Joseph Morgan, biography, news, photos

Klaus's story

The Vampire Diaries spin-off is about an ancient clan of vampires. At the center of the events is a charismatic esthete named Klaus Mikaelson. He spent many years in exile, but returned to his homeland and found himself in a whirlpool of family secrets. It was Joseph Morgan who took on the role of the selfish but very charming bloodsucker. “The Ancients” became the first popular series in which he was approved for a leading role.

Although before that there was a full-length film in which he received a key role - we are talking about “Ben Hur” from 2010.

Filmography

How the project came about

In an interview, the actor said that when he started filming “The Vampire Diaries,” he decided that it was unlikely that his character would be able to attract the public’s attention for a long time. Moreover, the Englishman was not eager to stay on the show for long. However, the moment came when he radically changed his mind, and this happened after the ninth episode of the third season of the project.

After playing the dramatic scene of meeting his father and his subsequent murder, the actor who played Klaus went to producer Julie Plec and told her that he would be glad if his character was kept alive and extended for another season. A week later, he was informed that Mikaelson would not die anytime soon. However, this was not the main news that Joseph Morgan learned then: “The Ancients” is the second series in which Klaus will appear, and his role will be the main one.

Movies

The beginning of an acting career was difficult - there was a period of disappointment and uncertainty about the right choice of life path. The actor made small appearances in unnoticeable films and was already thinking about changing his profession. In 1996, Joseph received a cameo role as Matthew Williams in the TV series Silent Witness. Then there were minor roles in the television films “Heroic” and “Henry the Eighth”.

Joseph Morgan in his youth

In 2003, luck smiled on Joseph. She received an invitation to the film “Master of the Seas: At the End of the Earth,” which received an Oscar. The role was minor, but he was lucky enough to work on the same set with Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany.

And in 2004, the opportunity arose to work with such artists as Anthony Hopkins, Angelina Jolie, Colin Farrell, in the historical film about the life of Alexander the Great directed by Oliver Stone “Alexander”. The film was a failure at the box office, and critics did not favor it, but it gave Joseph Morgan invaluable experience working with the masters of cinema.

Joseph Morgan in the movie Alexander

In the period until 2010, there were several roles in little-known television series, and then real luck - Joseph Morgan was invited to play the main role in the English two-part film “Ben Hur”. The series did not receive due attention from the public, but became the starting point in its popularity: Morgan returned to the big screen.

In 2011, the actor was truly lucky. When casting for the role of vampire Klaus in The Vampire Diaries, producers Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson chose little-known actor Joseph Morgan from more than 200 applicants. In the second season, Morgan acted as a guest artist, and in the third season he played along with the main characters.

Joseph Morgan in the movie "Ben Hur"

This is a series based on the novels by Lisa Jane Smith, which tells the story of a girl, Elena Gilbert (in the series, her role is played by Nina Dobrev, an actress of Bulgarian origin from Canada), living in the fictional town of Mystic Falls, inhabited by mystical creatures. The girl falls in love with a young man, Salvatore (Paul Wesley), who is actually a 162-year-old vampire. Soon his brother, Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder, known from the TV series Lost), arrives in the town.

Elena becomes the center of a love triangle and a bone of contention between the vampire brothers - she reminds them of a girl from the past, Katherine Pierce, whom they both loved, and who became the cause of the centuries-old feud between the two brothers.

Joseph Morgan in The Vampire Diaries

Joseph Morgan in The Vampire Diaries plays the role of the Ancient Vampire Klaus Mikaelson, powerful and furious. The role of his brother Elijah Mikaelson went to Canadian actor Daniel Gillies. Initially, the character of Klaus was introduced into the plot of the series as a bright opposition to Damon Solvatore. And Joseph Morgan coped with this task brilliantly. He has an army of fans all over the world. Critics also did not ignore him - in 2011 he received the Teen Choice Awards in the category “Best Villain”.

In March 2020, the final episode of the 8th season of the beloved series was released.

Joseph Morgan in The Originals

The popularity of The Vampire Diaries forced the authors to continue the story, and since 2013, a continuation of the story of the vampire Klaus, The Originals, has been released, which brought Joseph Morgan the People's Choice Awards in the category Best Actor in a New Television Series.

Expectations from the project

This information gave the celebrity more confidence in his abilities, because now the actor knew that he was entrusted with a whole spin-off. Before the premiere, he noted that he was a little worried and wanted the series to be successful. The public well received the new brainchild of The CW channel, and, of course, Joseph Morgan was the most happy about it. The Originals allowed him to continue to explore his character, and from what he said, that's exactly what he wanted.

