Jeffrey Dean Morgan Reveals the Surprise Connection Between The Traitors & Destination X (EXCLUSIVE)
He may be new to the world of reality television, but Jeffrey Dean Morgan is no stranger to beloved TV shows.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays the master of ceremonies in a game larger than life. When the actor, known for his iconic roles on shows like The Walking Dead and Grey’s Anatomy, landed his latest gig as “ringmaster” of Destination X — a competition series that takes contestants on a continent-spanning adventure through Europe — it allowed him to bring his own personality to the forefront.
For more information on Destination X, read our series explainer right here.
Fans who know Jeffrey from his striking performances, whether as a villain or a love interest, will get to see a more personal side of the actor. The star casually rides in style onto set to meet competitors for the first time on a dark blue motorcycle.
“What you sort of see in the show was very much me, which is shocking enough,” Jeffrey told NBC Insider. “It’s not your typical host for sure.”
Mysterious and breathtaking locations in Europe take the place of the game board in this adventurous competition series. The destinations are kept secret from the players as they try to decode clues and put their travel knowledge to the test to guess where they are. The farther their guess is from the correct answer at the end of the challenges, the more likely they’ll be sent packing by Jeffrey.
Read on to hear what Jeffrey has to say about joining the world of reality television and his favorite part of filming the show so far.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan on why he joined Destination X as host
“I think just the opportunity to kind of be on and joke and be sarcastic and get a little mad when I had to and you know I keep saying… that I got to be ringmaster for this crazy circus that was Destination X,” Jeffrey said. “I think that shows on camera, that I was actually having a good time.”
He recalled even being pulled aside and told, “Hey, you might be having too much fun.”
“I got more comfortable as it went, too, 'cause it was completely a new world for me, hosting reality TV, all of it, having to think on my feet, there was a lot of trying to find the game in the process of shooting the game,” Jeffrey shared.
Jeffrey isn’t the first beloved actor to host a competition series. For example, avid fans of Peacock’s The Traitors have become accustomed to Alan Cumming’s incredible fashion and iconic presence on the show filmed in Scotland. While Jeffrey has a different hosting style, he does point out some of the Destination X production team also worked on The Traitors.
“We have the same crew basically,” Jeffrey revealed, noting the team is stacked with veterans in the gaming show space. “[They are] people that know what they’re doing and know what is needed in this kind of competition show.”
Jeffrey Dean Morgan shares his favorite part of filming Destination X
“The great stuff is what’s going on that bus when I’m nowhere near it,” Jeffrey said. “I would every night get a folder of what had transpired that day. Every night I would…catch up or I could log in and watch what’s going on on the bus 24/7, and I did.”
Fascinated by the group dynamics, his evening recaps soon became his “favorite part” of every day on set, Jeffrey revealed.
“Getting that rundown at night of what the hell was going on on the bus, 'cause then I could go on the next day and find out more and poke and prod,” Jeffrey said. “They’d always be like, ‘How did you know that?’”
Figuring out how to make the show great for audiences at home and harder for the competitors was all part of the journey for finding Destination X, according to Jeffrey.
“Let’s let it off into the world and see what happens,” Jeffrey teased.
Destination X premieres on May 27 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC, with episodes streaming the next day on Peacock.
