Joseph Morgan Interview

You teased to TVGuide about “Vampire Diaries” fans getting more storyline coming soon for the Originals, and coming to see how they became vampires. Why do you think it is important for people to keep reflecting on the past for Klaus and his storyline instead of focusing on the future.

To be honest with you I wouldn’t say that we don’t focus on the future as well. Here's the the thing, Klaus is a thousand years old, as are the rest of the Originals.  So there is such a wealth of past history to take advantage of in terms of great stories with all of their histories, it’s a rich tapestry, so I think it would be crazy not to go there and learn all about his past. Also, it’s all of what makes him who he is today. But I don’t feel like the future is being neglected so much. I find a lot of the time in the scripts I’m talking about what I’m going to do once I get, once I create my hybrids, I’m going to leave this town, or once I do this, I’m going to do that. He always seems to be scheming and planning although he knows it doesn’t always go how he wants it too. I feel like there’s a balance, to be honest.

What’s more upsetting to Klaus, his family getting revenge, or what’s in the other coffin?

Ah, well, you see now, with the episode that aired two weeks ago we know that it’s his mother in the coffin, so I think they’re one and the same thing. His family getting revenge and what’s in the coffin are both just sort of the same threat. Family is everything to him. He cares deeply about family and he’s very mixed up with feeling rejected by them and everything, so yeah, that’s the thing that is most upsetting to him I think more even than getting revenge, than rejecting him again.

Klaus has been starting to show that possibly he may have a good side. Would you like to see Klaus redeemed, or do you prefer him stuck in turmoil?

I wouldn’t like to see him completely redeemed, you know. I think some of the things he’s done are pretty unforgivable, but I’d like see that I’ve explored more of his human side. In the episode that aired last week we definitely see a little more of definitely a side of him that we haven’t seen before and I’ve got the writers to thank for that. They keep giving me great stuff and layering up the character. So yeah, I would like to see a little more of his human side, but I don’t think complete redemption is in order, I mean you know, let’s not forget, he did kill Aunt Jenna as well as the wolf girl, Jules, and he tried to kill Elena as well. There’s a little list of things that people should remind themselves every now and again, you know, every time they feel like they should completely forgive him.

Exactly! There’s been a lot of buzz about a new romance, though, for Klaus. Would you like to see him with Bonnie, Caroline, or someone fans may least expect?

After the scene that I did in episode eleven this season with Caroline, there was a lot of buzz about that. There was a lot of fan videos on the internet shipping the pair of us, so I’d like to see that explored a little more because I feel like there’s good chemistry there and I feel like that’s something the fans want, and ultimately that’s what we’re here to provide, is you know, what they want. I just did some scenes with Kat Graham the other day and I loved that as well, and I love working with Nina, so I’m just sort of, I’m interested in variety to be honest. I like to work with everyone and get a little bit of all, so maybe a harem for Klaus?   

You’re sort of stuck either way you choose, it’s perfect, you’re going to get a “ship” no matter what.

Exactly!

With the introduction of Klaus’s brothers Kol and Finn coming up, is there anything you can tease about what we’ll learn or see from them?

Yes. First of all, both of these guys are awesome as people and as actors. I really, really like both of them. From Finn, we can see, this is a guy who has been in the coffin for hundreds of years, so with him coming back he’s going to find it very strange, I think, the modern world. He’s definitely got a sort of archaic feel to him, he’s definitely a little older, and his loyalties certainly aren’t with Klaus. He’s very old school in his thinking. Kol we’re going to see is someone who can hold his own a little bit more against Klaus. He’s my younger brother, but he’s malicious. I’d say to Nathaniel that Kol is the kind of character that you can imagine torturing animals.

Oh, great.

Malicious a little…

Serial killer.

Yeah, so these guys are, they’re both very individual characters and very interestingly written, and we got to see a lot of them in last weeks episode.  We got to know a lot more about them and they’re relationships with each other.

What’s been your favorite scene or moment to film so far this season? 

That’s a tough one. I love the scene from what I talked about in episode eleven where I go to see Caroline and I save her by feeding her my blood, that was one of my favorite scenes that they wrote for me just because it’s that real kind of empiric seduction. I don’t know, I liked a lot of the kind of stuff that you can call dramatic where the stakes are high, but that’s a lot of this stuff. I love anything where I get to work with my, you know, Daniel Gillies or with Claire Holt because they’re both fantastic and I just really enjoy that. It’s a lot of fun. I don’t know, but I think that scene from, yeah, episode eleven with what I did with Candice. I really, really enjoyed that. I put a lot into that. I feel like that’s, if I had to show a reel, that would be going on it.

You’ve been traveling to various TVD conventions. What kind of feedback do you get from fans? 

The fans are fantastic. They’ve been incredibly accommodating to me and just, it’s just been lovely. I always try to just chat with people about other TV shows they like and about our show and sort of let them know that they’re going to love when this episode happens if you love that storyline because you’re going to see a bit more and trying to keep people excited about it. I’ve had wonderful, wonderful response from all the fans and going to those conventions really kind of makes it real, you know? You’re face-to-face with people who love the show, which at first was a little overwhelming for me because I didn’t realize I suppose the popularity of it. I knew it, but I didn’t really understand it until I saw it. It’s been incredible, incredible going to those conventions.  

Well, you learned your lesson about underestimating "The Vampire Diaries."

Yeah, I certainly did.

Would you ever like there to be a crossover episode with another CW show, and what would you think it could be?

You know, the obvious one I suppose is “Secret Circle,” isn’t it, but I’d love to do a crossover with “Supernatural” just because I did “The Bad-Ass Boys of the CW" panel recently. I met Jared Padalecki and I thought he was just like a really, really cool guy and really funny.  I got on well with him so I’d like to do that purely for selfish reasons so I can have a scene with Jared Padalecki.

What is it about the social networking site Twitter that made you want to be a part of it?

Initially, because someone was imitating me on Twitter, and I watched them for about two weeks and they had such terrible grammar and everything that I felt like I’m being misrepresented so I joined to clear it up. Also, genuinely really because it, I took the example of the other people in the show who used it. I saw the advantage of being able to talk directly to the fans, to be able to cut out all of the media and speak directly, so it’s really a wonderful thing in that way. Even though I know the responses are all short because they’re one-hundred-and-forty characters, at least this way I can instantly reply to some fans and talk about the show and talk about the films and books and music that inspire me as well. So it’s really about having a more direct connection with the fans, I think. 

What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

Just thank you. Thank you so very, very, very much, because you know I’ve worked really hard at this for a while now and this has just been the greatest thing to happen to me, doing this job. It’s really, everybody has been so supportive and not only of “The Vampire Diaries,” but now they’ve become aware of me, of other projects I’ve done as well, like everyone was so wonderful about Immortals and about Angels Crest.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart and I will continue trying to do the best I can and make the character as interesting and as exciting as possible.