Born 3 January 1983 in Ashford, County Wicklow, Ireland, Katie McGrath is an Irish actress known mostly for her TV roles. She is best recognised for her role as Morgana in the BBC series “Merlin”, Lucy Westenra character on the British-American series “Dracula”, Sarah Bennett role in the first season of the Canadian horror anthology series “Slasher”, and Lena Luthor on the American superhero series “Supergirl”, which has been airing for five years now.
The stories of many film stars have shown time and again that studying Theatre Arts isn’t the only route into an acting career. Sometimes, passion, a little bit of talent, willingness to hone one’s skills, and an unexpected opportunity is all it takes. For Irish actress, Katie McGrath, whose academic background couldn’t be further from filmmaking, the foray into acting has been an interesting story.
From working as a wardrobe staff on a TV production, to being advised to give acting a shot, and ultimately becoming a famous actor, Katie’s story further proves that we never know what tomorrow holds. We will now journey through her 14-year career and learn more about how it has worked out thus far. For starters, here are ten facts about Katie McGrath.
10 facts about Katie McGrath
- Katie worked several jobs before going into acting. She worked as a cocktail waitress, as a makeup artist, and also at a piercing bar.
- At some point, she intended to pursue a career as a fashion journalist, and she worked at Image magazine for eight months before losing interest.
- Courtesy of her mother’s friend, Katie got a job as a first assistant director in the wardrobe department of the TV series, The Tudors. Although she had no sewing skills, she got this position based purely on her experience of working for a fashion magazine.
- Katie became an actress almost by accident as this was not a career path she had intended to pursue at any point in her life.
- She attended St. Andrew’s College, where she studied for an International Baccalaureate, and she also has a degree in Russian history from Trinity College in Dublin.
- Her brother Rory McGrath is a VFX guy who has worked on several Marvel projects and the James Bond franchise.
- She almost didn’t initially get the part of Morgana due to her Irish accent as Colin Morgan (who was cast as Merlin) is Irish, and the producers didn’t want two Irish characters. Morgan was, however, able to fake a British accent, and that solved the problem.
- Although Katie seems to have quite the reputation of being cast as a lesbian, she has only ever played such a role thrice in her career.
- In 2012, she won the Anglo Fan Favourites in the Woman’s category. She won against Helena Bonham-Carter and many other favourites.
- According to Celebrity Net Worth, Katie McGrath has a net worth of $4 million, mostly accumulated from her acting career and endorsements.
Related article: Kristin Kreuk Smallville actress: Husband, net worth, everything you need to know.
Early life and education
McGrath was raised in Ashford, County Wicklow, Ireland, by her father, Paul, who works with computers, and mother, Mary, who works for an Irish designer. She grew up with her two older brothers, Sean, an online media manager, and Rory, a post-production producer.
Katie studied the International Baccalaureate at St. Andrews College before graduating with a degree in History from Trinity College, Dublin, where she had focused on Russian history.
Career
Katie McGrath began her career as a fashion journalist for Image magazine before getting a job as a wardrobe assistant, and she worked on the sets of the series “The Tudors” (2007 – 2010). Friends and acquaintances advised her to try her hand at acting, and she took their counsel by sending her photos to an agency. Her first acting role came in 2007, and she hasn’t looked back since.
As of 2021, Katie’s career is only six years shy of two decades. In her fourteen years of practice, she has made a name for herself through a considerable number of notable roles both in TV and film. She has also picked up a few award nominations and recognitions along the line.
In 2007, she acted in the short film “Pebble” and the television film “Damage”. A year later, she did other television films like “Eden” and “Freakdog”, and also appeared in the miniseries “The Roaring Twenties”. That same year, McGrath secured the role of Morgana Pendragon in the series “Merlin”, a role that she is now mostly known for.
Also read: What happened to Molly Ephraim, Mandy on “The Last Man Standing”?
Katie McGrath Morgana Merlin
Arguably her most famous role to date, Katie got cast in the commercially successful television series in 2007. It is interesting to note that the role, which paved the way for her acting career, almost didn’t go her way. Being Irish, she nearly didn’t get cast on the show because Colin Morgan, who played the titular role of Merlin, was also Irish.
The show’s creator had no intentions to have two Irish characters on the series. Thus, Morgan had to fake a British accent, and that ultimately made way for Katie. It is noteworthy that Katie has played British characters in other roles, and as such, she wouldn’t have had a problem doing an accent in “Merlin” if it was necessary.
“Merlin” was a British fantasy-adventure drama television program. It is loosely based on the Arthurian legends regarding the close relations of Merlin and King Arthur. The series synopsis reads:
“a reimagining of the traditional legend, in which young warlock, Merlin is sent to the kingdom of Camelot by his mother and becomes the personal manservant to Prince Arthur. During his time there, Merlin learns that his magical powers must be used to protect Arthur, but must also be kept hidden because magic was banned in Camelot by Arthur’s tyrannical father, King Uther Pendragon, and those caught practicing it are executed.”
