t matter if you’re eighty or eight, he has time for everyone. We, as a family of Walking Dead fans, will never forget that. When you shake someone’s hand, you look them in the eye and he did that.
I can’t say enough good things about Jeffrey Dean Morgan and perhaps if it reads this, he’ll know people will watch him no matter hat he appears in. Whether it be Watchmen, Rampage, The Unholy, The Boys or Postcard Killings, Jeffrey Dean Morgan should be on your list to meet. You will never forget it.
The Time Warriors and Beyond 