Colin Morgan

"He has the ability to do magic but he can't control it, it just happens. He believes he will be quite safe in that environment, that he will able to use his powers in a free way."

- Colin Morgan describing his character, Merlin

Colin Morgan is an Irish actor who portrays the title character of the BBC television series Merlin. Merlin is Morgan's first major TV acting role. His previous credits have included the Doctor Who episode Midnight as Jethro, and an episode of The Catherine Tate Show. Other appearances of the actor include his role as Cathal O'Regan in the 2010 drama "Parked" and his role as Calum in the 2011 drama "Island (film)".

After studying at the Belfast Institute, he went to the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. There, he acquired a National Diploma in Performing Arts of Further & Higher Education in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 2004. He was still in the drama school when he was cast by director Rufus Norris to make his professional debut in the title role of the stage adaptation of DBC Pierre's Booker Prize winner "Vernon God Little" at the Young Vic in 2007. Colin Morgan has credited this role as his first big break. Other theatrical roles include Esteban, Jimmy and Carlos in the plays "All About My Mother", "A Prayer for My Daughter (play)" and "Our private life" respectively.

Awards

 * Colin Morgan has been nominated for five different awards for his perfomance as Merlin. Those include:
 * Won the "Outstanding Newcomer" title in the 2008 Variety Club Showbiz Awards.
 * Nominated for the "Outstanding Actor" title for dramas in the 2009,2010 and 2011 Monte Carlo TV Festival awards.
 * Won the "Best Actor" title in the 2012 Virgin Media TV Awards.

Trivia

 * According to Anthony Head, Colin Morgan is allergic to tomatoes, which presumably makes filming difficult for him, considering the frequency at which Merlin is thrown in the stocks. He's also lactose intolerant and a vegan.
 * Colin Morgan shares the same birthday as co-star, Holliday Grainger.
 * His favorite actor is Sean Penn
 * He is a good swimmer.
 * He has an older brother named Neil.
 * His mother is a nurse and his father a decorator and painter.
 * Colin Morgan likes cooking Thai food, biscuits, cereals, herbal tea, and peanut butter.
 * He also likes Anime, escapism, rollercoasters, yoga, the natural world, farmers' markets, New Age.
 * He dislikes crowds, regular tea and ice cream.
 * Before auditioning for the role of Merlin, Colin got the script for Prince Arthur by mistake. He only had five minutes before auditioning to read over his part of Merlin.
 * Not a big Internet user.