Playing Morgana in Merlin is great fun...she's dark and misunderstood, says actress Katie McGrath
Nov 24 2010 Brian Mciver
SHE is the hottest babe in Camelot and one of the great bad girls of telly.
And Katie McGrath is loving every minute of spicing up the Middle Ages in hit fantasy series Merlin.
The Dublin-born actress plays mysterious temptress Morgana in the popular show.
And as series three comes out on DVD this week, and a range of Merlin action figures go on sale on Amazon, Katie spoke to The Brief about sexing up early evening telly and what makes a good wizard.
не спойлерноMerlin is fun to watch, what's it like to film?
However much fun it looks, we're having twice as much fun making it. It's basically hanging around with your mates, playing dragons and wearing fancy-dress costumes, so it's a bit like regressing to being a child and getting paid for it.
How would you describe the show to someone who has never seen it?
It's sword fights, horse riding, stunts, things exploding, costume, hair, make-up, glamour, kings, queens, knights and princesses. It's like re-living your childhood and being Peter Pan.
Morgana is one of the all-time classic Arthurian characters, the sexy bad girl of Camelot. Is there pressure in playing such a well-known role?
You look back at all the actors who have played it before you, such as Helen Mirren. It's one of the few iconic and powerful feminine characters. She is a very strong woman, which is rare for such an old legend. She is also a very modern and epic character so you have to take all that on your shoulders.
Is she a bad girl?
Not at all. I don't see her as evil. By season three you understand that she has no other option than to do what she has to do. She believes in what she is doing and in standing up for people like her. She's dark, not evil.
Working with acting giants including John Hurt, Miriam Margolyes, Charles Dance and Anthony Stewart Head must be fantastic?
It's unbelievable. They have the real cream of acting talent and a lot of people who are on their first jobs, so we have all these established stars helping to introduce the fresh talent.
Who is a cooler wizard, Merlin or Gandalf from Tolkien, and why?
Oooh, cheeky. This could create scandal. Without Merlin, there would be no Gandalf, so I see them as the same thing, one a continuation of the other. But our version of Merlin is light years away from Gandalf, so it's OK to say they are both extremely cool in very different ways.
You got your big break while working as a wardrobe assistant. Do you ever miss working in wardrobe?
I loved every minute of working in wardrobe. But I love being an actress so much more. I don't think I was very good in costume, so it's better that I prefer being an actress.
And does that give you a better understanding of the behind the scenes staff than other actors?
It has made me a better actor. They are very different jobs, and each very challenging. Working crew made me realise that the actors are a very small part of a very big machine, with each part being vital to make the show work.
It so important to remember that it's not about you, it's about the show, and working crew hammered that point home to me. Everyone on Merlin feels that and we work together.
Do you think your route into acting makes you appreciate the wonder of the job perhaps more than others?
Totally the opposite. It made me understand the reality and total lack of glamour of it all.
How does it feel to be one of the hottest women in the dark ages?
It feels like I have a lot to live up to. It's also very, very flattering that the executives thought that I could. But most of the time at six o'clock in the morning in the make-up chair, I wonder what on earth they were thinking...
It's a fun show for all the family, but as the hottest actress in the series is it fun getting to add a bit of sex appeal?
I like to think Angel Coulby, who plays Gwen, and I add a bit of glamour to Camelot. I think one of the reasons that the show is so successful is that it has something to appeal to everyone and someone for everyone's taste.
Do you think you'd like to see a film of Merlin?
I don't think we'll ever need to. Where can a film go that we haven't already been? And why cram it all into an hour-and-a-half? We can do so much more telling many stories rather than just one. And this year, the show looks so film-like. I like to think we have given people 13 mini movies.
What are your ambitions? Shall we expect to see you in Hollywood anytime soon?
I'm a very ambitious girl. I'll go wherever there is a good part.