Summary
Jeffrey Dean Morganis currently reprising his role of Negan Smith onThe Walking Dead:Dead Cityseason 2, which has reunited him with his infamous bat Lucille. But while many consider Negan to be his most memorable character, the actor has appeared in countless movies, including a 2011 movie that shouldn’t be overlooked. In 2025, he voiced Wolf Fang in an episode of the Disney Channel animated sitcomBig City Green, and he alsoappeared alongside Jack Quaid in the thrillerNeighborhood Watch.
While waiting for new episodes ofThe Walking Dead: Dead Cityevery Sunday evening on AMC, fans can also check out Morgan’s 2011 thriller, which once again proves he’s an impressive actor who takes on a variety of interesting roles.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan starred inTexas Killing FieldsasBrian Heigh, a homicide detective in Texas City. Heigh works alongside Mike Souder (Sam Worthington) on a haunting and disturbing case involving a girl’s murder. When Ann Sigler (Chloë Grace Moretz) goes missing, Brian knows that he can’t turn his back on this case, and he’s determined to discover the killer. LikeNegan’s most hauntingThe Walking Deadepisodes,
Morgan has starred in many horror movies, includingThe Possessionandthe 2024 slasher Bloody Axe Wound, butTexas Killing Fieldsis more somber than those two films. That’s becausethe movie is based on a true story. The real events were also the subject of the limited seriesCrime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields. According toNetflix.tudum.com, the bodies of 35 women were discovered in an area in-between Galveston and Houston, Texas.
Whether playing a hardened detective like inTexas Killing Fieldsor an agent inthe 2018 monster movieRampage, Morgan has a likable quality that makes him memorable. The movie also came at an interesting time in his career. He played earnest patient Denny Duquette onGrey’s Anatomyfrom 2006 to 2009, starred in 2009’sWatchmen,and took on the true crime genre inTexas Killing Fieldsin 2011. At that point, he was known for playing likable characters.
Then, in 2016, as he was wrapping up his arc as Alicia Florrick’s (Julianna Margulies) love interest Jason Crouse onThe Good Wife, he began playing Negan. In a 2016 interview withVariety, the actor reflected on being cast as Negan and compared his TV background to his newvillain character, who made a big impression on him. Morgan said:
“The last few years I’ve always been a decent guy, a good guy, so to speak — a little gruff and rough around the edges but basically a good guy — in TV anyway. And Negan, I realize he’s a bad guy and I realize that he’s maybe one of the most well-rounded villains that we’re gonna see on any screen in a long time.”
Texas Killing Fieldshas a low Rotten Tomatoes score of only 39%. It’s also rated 28% on the Popcornmeter. However, there are many positive reviews of the film on Rotten Tomatoes, and many people praised the performances. One wrote, “Strong movie, good acting.” Another said, “well cast and well acted.” Another review said, “Powerful script and powerful acting.”
What other cast members starred in Texas Killing Fields?
In an interview withFangoria.com, director Ami Canaan Mann shared that Bradley Cooper was originally cast as Heigh, but wasn’t able to appear inTexas Killing Fieldsafter all due to his schedule. While Cooper, who hasstarred in underrated movies likeMidnight Meat Trainand voiced Rocket inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,would have been great,Morgan’s knack for playing complicated characters made him the perfect choice.
