Tom Ellis

Background

Thomas John Ellis was born in Cardiff, Wales, to Christopher John Ellis and Marilyn Jean Hooper on November 17, 1978. He was raised in a Christian family with his father, uncle, and one of his sisters being Baptist ministers. Shortly after he was born, Ellis’ family moved to England. He was raised in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, and attended High Storrs School where he joined the City of Sheffield Youth Orchestra as a French horn player. Ellis went on to study at Glasgow’s Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Dramatic Studies.

Among Ellis’ earliest works was the B.B.C. One T.V. series, “Kiss Me Kate,” in 2000, where he portrayed the character Ben. From 2004 to 2006, he starred in Channel 4’s “No Angels” as Justyn. He also acted as Dr. Oliver in B.B.C. One’s soap opera “EastEnders” in 2006. In 2007, Ellis appeared in the three finales of “Doctor Who” as Thomas Milligan. The episodes were titled ‘Last of the Time Lords.’ Ellis found his breakthrough role when he was cast as Gary Preston in B.B.C. One’s sitcom “Miranda” from 2009 to 2015. In 2010, he played the character Cenred in the “Merlin” T.V. series.

Ellis’ popularity soared in 2015 when he was cast as Lucifer Morningstar in “Lucifer,” an urban fantasy series based on D.C. Comics’ publication, which first aired on Fox before moving to Netflix. The show premiered on January 25, 2016, and ended in September 2021. Ellis reprised his role as Lucifer Morningstar in “Crisis on Infinite Earths” in 2019, the series’ crossover appearance in the “Arrowverse” franchise. “Lucifer” earned him the U.S. National Film and Television Awards in 2018 as Best Actor in a T.V. Series and the 2021 Hollywood Critics Association Television Awards as the Pop Culture Icon Award. Ellis also won the 2021 Tell-Tale T.V. Award for Favorite Actor in a Cable or Streaming Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Series. Today, the actor has garnered a massive fanbase with more than 10 million followers on Instagram.