Katie McGrath
Encyclopedia
Katherine Elizabeth McGrath (born 24 October 1983) is an Irish
actress from Ashford, County Wicklow
, Ireland
, best known for playing Morgana in the BBC One
TV series Merlin
.
. She wanted to work in fashion journalism and took a job at Image
magazine, before becoming a wardrobe assistant on the set of The Tudors
.
, McGrath was advised to try acting, so she sent photographs around Irish agents. She then won a small role in the series (Season 2 episode 5).
She said:
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.
She also appeared in the feature films Eden and Freakdog
, before being cast in Merlin
.
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.
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.
In February 2011, McGrath began filming the comedy-drama film A Princess for Christmas
in Romania
.
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.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
actress from Ashford, County Wicklow
Ashford, County Wicklow
Ashford , historically known as Ballymacahara , is a village County Wicklow, Republic of Ireland. It lies on the R772 regional road. The Vartry River flows under the road in the village centre...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, best known for playing Morgana in the BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
TV series Merlin
Merlin (TV series)
Merlin is a British fantasy-adventure television programme by Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps. It began broadcasting on BBC One on 20 September 2008. The show is based on the Arthurian legends of the wizard Merlin and his relationship with Prince Arthur but differs from...
.
Background
McGrath graduated in History at the Trinity College, DublinTrinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
. She wanted to work in fashion journalism and took a job at Image
Image (magazine)
Image is an Irish lifestyle and fashion magazine launched in 1975....
magazine, before becoming a wardrobe assistant on the set of The Tudors
The Tudors
The Tudors is a Canadian produced historical fiction television series filmed in Ireland, created by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime...
.
Career
While working on The TudorsThe Tudors
The Tudors is a Canadian produced historical fiction television series filmed in Ireland, created by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime...
, McGrath was advised to try acting, so she sent photographs around Irish agents. She then won a small role in the series (Season 2 episode 5).
She said:
- “A couple of the producers said I should give acting a try. I just thought, ‘Why not?’ It’s like running away to join the circus, everyone wants to do it when they’re young but then you grow up and get a proper job. But somebody’s got to do it or you wouldn’t have the circus.”
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.
She also appeared in the feature films Eden and Freakdog
Freakdog
Freakdog is a 2008 horror film by Paddy Breathnach, that originally went under the title Red Mist.-Plot:The film circles around four medical students who, while out partying one night, spike the drink of a unknowing and loner colleague nicknamed 'Freakdog'; it turned out to be a very powerful...
, before being cast in Merlin
Merlin (TV series)
Merlin is a British fantasy-adventure television programme by Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps. It began broadcasting on BBC One on 20 September 2008. The show is based on the Arthurian legends of the wizard Merlin and his relationship with Prince Arthur but differs from...
.
McGrath also starred in a five-part docudrama
Docudrama
In film, television programming and staged theatre, docudrama is a documentary-style genre that features dramatized re-enactments of actual historical events. As a neologism, the term is often confused with docufiction....
for Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
exploring the life of Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, in which she played a young Princess Margaret.
In 2010, McGrath was cast in Madonna's
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
directorial debut W.E.
W.E. (film)
W.E. is an upcoming romantic drama film co-written and directed by Madonna, starring Abbie Cornish, Oscar Isaac, Richard Coyle, James D'Arcy and Andrea Riseborough. It began filming on location in London, England, on July 5, 2010, and also shot in France and the United States...
, 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.
In February 2011, McGrath began filming the comedy-drama film A Princess for Christmas
A Princess for Christmas
A Princess for Christmas or A Christmas Princess in the UK is an upcoming Hallmark Channel original comedy-drama film by Michael Damian...
in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
.
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.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Damage | Rachel | TV movie |
| 2008 | Eden | Dessie's Girlfriend | |
| The Tudors The Tudors The Tudors is a Canadian produced historical fiction television series filmed in Ireland, created by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime... |
Bess | TV series (1 episode: "His Majesty's Pleasure") | |
| Freakdog Freakdog Freakdog is a 2008 horror film by Paddy Breathnach, that originally went under the title Red Mist.-Plot:The film circles around four medical students who, while out partying one night, spike the drink of a unknowing and loner colleague nicknamed 'Freakdog'; it turned out to be a very powerful... |
Harriet | ||
| The Roaring Twenties | Vixen | TV mini-series | |
| Merlin Merlin (TV series) Merlin is a British fantasy-adventure television programme by Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps. It began broadcasting on BBC One on 20 September 2008. The show is based on the Arthurian legends of the wizard Merlin and his relationship with Prince Arthur but differs from... |
Morgana Pendragon | TV series (39 episodes: 2008-2011) | |
| 2009 | The Queen The Queen (2009 docudrama) The Queen was a 2009 British drama-documentary showing Queen Elizabeth II at different points during her life. Broadcast on Channel 4 over five consecutive nights from 29 November 2009, the Queen was portrayed by a different actress in each episode. The Queen was portrayed by Emilia Fox, Samantha... |
Princess Margaret Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II and the younger daughter of King George VI.... |
TV series (1 episode: "Margaret") |
| 2010 | The Quest for Morgana | Morgana Pendragon | YouTube YouTube YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos.... Merlin Merlin (TV series) Merlin is a British fantasy-adventure television programme by Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps. It began broadcasting on BBC One on 20 September 2008. The show is based on the Arthurian legends of the wizard Merlin and his relationship with Prince Arthur but differs from... Spin-off Spin-off (media) In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work... game |
| 2011 | A Princess for Christmas A Princess for Christmas A Princess for Christmas or A Christmas Princess in the UK is an upcoming Hallmark Channel original comedy-drama film by Michael Damian... |
Jules Daly | TV movie |
| W.E. W.E. (film) W.E. is an upcoming romantic drama film co-written and directed by Madonna, starring Abbie Cornish, Oscar Isaac, Richard Coyle, James D'Arcy and Andrea Riseborough. It began filming on location in London, England, on July 5, 2010, and also shot in France and the United States... |
Lady Thelma Furness | ||
| 2012 | Tríd an Stoirm | Unknown | post-production |
| Labyrinth | Oriane | TV mini-series, filming |