Katie played the role of Morgana Pendragon, initially portrayed as a kind and empathetic young woman, but later comes to despise her father, Uther, for his prejudice against magic. When she realises he would never accept her if he knew of her magical powers, she begins covertly plotting against him. She eventually became the show’s primary villain and relentlessly coveted Arthur’s throne.
Lena Luthor Supergirl
Katie got the role of Lena Luthor on the TV series “Supergirl” in 2016. She made her first appearance in the Season two premiere episode titled “The Adventures of Supergirl”. In 2017, she was promoted to a series regular and has remained on the show since. Lena is the CEO of L-Corp and the younger paternal half-sister of Lex Luthor, who arrives in National City after Lex has been incarcerated, hoping to rebrand Luthor Corp as a force for good.
“Supergirl” is an American superhero television series based on the DC Comics character Supergirl. She is a costumed superheroine who is Superman’s cousin and one of the last surviving Kryptonians.
A Princess For Christmas
In 2011, McGrath appeared in a lead role as Jules Daly in the comedy-drama film “A Princess for Christmas”. It follows the story of Jules, an antique store worker in Buffalo, New York, who becomes the legal guardian of her niece Maddie and nephew Milo after the loss of her sister and brother-in-law. Katie got a nomination for the Most Inspirational Television Acting in the 2011 Grace Awards.
Katie McGrath Jurassic World
McGrath got a supporting role as Zara in the 2015 SciFi action film “Jurassic World”. The film is the fourth installment of the Jurassic Park franchise, and the first in the Jurassic World trilogy. It takes place on the same fictional island of Isla Nublar, located off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The premise follows a chaotic series of events in the park after a transgenic dinosaur escapes from its enclosure and goes on a rampage.
Her character was the personal assistant to Claire Dearing, the Jurassic World operations manager.
Read more: Is Cameron Monaghan gay? See facts about Cal Kestis and Joker actor
Katie McGrath Dracula
McGrath starred as Lucy Westenra in the 2013 British-American horror drama television series “Dracula”. The series is a reimagining of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel of the same name. It follows the arrival of Dracula in London posing as an American entrepreneur who claims to bring modern science to Victorian society while he is, in fact, out for revenge on the Order of the Dragon, a power-hungry organisation, that ruined his life centuries earlier.
Katie’s character, Lucy, is a rich society girl who harbours secret romantic feelings for Mina, her best friend, who is Dracula love interest.
Other notable works
In 2009, McGrath starred in a five-part docudrama exploring the life of Queen Elizabeth II titled “The Queen”, she played a young Princess Margaret. The actress also appeared as Oriane Congost in the miniseries “Labyrinth”. In June 2013, she co-starred in episode four of the TV show “Dates” as a young lesbian.
In Guy Ritchie’s 2017 fantasy film “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword”, Katie appeared as Elsa, the wife of Vortigern, the tyrannical and ruthless king of Britain who can transform himself into a demonic knight.
Personal life
For the most part, Katie’s personal life remains private. In fact, she has no known social media accounts. Not much is known about her life asides from her brief relationship with British actor Joe Dempsie in the year 2010.
Katie McGrath husband
It isn’t a surprise that one of the most asked questions about Katie is who her husband is. Being the drop-dead gorgeous woman that she is, with eyes that can literally stare into one’s soul, fans are naturally curious about such things as her romantic relationships and marital status. Katie McGrath is not and has never been married. Although, she has expressed her desire to have a home in the country with dogs, chickens and kids.
Colin Morgan and Katie McGrath
Just as most other celebrities, Katie’s life is not spared from rumours. It is known that she has a great friendship with her “Merlin” co-star Colin Morgan. They have maintained their friendship beyond the production of the famed TV show, and there have been rumours that they are dating. The only form of “evidence” to back this up are photos of them together. Flimsy, to say the very least. Neither Katie nor Colin have debunked or confirmed these rumours though, so it remains a thing.
Net worth
As stated earlier, according to Celebrity Net Worth, Katie McGrath has a net worth of $4 million. Her wealth is believed to be accumulated mostly from her acting career and brand endorsements.
Conclusion
For someone who had no intentions of acting, Katie has had a pretty decent career and she is not done yet. Although she seems to have been keeping a low profile in recent times – even from acting, there is always possible of something in the pipelines. So far, her only role in 2021 has been her recurring character, Lena Luthor in “Supergirl”. The screen goddess still has a long career ahead of her, and surely, the best of her is yet to come.
You may also like to read our latest article, Hasanabi Biography: Twitch streamer, former The Young Turks producer, and more.
Her acting is mid.. a bit overrated for me.