If at first he had any doubts about the prospects of the TV show, they have now been dispelled, because the fourth season is expected to be released in May next year!

About the actor

Joseph Morgan was born in London on May 16, 1981, but spent his childhood in the small town of Swansea. While studying at Morriston School, the young man began to devote a lot of time to the theater. He subsequently graduated from the Central School of Speech and Drama, where he was an active participant in various performances.

Returning to London, he felt like a stranger in this city for a long time, but did not plan to part with his chosen profession. It is worth mentioning the first images that Joseph Morgan brought to the screens. “The Ancients” is a series in which he played, being already an experienced actor, and at first he had to take on mainly episodic roles in such television films as “Silent Witness”, “Eroica”, “Henry the Eighth” and others.

Of course, many actors at this stage become disillusioned with their chosen craft, but Joseph Morgan is not one of these people. Films with the actor gradually began to be full of variety.

Secret wedding

In 2014, the star's secret wedding took place. As it turned out, the series “The Vampire Diaries” brought the guy not only popularity, but also love - his chosen one was Persia White, who portrayed Bonnie’s mother. In July, a couple’s wedding ceremony took place on one of the beaches of Jamaica, which was attended only by their closest friends.

Persia later said that she and her husband did not want to organize too lavish celebrations, preferring the intimacy of the holiday. The choice of Jamaica for marriage was deliberate, because the bride grew up near the sea, as did Joseph Morgan himself. The photos of the wedding, which were subsequently published by many magazines, really turned out to be very atmospheric and beautiful. The actor himself said that Matt Ryan, who has been his friend for at least 20 years, became the best man. In addition, it became known that the newlyweds' first dance took place to the song Never Let Me Go (Florence & the Machine).

Personal life

The enormous popularity of Joseph Morgan entails many rumors about his personal life. Most of them turn out to be far from reality. Whoever was predicted to be his beloved.

At one time, his name was often associated with Claire Holt, a colleague on the series “The Vampire Diaries” (in the film she plays the role of Rebekah Mikaelson). The information turned out to be fictitious. Then Joseph was credited with an affair with Candice Accola (Caroline in the TV series “The Vampire Diaries”). The actors played passion so convincingly on screen that the public decided to transfer it to real life. But these relationships turned out to be fictitious.

Joseph Morgan and Phoebe Tonkin

What is known for certain is that his passion for some time was Phoebe Tonkin, an Australian actress who played the role of werewolf Hayley in “The Vampire Diaries” and plays the leading role in “The Originals.” During the filming of the Ben Hur series, Morgan briefly dated Emily VanCamp (one of the main roles in the Revenge series). The couple broke up, unable to withstand the rhythm of life associated with a busy acting schedule.

But Joseph’s hand and heart went to another heroine of the series “The Vampire Diaries,” Persia White, a thin brunette who played the role of Abby Bennett. They met on the set of the third season of The Vampire Diaries. At the time of their acquaintance, Joseph was 32 years old, and Persia was 41 years old. In May 2014, the couple announced their engagement with the words:

“We are so grateful to those of you who have supported our wild, creative and passionate relationship. We managed to find a very rare and valuable thing - true love. We wish you the same.”

Their wedding took place on July 5, 2014 in Jamaica. The hearts of millions of fans were broken. The wedding took place in a closed, intimate setting on the ocean shore in the presence of only 26 guests. Among the guests were only close relatives; the groom's best man was Joseph's longtime friend, actor Matt Ryan, known for his role as Constantine in the TV series Constantine of the same name.

Joseph Morgan's wedding

The couple does not have children yet, but Persia has a daughter, Mecca, from her marriage to Saul Williams.

Collaborative creativity

As it turned out, it was with Persia that the actor decided to experiment in his career and acted as a director. In 2013, the filmmaker presented his first short film called “Revelation.” Note that the film, which is only twelve minutes long, received a fairly high rating on IMDb.

The plot was built around a young woman who finds herself in a difficult situation and is forced to question the reality around her. Beyond her home lurks the darkness that once consumed her husband and the world she knew. By the way, Joseph entrusted the leading role of the short film to the bride.

At this point, Morgan decided to pause his experiments with directing for now and get serious about The Ancients. Fans can only hope that the story of his Klaus will not be limited to four seasons of the TV show.