Jeffrey Dean Morgan Picks an Apocalypse Buddy Between Wife Hilarie Burton and 2 'Walking Dead' Stars (Exclusive)

Jeffrey Dean Morgan had a tough decision to make when it came to choosing who he'd want to team up with to face a real-life zombie apocalypse: his wife or two of his 'Walking Dead' costars

Jeffrey Dean Morgan knows who he wants by his side in case of a zombie apocalypse — and his answer might come as a surprise.

During Walking Dead: Dead City's premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival on Tuesday, Morgan spoke to PEOPLE exclusively about who he would pick to face a real-life zombie apocalypse. But it was still a tough call for the 57-year-old Grey's Anatomy alum, who admittedly had a hard time choosing between his wife Hilarie Burton and his Walking Dead costars Lauren Cohan and Norman Reedus.

"I mean, it would be Norman, always, or my wife," he pondered before making a final decision.

Related: 'The Walking Dead' 's Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan to Star in 'Isle of the Dead'  Spinoff

When it came down to it, the actor ultimately decided to forgo both Reedus and Burton. He instead opted for Cohan.

"I'm going to have to go with Lauren on this one," Morgan laughed, admitting that his behind-the-scenes role played a part in his decision-making. "That's an executive producer who answered that question."

Though Burton didn't stack up against her husband's Dead City costar, she's appeared in the Walking Dead universe as the late wife of Morgan's character Negan. Burton's character Lucille, whose name inspired the moniker of Negan's signature weapon, died of cancer at the cusp of the zombie apocalypse.

Speaking about her experience filming the series, Burton shared on Twitter: "Been pretty hard to keep this a secret. But I love working with @JDMorgan."

"I love watching him become #Negan and take on that swagger," Burton continued while praising Morgan, who first appeared in the series in 2016. "And I love the @TheWalkingDead family. They’ve been a part of our family for ages and I’m so grateful for their kindness."

Related: Norman Reedus Thought He Was 'Going to Die' After 'Walking Dead' On-Set Injury: 'It Was Scary'

AMC announced its new spinoff, The Walking Dead: Dead City, in March 2022. It was originally titled Isle of the Dead.

The six-episode limited series will see Negan and Maggie (Cohan) "traveling into a post-apocalyptic Manhattan long ago cut off from the mainland," a description from the network states. "The crumbling city is filled with the dead and denizens who have made New York City their own world full of anarchy, danger, beauty, and terror."

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The Walking Dead: Dead City premieres June 18 at 9 pm on AMC.

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