Joseph Morgan

Joseph Morgan (born Joseph Martin) is a British actor and director. He portrays Niklaus Mikaelson.

Early Life
Morgan was born in London, but lived in Swansea for 11 years. He is the oldest child in his family. He was a student at Morriston Comprehensive School and then studied a BTEC Performing Arts course at Gorseinon College (now Gower College Swansea), before moving back to London to study at the Central School of Speech and Drama in his late teens.

Career
Morgan starred in the first series of the Sky One Television Series Hex, as Troy and has appeared in supporting roles in films such as Alexander and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World and the BBC Two television series The Line of Beauty. He has also appeared in the television series Doc Martin and Casualty and co-starred in Mansfield Park alongside Billie Piper. In 2010 he played the title role in the mini-series "Ben Hur" which first aired on CBC television in Canada and ABC TV in America, on 4 April 2010.

Morgan played Niklaus Mikaelson in The CW's The Vampire Diaries, and played Lysander in the 2011 film Immortals, alongside Henry Cavill. BuddyTV ranked him #84 on its list of "TV's Sexiest Men of 2011". In January 2013, a back-door pilot for The Originals, a spin-off series of The Vampire Diaries, began airing with Morgan starring as Niklaus Mikaelson.

Personal Life
Morgan met actress Persia White on the set of The Vampire Diaries. The couple got engaged in 2014 after dating since 2011. They married on 5 July 2014 in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. He became the stepfather of White's daughter.

Morgan is a supporter of the charity Positive Women, including asking fans to donate to the cause to acknowledge his birthday.