Joseph Morgan

On both the big and small screens, Joseph Morgan often portrayed complex and intense characters who were deeply misunderstood. The actor began making waves in his native London with guest appearances in the miniseries "Henry VIII" (ITV, 2003) and the cult fantasy drama "Hex" (Sky One, 2004-05). Shortly after, Morgan landed roles opposite some of Hollywood's biggest stars, making his film debut in "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" (2003), opposite Russell Crowe, followed by a featured role in the Oliver Stone action adventure "Alexander" (2004), starring Angelina Jolie. The actor scored a lead part in the ABC miniseries "Ben Hur" (2010), where he took on the iconic role of a Jewish prince sold into slavery, before appearing in the swords-and-sandals epic "Immortals" (2011). Morgan's intensely physical and emotionally challenging performances in "Ben Hur" and "Immortals" finally earned the actor the name recognition he deserved, which led to a regular role on the hit fantasy series "The Vampire Diaries" (The CW, 2009-17), where he played a terrorizing vampire-werewolf hybrid. Morgan's role on the series not only showed off his penchant for playing gruesome yet multilayered characters, but it also heralded his foray toward mainstream stardom.