"I think you have the wrong person"—Jeffrey Dean Morgan details how his wife Hilarie Burton convinced him to host a reality show

Jeffrey Dean Morgan became well-known internationally for his portrayal of the vicious Negan in The Walking Dead and for his parts in hit TV shows like Supernatural, in which he played John Winchester.

He is best known for his brooding physicality and serious demeanor on camera. Perhaps that’s why he was shocked to be given a chance to host the NBC's new competition series, Destination X. In an exclusive interview with People Magazine, Morgan detailed how the offer initially materialized behind the scenes,

"[NBC] called... and I said, 'I think you have the wrong person' I live on a farm, and I kill zombies, and I'm a dad, and I'm kind of a pain in the a--."

Jeffrey Dean Morgan recalls how it was his wife Hilarie Burton who ultimately encouraged him to take a stab at the role, especially since he wouldn’t be playing a conventional host,

"She said — in a very nice way, but much more diplomatic than I'm going to make it seem now — ‘You're not getting any younger. You've got this thing about you that it would be fun for you to be able to share that with the world, and you may have an opportunity to do that [by] hosting a show like this.’”

She also added that it was unlikely for him to get injured on set which is always a plus.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan to host NBC’s Destination X

Destination X is actually an American re-interpretation of a Belgian competition series. The synopsis according to the official NBC website reads as follows,

“Contestants must figure out their mystery locations on the road trip of a lifetime!”

Essentially, players will travel across Europe and attempt to surmise their location on a weekly basis through a gauntlet of challenges set up by the show runners.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan notes that his initial apprehension was based in his inability to relate to the character the producers needed for the show,

“The host was this very slick, kind of James Bond-y guy. I kept saying, ‘That's not me either.' And [producers] just kept coming back and coming back.”

Eventually however, the producers were able to convince Jeffrey that all they needed was for him to remain true to his personality and everything would fall into place.

"'Look, we just want you to be you. A little bit edgy, but a guy that maybe people want to have a beer with, and the gals think is kind of entertaining.’ So I was like, ‘All right, let's try it.’”

Ultimately Jeffrey Dean Morgan is thankful for the opportunity and remembers his time on Destination X fondly,

"I spent a month and a half in Europe being a weird, fun host, and it was great. I had so much fun being the ringmaster of the circus."

According to NBC, Destination X is a "geo-guessing contest." Each episode involves the players exploring novel tourist destinations and trying to get hints and advantages, relying on their pop culture, history, geography, and observational skills.

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Destination X hosted by Jeffrey Dean Morgan premiered on May 27.

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