The Walking Dead’s Jeffrey Dean Morgan nearly had starring role on One Tree Hill

Things were nearly very different for the actor (Picture: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

He’s one of the best-loved characters in The Walking Dead, but it turns out Jeffrey Dean Morgan came very close to starring in One Tree Hill.

The actor’s wife, Hilarie Burton Morgan, played Peyton Sawyer on the drama for six seasons and revealed that Jeffrey once auditioned for the show himself. 

The actress confirmed the news while speaking to her One Tree Hill co-stars Sophia Bush and Bethany Joy Lenz on the podcast Drama Queens.

‘When I met Jeff, he was like, “Oh, I auditioned for that show.: And I’m like, “Wait, what?”’ Hilarie said. 

The character Jeffrey went up for was Keith Scott, the uncle to Chad Michael Murray’s Lucas Scott, played by Craig Sheffer.

‘My husband, Jeffrey, auditioned for [Craig] Sheffer’s part,’ Hilarie added. ‘And he was like, “I like the whole gritty, garage – you know, that edgy thing.”’

Hilarie starred as Peyton Sawyer in the hit US show (Picture: The WB/CW)

The actress spoke about her husband’s near-miss on the series (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)

One Tree Hill followed the fictional lives of a group of teenagers in North Carolina, ran for nine seasons between 2003 and 2012.

It comes after One Tree Hill’s Hilarie previously revealed she wants to ‘do-over’ the hit series with a ‘girl boss’ in charge.

The actress famously played Peyton Sawyer on the beloved teen drama and has been vocal over the years about issue that took place on-and-off screen.

More: US TV news

The show remains beloved by its legions of fans amid the subsequent allegations from the series’ female stars that series creator and showrunner Mark Schwahn subjected them to sexual harassment on the set.

In 2017, the series’ showrunner Mark Schwahn was accused of sexual misconduct in an open letter signed by 25 cast and crew members of his new show The Royals. He was fired from The Royals after the allegations emerged.

One Tree Hill is available to watch on All4.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

MORE : The Walking Dead: Jeffrey Dean Morgan teases WWE legend Mick Foley’s influence on Negan

MORE : One Tree Hill star Hilarie Burton says she would love ‘do-over with a girl boss’