Katie McGrath

"She is Uther's ward. The first lady of Camelot and we are very aware that she is top dog. She is in control and she can manipulate all the men. She's very interesting, great fun to play. Not your average, retiring type of girl. She's a go-getter, stand up for herself kind of girl."

- Katie McGrath describing Morgana Katherine Elizabeth McGrath is an Irish actress who portrays the character of Morgana Pendragon on the BBC, television series Merlin. Prior to Merlin, her highest-profile film/TV role had been a guest-star appearance in an episode of The Tudors and the horror film "Freakdog" (also released as "Red Mist").

Before acting, Katie McGrath wanted to work in fashion journalism.

Unlike the other actors and actresses of Merlin, Katie has never attended any acting school.

McGrath was cast in Damage, an Irish TV-movie in 2007. She also starred in Bedrock Productions's play La Marea at the Dublin Theatre Festival 2007.[8]

She also appeared in the feature films Eden and Freakdog, before being cast in Merlin.

Katie McGrath also starred in a five-part docudrama for Channel 4, exploring the life of Queen Elizabeth II, in which she played a young Princess Margaret.[9]

In 2010, McGrath was cast in Madonna's directorial debut W.E., a King Edward VIII biopic. It was later revealed that McGrath is to play Lady Thelma Furness, the king's former mistress who introduces him to Wallis Simpson.[10]

In February 2011, McGrath began filming the comedy-drama film A Princess for Christmas in Romania.[11]

In September 2011, Katie started voice recording for a character in an upcoming animated short film Trìd an Stoirm. Later that month, McGrath was cast as Oriane in Labyrinth, a three-part series based on the 2005 novel of the same name, due to air in 2012.

Awards and Nominations

 * Nominated for the Virgin Media TV Award in the category of Best Actress, and Hottest Female for her role of Morgana in Merlin, December 2011.
 * Won the Virgin Media TV Award in the category of Best Baddy for her role of Morgana in Merlin, December 2011.
 * Nominated for the National TV Awards 2012, in the category of Best Drama Performance for her role of Morgana in Merlin.
 * Nominated for the 51st Monte Carlo Television Festival in the category of Outstanding Actress/Drama for her role of Morgana in Merlin, Monaco June 2011.
 * Nominated for the 49th Monte Carlo Television Festival in the category of Best Actress for her role of Morgana in Merlin, Monaco June 2009.
 * Won the 2012 Anglo Fan Favourites in the Woman's category against Helena Bonham-Carter and many other favourable women.

Trivia

 * Katie McGrath was close to rejection to have a role in Merlin due to the fact that she and Colin Morgan (Merlin) have Irish accents. In order to get the part, Colin Morgan received special training in a new accent.
 * Katie McGrath is officially credited for all episodes of Merlin, though of the current total of 52 episodes, she has not appeared in seven. These include: The Lady of the Lake, The Last Dragonlord, Love in the Time of Dragons, Aithusa, Lamia, A Herald of the New Age and The Death Song of Uther Pendragon.
 * Her favourite episode of Season 1 is Episode 8, The Beginning of the End.
 * Her favourite jewellery item is her great-grandmother's gold watch chain which she wears all the time.
 * Her natural hair colour is blonde and she has to dye it every 3 weeks for her role as Morgana.
 * Katie's past jobs include working in a piercing studio and in a cocktail bar.
 * She has a tattoo on her back that says purity.
 * Katie has a tongue piercing and several on her ears.
 * She has worked for a fashion magazine and in the costume department of The Tudors.
 * She claims to be a big comic-geek.
 * She never aspired to become an actress.
 * Katie McGrath is the only leading cast mate in Merlin who is not a formally trained actor.
 * She played the younger sister of Emilia Fox in both Merlin and The Queen.
 * Her favourite bands are Violent Femmes and Guns 'N Roses.
 * Graduated in history in Trinity College in Dublin, and she is the only person from the Merlin cast not to graduate in acting.
 * Katie's favourite episode of Merlin first series is episode 07 The Gates of Avalon. Her proudest acting moment belongs to episode 08 The Beginning of the End in the scenes shared with Asa Butterfield.
 * Morgana has always been her favourite character in the Arthurian legend.
 * Katie was in the debating society in school, she was the president.
 * She has two older brothers.
 * Her favourite scenes from series four were her scenes with Colin Morgan in A Servant of Two Masters, because she said that working with Colin makes her better than she usually is.
 * Is good friends with co-star Colin Morgan.

Quotes

 * Katie McGrath: (about unexpectedly having become an actress) I won the lottery because I didn't know I would love this so much and I'm so lucky to have gotten the chance. - CTV.ca, October 2008.
 * Katie McGrath: (about her favourite scenes in Merlin) My favourite scenes are always the scenes I do with Colin.
 * Katie McGrath: (about her acting experience) I hadn't acted much. I'd been in school plays, but I wasn't a drama-school kid and my family aren't performers.
 * Katie McGrath: (about her professional ambitions) I just want to do good work. If it's shot in Hungary, if it's shot in Russia, if it's shot in America, if it's shot in England, you just want to do something you can stand up and say I'm proud of it.
 * Katie McGrath: The first thing I ever wanted to be was a backup singer for Guns 'n'Roses.
 * Katie McGrath: If I leave my hair, I look like Pocahontas, so I've been known to use eight different products at once just to make it do anything.