Movies

Colin Morgan (born 1 January 1986) is a Northern Irish actor. He is known for playing the title character in the BBC fantasy series Merlin (2008–2012), Leo Elster in Humans (2015–2018), and Billy Clanton in Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast (2021).

Morgan made his London theatre debut in 2007 as the title character in DBC Pierre's Vernon God Little. He went on to appear in the theatre productions Pedro Almodóvar's Todo sobre mi madre ("All About My Mother") in 2007, Thomas Babe's A Prayer for My Daughter in 2008, Pedro Miguel Rozo's Our Private Life in 2011, Step in Time at The Old Vic 24 Hour Musicals Celebrity Gala in 2012, Shakespeare's The Tempest in 2013, and Jez Butterworth's Mojo during 2013 and 2014.

In July 2008, Screen International named Morgan as a "Star of Tomorrow". For his performance in Merlin, Morgan was nominated for Outstanding Actor (Drama) in the Monte Carlo TV Festival Awards in 2009, 2010, and 2011, and Best Actor in Drama Performance: Male in the National Television Awards in 2013.

Early life and education
Morgan was born in Armagh, Northern Ireland, the son of Bernard, a painter and decorator, and Bernadette, a nurse. He is the younger of two brothers; they were both raised Roman Catholic.

In 1997, Morgan began studies at Integrated College Dungannon. Morgan starred in several college productions including Surgical Sensations at St. Senapods and Bad Day at Black Frog Creek.

Morgan was awarded a National Diploma in Performing Arts from the Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education in 2004. He graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2007. In the final year of his undergraduate course, he was discovered by theatre director Rufus Norris and made the decision to leave three-quarters of the way through to make his professional London West End theatre debut as the title character in Vernon God Little. Morgan's performance was well received and used as an assessment for his final grade.

In November 2010, the Belfast Metropolitan College honoured Morgan with an Award of Distinction for his contribution to the Arts.