UMVA has learned that Colin Morgan, the talented actor known for his breakout role as Merlin, has been drawn to 'the outsiders' throughout his career, a thread that has followed him from his early days on stage and screen to his debut as a novelist.
Since his titular role in the family drama Merlin in 2008, Morgan has portrayed brooding detectives, tortured recluses, and whip-smart activists, giving a voice to the underdog and exploring a magical hero whose worth goes overlooked.
Over the past two decades, Morgan has made a name for himself playing singular characters that leave a stark impression, from his turn as DS Thomas Anderson in a popular thriller series to his roles as a journalist in Netflix shows and as a unionist in a historical drama.
In a conversation with UMVA, Morgan revealed that he's very much drawn towards the outsiders, the unsung hero characters, and the ones who go on a transformational journey that doesn't necessarily need to be epic and blockbuster-style, but can be very quiet and very internal.
Morgan's debut novel, The Ballad of Ronan McCoy, is a coming-of-age tale about two friends who must find each other again after one of them suffers a life-altering brain injury, and it's clear that the 'unsung hero' archetype is at the beating heart of the story.
After nurturing his love for writing in school, Morgan started writing his novel on and off in 2018, inspired by the idea of exploring school-era friendships in all their fraught and hopeful complexity and eager to delve into the layers of grieving for people who haven't left us.
Morgan's industry inspirations include filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, whom he cites as one of his heroes for telling enriching, complicated, and diversified stories that never seem to hit a peak.
The actor has had the opportunity to work with many talented co-stars, including the late Anthony Head, Katherine Parkinson, and Kenneth Branagh, and has a tradition of collecting 'one book, one movie, one song' that inspired his co-stars to become storytellers.
Despite his career ambitions, Morgan remains a private person, wanting his work to speak for itself, and has never had any social media or online presence, preferring to focus on sending stories out into the world.
Morgan's upcoming show is a total 180, as he joins Apple TV's hit comedy-drama, Trying, about a couple navigating the complex world of adoption and trying to raise a family, and he's excited to be a part of a heartwarming tale of found family.
As for what's next, Morgan has already got his sights set on his next move, including finding his feet on a stage soon, and fans can look forward to seeing more of him on TV and in books.
