It’s a couple of months until Merlin‘s fifth series begins filming, but CultBox caught up with Katie McGrath, who plays Morgana, for a chat recently to find out what her hopes are for the next series.
> Buy the Complete Series 4 boxset on Amazon.
When do you begin filming Series 5?
“We’re back in March, we’ve not got an official date yet, but sometime in March.
“A very nice man has just walked into the room with cake. Cake and blueberries! And tea! This is what it means to be an actress!”
What are your hopes for Morgana in Series 5?
“I want her to be like a warrior queen! I want a kinda Boadicea sort of thing, in armour. For some reason she lives in a hovel and still looks like she wears couture and fashion make-up. Which I love!
“But maybe some armour, some sort of Alexander McQueen-style beautiful chainmail, that’d be cool.”
@JonathanAngwin asks: Would you like to see Morgana’s side of the argument explored more in Series 5?
“I think it’s fairly clear what her point of view is. You may not agree with it, but I don’t think you need to hear any more about it. Morgana’s a character in an ensemble piece.
“The story is about Merlin and I think that’s what people want to see.”
@TheLadyMorgana_ asks: What’s the most best thing about playing a villain?
“Great boobs! She’s so confident. When you’re an actress you’re full of insecurity, but you get to rock up on the day and pretend that you’re the most powerful woman in all the land. It’s a good feeling; it makes you feel slightly better about yourself.”
@xTeacherTx asks: Do you think that deep down Morgana really hates Gwen or is it just pure jealousy?
“I think it’s total jealousy. I don’t think she really hates her. I think she’s passionately jealous of her. Gwen has taken the place in the hearts of all the people Morgana wishes she had and the position that Morgana feels she should have.
“Also, she’s got really great hair and really good costumes. And Angel [Coulby] is better at sword fighting. I think that’s why I’m jealous of her!”
@ArthurianTardis asks: Did you enjoy Morgana’s involvement in the Series 4 finale?
“She’s running the whole show! There may be something else to do with Arthur and Merlin and a few other characters in it, but to be honest I don’t think Morgana really cares!
“To her it’s all about sitting around, chilling on her throne, doing her evil. I think the Series 4 finale, much more than any finale before, very much sets up Series 5. It really does set up for Series 5 and it’s a brilliant cliffhanger.”
@TheLadyMorgana asks: What was Nathaniel Parker like to work with as your partner in crime in Series 4?
“The man is hilarious. I don’t know if you’ve seen any of the outtakes but, like [Anthony Head], he just has a brilliant giggle.
“He’s always in a good mood and he’s always up for anything. He’s a great guy and wonderful to work with. Most of my scenes were with him so we spent a lot of time together.”
@AprilDMoore asks: To what extent did were you involved with Morgana’s costuming/makeup for Series 4 and how it reflected her evolution?
“You know, I wish I could take credit for it because it’s so bloody cool, but I rocked up from Romania after working on the Christmas film [A Christmas Princess] and it was already done.
“The team all had this idea of how they wanted it took look I just turned up and, thank God, I was absolutely thrilled and loved it! As much as I loved her pretty costumes before, this one I adore!
“I was quite happy to let Angel have her 57 costume changes a day while I just stayed in the same thing.”
@Maria_Mutters asks: Do you think Morgana has any chance of redemption before Merlin ends?
“Well, if you know the legend, you know that at the end of the day Morgana is the hero! Morgana heals Arthur’s wounds and takes him off to Albion where he’s waiting to be the wonderful future king.
“So really Arthur’s not actually the hero, it’s Morgana! So I’m assuming she’ll have to have redemption, yeah!”
> Buy the Complete Series 4 boxset on Amazon.
Watch a clip from Series 4…
What are your hopes for Series 5? Let us know below…