Jeffrey Dean Morgannever pictured himself as a reality show host—but when NBC’sDestination Xcame calling, the reluctantWalking Deadstar was convinced to trade zombies for a blacked-out bus and a lot of mystery.
The series, which premiered May 27 on NBC, featured 10 contestants traveling on a mysterious road trip aboard a blacked-out bus. The twist, however, was that once they reached a destination,the contestants had no idea where they were, and to make it back to the bus, they had to solve cryptic challenges using their wit and sharp observation along the way. By extension, there was a need fora host who was “rough around the edges”to be able to pull off the right vibe, and the producers were convinced Dean Morgan was right for the role.
However, during a recent appearance onLate Night with Seth Meyers, Dean Morgan, 59, insinuated that apart fromSurvivorSeason 1, he’snever really watched or followed reality TV,so it was something that he was unfamiliar with. When the producers reached out to him,he immediately felt like they had it wrong.Dean Morgan went on to clarify his stance with a mix of facts and satire, in response to Seth Meyers’ question in the following exact words:
“I don’t watch a lot of (competition shows). I mean, like since year one ofSurvivor,maybe. So it’s something I’m kind of unfamiliar with. Like, I thought they had it wrong. You know, it’s kind of a Ryan Seacrest type of gig. I thought NBC had the wrong phone number. I said no a couple of times, and they kept calling back. They wanted somebody rough around the edges.”
Jeffrey Dean Morgan Previously Revealed Who Finally Convinced Him To Do ‘Destination X’
During an interview withPEOPLEearlier last month, Jeffrey Dean Morgan revealed that it was in fact, his wife,Hilarie Burton Morgan, who ultimatelyconvinced him to take on this first-ever hosting role.He also joked that he wasmore of a zombie-slaying, sarcastic dad than apolished TV personality. But Burton — who has firsthand experience in hosting from her days onTotal Request Live— saw something in him others might’ve missed.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan Explains How He Ended Up Co-Owning a Candy Store With Paul Rudd
‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’ star also talks about his new reality competition series ‘Destination X’ on NBC.
“She told me, in a much more diplomatic way,‘You’re not getting any younger,’”Morgan recalled. She encouraged himto step outside his comfort zone and embrace the opportunityto showcase a different side of himself to the world — one that’s fun, edgy, and authentically him. At the time, Morgan was also dealing with the emotional toll of his father’s declining health and shootingDead City, but Burton’s steady support helped tip the scales.
Destination Xairs every Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC with episodes available the next day on Peacock.
Destination X
Source:PEOPLE,YouTube
