Childhood & Early Life
Colin Morgan was born on January 1, 1986, in Armagh, Northern Ireland, to Bernard and Bernadette. His father was a painter and decorator, while his mother worked as a nurse. He has an elder brother named Neil.
Colin was only five years old when he first performed on stage in the choral production of 'Cinderella'. Later, he also starred in 'Peter Pan'.
In 1997, the actor joined the Integrated College Dungannon, where he became an active member of the theatre, starring in several projects, such as 'Surgical Sensations at St. Senapods' and 'Bad Day at Black Frog Creek'.
In 2004, the Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education awarded him a National Diploma in performing arts.
He completed his studies from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2007. In 2010, the Belfast Metropolitan College recognized his talent and efforts, honouring him with an award of distinction.
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Career
In 2007, theatre director Rufus Norris spotted Colin Morgan and was quite amazed by his talent. When Morgan was still in the final year of college, Norris gave him the titular role in 'Vernon God Little'. It was Morgan’s first professional London West End theatre performance and was very well received.
He played the memorable part of aspiring teenage writer Esteban in 'Todo sobre mi madre' (All about my mother) in the same year. The play was created by Pedro Almodóvar. The Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards nominated Morgan in the category of 'London Newcomer of the Year' for his roles in both ‘Vernon God Little’ and ‘Esteban’.
In 2007, he appeared on TV for the first time, acting in sketches on 'The Catherine Tate Show's Christmas Special.
Morgan’s role in the 2008 Young Vic production 'A Prayer for My Daughter' garnered great acclaim. The same year, he played the troubled teen Jethro Cane in the 'Midnight' episode of ‘Doctor Who’. The following year, he participated in BBC Radio play 'Cry Babies'.
Morgan's 2010 portrayal of a homeless drug-addict in the independent Irish film 'Parked' earned rave reviews. In fact, the film went on to win various awards in multiple film festivals around the globe.
In 2011, he flawlessly performed the memorable role of Carlos in the play 'Our Private Life'. His character suspects that his father molested him in his childhood. Carlos also suffers from several mental issues, in addition to struggling to come to terms with his homosexuality. Morgan worked in the movie 'Island' in the same year. His next project was a film adaptation of the World War I memoir 'Testament of Youth'.
On December 9, 2012, he transformed into outrageous dancer Gary for 'Step in Time'. His performance was a part of the Old Vic 24 Hour Musicals Celebrity Gala, in support of The Old Vic Trust.
The role that probably brought Morgan the most recognition was that of Merlin in BBC TV series 'Merlin'. The series that ran from 2008 to 2012 focusses on a young warrior. His role won him several awards.
In 2012, on the 100th anniversary of Titanic's sinking, Morgan recited the accounts of survivors. The entire feature was broadcast live on BBC2. The same year, he lent his voice to 'Merlin: The Game', a video game sequence.
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In 2013, he essayed the character of Ariel in the play 'The Tempest'. The play was so successful and popular that not only was it shown on cinema screens but its DVD version was also released. Around the same time, Morgan lapped up the chance to play Skinny Luke in the West End dark comedy 'Mojo'.
After spending a year performing on stage, he returned to TV. He played the role of a cut-throat scribe in the Irish crime drama 'Quirke'. The second season of 'The Fall' saw him playing a detective sergeant.
In 2014, Morgan got to play the role of Newton Pulsifer in the first audio dramatisation of the novel 'Good Omens', written by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. In August of the same year, he was selected to narrate 'Addicts Symphony'. The documentary was based on the life of musician and recovering alcoholic James McConnel who inspired 10 addicted classical musicians to perform at a concert.
In 2015, Morgan played the role of Leo Elster in 'Humans', a science fiction series. That year, he also played Frankie Shea in the gangster movie 'Legend'.
In 2016, he acted in a short film, 'The Laughing King', which aimed at raising awareness about mental illnesses, including depression. Morgan essayed the role of Jake, a young man who returns to his hometown with the sole aim of committing suicide. The film opened in the London Short Film Festival.
During the same period, he played the part of Nathan Appleby for the BBC One series 'The Living and the Dead'. He also worked in the third season of 'The Fall' and the second season of 'Humans'. He played the Duke of Blackwood in 'The Huntsman: Winter's War' (2016).
In 2017, he returned to the London theatre circuits with a part in comic drama 'Gloria'. He played the protagonist in the movie 'Benjamin' (2017) and worked in the 2018 movie 'The Happy Prince' alongside Colin Firth and Rupert Everett.
