Question: When you play a character that’s lived for so long, how do you approach the backstory for that much time?
JOSEPH MORGAN: It does go on forever. There’s a certain amount that’s developed for you, through the flashbacks, and then you fill in some of the gaps. I tend not to make up too many solid events that he’s been through because then that informs what I’m playing, and then that’s redefined by the writers anyway. When I joined the show, I didn’t know that Stefan and Klaus had a history together. My first few scenes that I was playing with him, I had no idea that it was going to go back and that you would find out that we knew each other, for years. Back in the ‘20s, we were friends. So, it’s useful, to a certain extent, to make backstory and think about that, but to create anything that’s too solid is detrimental, when you’re playing things, later on.
Out of all the flashbacks you’ve done on the show, which era have you enjoyed the most?
MORGAN: Chicago 1920′s, for sure. I’ve done a lot of period drama before. A lot of my jobs have been that. A few of the eras, I had visited before, but 1920′s Chicago was something that I was immediately attracted to. The tuxes, the style of the whole thing, and the speakeasys were incredibly exciting for me.
What is your take on the allure of vampires?
MORGAN: First of all, they’ve been made sexy, over the last few years. They were always monsters, before that. Interview with a Vampire made vampires sexy. I think there’s something that people can relate to, especially teenagers, with the idea of someone who has an older, dark secret and is struggling with something inside themselves and to be accepted because there’s a part of themselves that they’re ashamed of, and yet they really would just like to be like everybody else. I think that’s something that’s instantly relatable to teenagers.
Do you ever worry about the fact that there could come a point when you can’t be the villain on The Vampire Diaries anymore?
MORGAN: Yes, I worry about them making him softer. I think they can make him more human and more relatable without necessarily taking away any of has bad-ass-ism. I think that it’s possible to have someone who is an anti-hero, who does tear hearts out and break necks, and you can still relate to him, on a certain level. I do worry. I trust [the writers], and I think they’ll keep him as bad-ass as possible.
You’ve got two new Original brothers coming in this season. How do they rank, compared to Klaus?
MORGAN: They’re bad-asses in training, I would say. They are doing well. They’ve started to master the heart-pulling-out and the neck-breaking, and all that stuff. One of them has been around for a good few hundred years, and the other one’s no spring chicken either. They’ve got a lot to learn, coming into the modern world. I think one of the differences is that my character is hybrid, so he’s part werewolf and part vampire. That boosts me up the bad-ass scale a little bit. At the moment, I’m looking back over my shoulder and they’re still way behind me, but I don’t know. We’ll see if they catch up.
Do you know who’s in the fourth coffin?
MORGAN: Yes.
What are you currently watching on television?
MORGAN: I know it’s not on our network, but I’m a massive fan of The Walking Dead. I’m a huge, huge fan. I love that show. I’m doing a fan convention in February, in Orlando, Florida, and I think Lauren Cohan is going to be there, as well. I’m excited because I’ve never met her. I’ve read all the comic books and the graphic novels. I just love it. I’m putting it out there, just in case they want someone for a guest episode.
So, it’s not enough for you to be a vampire and a werewolf, you want to be a zombie now, too?
MORGAN: I’d rather be one of the survivors. There’s something intriguing to me about them, and about being alive in this post-apocalyptic world, where suddenly we define the rules. There’s no society. There’s no formula there. Suddenly, it’s down to us to define what’s good and what’s bad, what’s right and what’s wrong. That’s what’s exciting to me, about all of that.
