Tina Fey's hit TV show 30 Rock featured her in the role of what is arguably one of television's greatest characters: Liz Lemon. As head writer on an NBC show, Liz fields all sorts of weird, wacky characters, from a room full of bozo writers to high-maintenance actors. The show has a whole constellation of series regulars, and it's always a treat to see some of our favorites come back.
One of those beloved characters is her sleazy, deadbeat ex-boyfriend, Dennis, played expertly by Dean Winters. If you don't recognize Dean Winters from 30 Rock, maybe you know him better as Johnny Gavin from Rescue Me, or as Ryan O'Reily on Oz. However you know him best, now that you think about it, you might realize you haven't seen him in many roles recently. He's still in the acting world, to be sure, but a scary episode in 2009 left him the victim of multiple amputations, ailments that still cause him pain and interfere with his life today. He's opened up recently about what life has been like for him ever since that fateful day. Here's what we know about his condition.
7 Dean Winters Contracted A Bacterial Infection In 2009
After waking up with a bad fever one day in 2009, Dean Winters went back to sleep hoping the fever would go away on its own. When he woke up the next day, he said, he was the color gray. Afraid to go to the hospital, he went instead to his doctor's office near Central Park, where he collapsed. "I was turning black, and my whole head was swelling up," he remembered.
6 The Episode Sent Him Into Cardiac Arrest
Dean Winters explained that he actually technically died during the ambulance race across Central Park to the closest hospital. He went into cardiac arrest as the infection spread and was "dead" for about two and a half minutes. Fortunately, paramedics revived him. After being admitted to the hospital, though, only more pain and trouble would be waiting for him.
5 He Had Two Toes And Half A Thumb Amputated
After this scary episode, Dean Winters stayed in the hospital for quite some time, spending three weeks in the ICU. He suffered from gangrene and had multiple surgeries, during which doctors finally amputated two of his toes and a half of one of his thumbs.
4 He's Been Living In Pain Ever Since
Life has slowly gotten easier for Dean Winters, but he's still in pain. "I haven't taken a step since 2009 without being in pain," he said. "I've got neuropathy on, you know, on a whole different level where I can't feel my hands and my feet. But if I stepped on a pebble, it's like I go through the roof ... It's a very weird dichotomy. It's like, it's very hard to figure out. Nothing you can do about it. I've been sucking it up because, you know, the alternative is not a place where I want to be."
3 Those Allstate Commercials Are Pretty Accurate
His first role back after this incident was as Dennis on 30 Rock again. Tina Fey put him back to work and he appeared in the season finale, even though he still had casts on both arms and one foot, which was kept hidden from the camera. He was propped up on a stool to make it work. Soon after, he was offered the role of "Mayhem" in Allstate's commercials, a role in which he'd appear with casts and all. Though he was worried he would have to take time off to undergo more surgeries, the insurance company stayed with him and convinced him to play the role. He said, "It's crazy if you look in the Webster dictionary, the Old English definition of the word 'mayhem' is 'one with amputations.'"
2 He's Still Pursuing Acting And Living Life, But It's Tough
Dean Winters currently has projects in the works, even though it's difficult for him to act given the terrible pain. A holiday film in which he appears, Christmas Vs. The Walters, was just released this past week. When asked about his own holiday spirit and family life, he said: "I come from a big Scottish-Irish family, and we celebrated Christmas a lot. Our whole lives, but I'm single with no kids, so I don't have the immediate experience at home. But … I rely on the rest of my family for that." Spare a little thought for your old pal Dean Winters this holiday season, would ya?
1 He Has An Upcoming Role In The Netflix Series 'Joe Exotic'
Last year, Dean Winters spent time in Australia shooting the NBC series Joe Exotic, a fictionalized take on the Netflix docuseries that dominated everyone's early pandemic evenings, Tiger King. Dean plays Jeff Lowe, a businessman who partnered up with Joe Exotic. He had to gain 20 pounds for the role, which he did by sitting around in a hotel room in Sydney drinking milkshakes. He says the series is meaningful to him and he hopes that people will realize how bad the tiger and zoo businesses really are and be inspired to take action. He explained, "I took the job in hopes that people who hadn't seen the documentary would just get really angry and just shut these zoos down because there's no reason anyone should have any of these wild cats in their own possession. It’s just horrible.”
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