Since the conclusion of The Walking Dead, AMC has done an incredible job continuing the stories of the characters introduced in the main series in the spinoffs. Many fans would love to see more origin stories, similar to the season 10c bonus episode "Here's Negan." This episode provided viewers with an inside look at the events that transformed the title character from a mild-mannered gym teacher into a brutal and manipulative former leader of the Saviors. In a recent interview, another Walking Dead actor revealed his character's former occupation.
In the pilot episode of The Walking Dead, after awakening from his coma, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) tries to understand what happened to the world, encounters Morgan Jones (Lennie James) and his son Duane (Adrian Kali Turner). They took him in, cared for his wounds, and began to inform him of the state of the world.
Morgan is one of four characters who survived the conclusion of the series. He, along with Rick, Daryl (Norman Reedus), and Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride), are the only season 1 characters who are still alive.
In May 2025, James attended The Camp Events Immersive Convention, an annual TWD fan and charity event, held in Peachtree City, Georgia. During a panel, which also featured his Fear TWD co-star, Garret Dillahunt, James was asked about Morgan's career before the outbreak. He allowed the attendees to make some guesses, then someone asked if he knew what Morgan did. James replied that he did because he is the one who thought of it.
It may come as no surprise that Morgan was a mechanic before the outbreak. James believed that to explain how Morgan was able to survive and protect Duane, he needed a hands-on job and settled on being a mechanic. Being mechanically inclined also explains Morgan's skills at building the traps in "Clear" and the jail at Alexandria.
Morgan Jones legacy in The Walking Dead universe
In season 4 of Fear the Walking Dead, the universe's first spinoff, Morgan became the first crossover character. He would later be followed by Dwight (Austin Amelio) and his wife, Sherry (Christina Evangelista), who also crossed over from the main series.
Through the years, Morgan experienced PTSD due to the nature in which he lost his wife and son. This story would come full circle in the final season of Fear TWD when Morgan revisited King County and the story of how Duane died at the hands (and teeth) of his mother, Jenny (Keisha Tillis), who was first seen as a walker in season 1 of TWD.
Morgan holds the record for most disappearances and reappearances of any main TWD character. He is also one of the main characters to outlive his comic counterpart. Other characters on this list include Shane, Carol, Tyreese, Beth, Judith, Abraham, Rostia, Ezekiel, Alpha, Gabriel, and Rick.
Watch James in his BAFTA award-winning performance in the BBC series Mr. Loverman, now streaming on Britbox.
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