Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s challenging experience on “Star Trek: Enterprise” almost led him to abandon acting. Before gaining fame with roles in “Supernatural” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” Morgan played Damron, a Xindi alien. This role required him to wear extensive prosthetics, which triggered his claustrophobia.

Morgan shared his struggle on Josh Horowitz’s “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, stating, “I hated it so much. I was like, ‘That’s it. I’ve got to do something else.'” His time on set involved up to 14 hours a day in makeup, making it difficult to eat.

Morgan admitted, “It just was an experience that I want to forget, and I still wake up sweating about it.”

At that point in his career, Morgan was working various side jobs to sustain himself. He often took tasks such as building fences. “I was always, always side hustling,” he recalled, noting that his jobs usually involved hammers.

Despite his dissatisfaction with acting at the time, Morgan hesitated to leave the industry. Without a formal education or an alternate career path, he felt stuck. He mentioned, “I was like, done, but… ‘What am I going to do?'”

His situation improved around the age of 38. Morgan secured significant roles in “Supernatural,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “Weeds,” marking a turning point in his career. Today, he portrays Negan in AMC’s “The Walking Dead: Dead City,” a series he also executive produces.

Entertainment journalist Christina Dugan Ramirez, with over 15 years of industry experience, contributed to this story.