SCIFI AND TV TALK: Q & A With Merlin's Katie McGrath
Despite its well-intentioned nature, the old phrase “Daddy’s little girl” has taken on a very different – and extremely dangerous – meaning in the hit BBC fantasy series Merlin. As the ward of King Uther of Camelot, the beautiful Morgana had everything a young woman could ever want, except, of course, any claim to the throne. That honor is reserved for Uther’s son, Prince Arthur.
Things changed, however, when Morgana discovered she was, in fact, the king’s illegitimate daughter. Guided by her half-sister and scheming sorceress Morgause, she honed her own magical abilities and used dark magic in an effort to take what she felt was rightfully hers. With Morgause by her side, Morgana managed to dethrone Uther and crown herself the new Queen of Camelot towards the end of the show’s third season. Luckily, Arthur and The Kings of the Round Table, with the magical assistance of the prince’s right-hand man Merlin, were able to defeat the sisters and oust Morgana from the throne.
In Merlin’s two-part season four opener The Darkest Hour, (airing in the U.S. on Syfy, Friday, January 6th @ 10:00 p.m. EST/PST and on Canada’s SPACE Channel, Saturday, January 7th @ 8:00 p.m. EST/PST) Morgana’s resolve to bring the people of Camelot to their knees is stronger then ever. The sorceress summons the mighty Callieach (pronounced “kay-lix”) to tear open the veil between the worlds. Hellish creatures pour forth, killing any who succumb to their touch. With Uther a shadow of his former self, it falls to Merlin, Arthur and his loyal Knights to protect the kingdom.
Katie McGrath has spent the past four years captivating viewers with her deliciously wicked portrayal of the scorned sorceress Morgana. Prior to taking a brief winter holiday, the actress spent some time chatting about the new season of Merlin, the virtues of playing evil, “Jitterbug Perfume,” the recurring medieval themes in her professional life, The West Wing, Louis XIV, and Florence and the Machine...
... Q: Morgana is the villain, but she didn’t start that way – and the fans adored her. So how do you create some form of humanity or sympathy for such a wicked character?
Katie McGrath: "It’s fairly easy for me because ultimately I believe in what she’s doing, and why she’s doing it. She’s been betrayed by her father, ostracized from her family, and she’s all alone. She’s been taken down this path and, now, in Season Four, she’s lost her sister. So she’s running on pure revenge. Pure adrenaline fueled by pure revenge. I do feel sorry for her. If you look at it from her perspective, she’s just desperately trying to get back something she lost. I think audiences will sympathize with that..."
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