14 DAY TRIAL // Jeffrey Dean Morgan is not the kind of guy to phone in a performance, so for his role on the upcoming History Channel miniseries “Texas Rising,” where he plays a man dying from consumption (tuberculosis), he made sure he looked the part.
He estimates he lost about 45 pounds (20.4 kg) during the production, and he did it because it felt right to him to look frail and unhealthy. As he sheepishly admits in his new interview for The Today Show (video below), he didn’t have the healthiest approach to it either.
Basically, he survived on just one can of tuna a day, and seeing how he would work 15-hour days, that’s saying a lot about his commitment to the role. He admits that the plan was to lose only about 10 pounds (4.5 kg) overall, but once he got going, he found it impossible to stop.
“Texas Rising” is the story of the formation of the Texas Rangers, and includes an impressive cast that might convince you to give it a chance: Ray Liotta, Bill Paxton, Olivier Martinez, Kris Kristofferson, Brendon Fraser, Thomas Jane, and Trevor Donovan, to name just a few.
Also in 2015, Morgan will have another miniseries premiere, “The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe.” He talks a bit about that one too in the interview.