Daniel Joshua Gillies[citation needed] (born March 14, 1976) is a Canadian-New Zealand actor, film producer, director and screenwriter. He played Elijah Mikaelson on The Vampire Diaries and its spin-off, The Originals; Dr. Joel Goran on Saving Hope. He wrote and directed the 2012 film, Broken Kingdom.
Daniel Gillies | |
|---|---|
 Gillies at the 2014 PaleyFest | |
| Born | Daniel Joshua Gillies 14 March 1976 |
| Citizenship |
|
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Early life
editGillies was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, to parents from New Zealand. When he was five, his parents decided to return to their native New Zealand, and moved to Invercargill and then to Hamilton. Though born into a family of strong medical background (his father is a pediatrician, his mother a nurse, and he is descended from the renowned ENT/plastic surgery pioneer Sir Harold Gillies), he became interested in acting because he said it was "the only thing I was ever any good at".[1]
Frustrated with the lack of opportunities in New Zealand, he moved to Sydney, Australia for six weeks in 2001 before going to Canada for two months, where he worked as a waiter and dishwasher until deciding to move to Los Angeles.[2]
Career
editGillies began his career starring in several Auckland Theatre Company productions, before landing a two-season lead role in the television drama Street Legal.[3] After deciding that his acting options in his native New Zealand were limited, Gillies explored his options in Sydney and Canada. Gillies then moved to Los Angeles and was soon cast in the movies Bride and Prejudice and Spider-Man 2.[4]
Since 2002, Gillies has worked in North American film and television productions. Before landing lead roles in television series, Gillies landed guests spots on television shows such as Masters of Horror, NCIS, and True Blood. In 2010, he was cast on the hit The CW drama The Vampire Diaries as Elijah Mikaelson. In 2013, CW created a successful spin-off of The Originals. chronicling the lives of the first (aka "the Original") vampires. Gillies's recurring part as Elijah from The Vampire Diaries became a lead part in The Originals.[5][6] A potential nightmare existed for CW since Gillies was already under contract to play Dr. Joel Goran in the supernatural series, Saving Hope.[7][8] Saving Hope initially aired in the US on NBC, but the series was not renewed although it continued to run in Canada. He continued both shows.[9] In 2012, Gillies wrote, directed and starred with then wife Rachael Leigh Cook in Broken Kingdom.[1]
From 2019 to 2022, Gillies portrayed the role of Mark Monroe in the Netflix's 2019 romantic drama television series, Virgin River. He was in the show for four seasons.[10] In January 2021, Gillies starred in the psychological thriller film Coming Home in the Dark, based on a 1995 short-story of the same name by Owen Marshall.[11] He was also cast as Charlie Tate in the second season of ABC series The Newsreader in 2022.[12]
Personal life
editGillies married American actress Rachael Leigh Cook on 8 August 2004.[13][14] Together they have a daughter, born in September 2013, and a son, born in April 2015.[15][16] In an interview in 2017, he revealed he pursued a vasectomy to prevent a third child from being brought into the family citing concerns about his age and energy levels, saying, "I want to be able to give these two my love and my attention and my care. I would like to stop now."[17]
On 13 June 2019, both Cook and Gillies announced on Instagram that they mutually decided to separate and they also said that they wanted it to be as discreet as possible for the sake of their kids.[18] On 10 July 2020 Gillies filed for divorce from Cook.[19] Their divorce was finalized on 10 March 2021.[20]
Since 2021, Gillies has been in a relationship with cellist Julia Misaki.[21]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | A Soldier's Sweetheart | Medic | |
| Pleasantville | |||
| 2001 | No One Can Hear You | Dirk Mettcalfe | |
| 2002 | Various Positions | Marcel | |
| 2004 | Spider-Man 2 | John Jameson | |
| Evil Remains | Mark | ||
| Bride and Prejudice | Johnny Wickham | ||
| 2006 | The Sensation of Sight | Dylan | |
| 2007 | Captivity | Gary Dexter | |
| Matters of Life and Death | Jimmy | Short film | |
| 2008 | Uncross the Stars | Troy | |
| 2012 | Broken Kingdom | Jason '80' | Also director and producer |
| 2020 | Occupation: Rainfall | Wing Commander Hayes | |
| 2021 | Coming Home in the Dark | Mandrake |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Young Hercules | Antos | Episode: "My Fair Lilith" |
| 2000 | Cleopatra 2525 | Hot Guy | Episode: "Mind Games" |
| Street Legal | Tim O'Connor | Seasons 1 & 2 | |
| 2002 | Mentors | King Arthur | Episode: "Once and Future King" |
| Jeremiah | Simon | Episode: "The Long Road: Part 1" | |
| Snow Queen | Delfont Chalfont | Television movie | |
| 2005 | Into the West | Ethan Biggs | Miniseries |
| 2007 | Masters of Horror | Jack Miller | Episode: "Dream Cruise" |
| 2010 | The Glades | Dave Rollins | Episode: "Doppelganger" |
| True Blood | Jon | Episode: "I Smell a Rat" | |
| NCIS | Royal Marine Major Peter Malloy | Episode: "Royals & Loyals" | |
| 2010–2014 | The Vampire Diaries | Elijah Mikaelson | Recurring role (seasons 2–5) |
| 2012–2015 | Saving Hope | Dr. Joel Goran | Seasons 1–3 |
| 2013–2018 | The Originals | Elijah Mikaelson | Director for episodes: "Phantomesque", "There in the Disappearing Light" |
| 2017 | SEAL Team | Nate Massey | Episode: "Pilot" |
| The Lost Wife of Robert Durst | Robert Durst | Television film | |
| 2019–2022 | Virgin River | Mark Monroe | Main (season 1) Guest (seasons 2–4) |
| 2022 | The Newsreader | Charlie | Main role (season 2) |
| 2024- | Sight Unseen | Jake Campbell | Main (Season 1) |
Voice acting
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–2020 | Thor: Metal Gods | Various/all | Episodes 1-15 |
As a director
edit- The Originals (2017–2018), 2 episodes: "Phantomesque", "There in the Disappearing Light".[22]
References
edit- ^ a b Gallagher, Michael Aaron (11 September 2012). "Daniel Gillies Releases Broken Kingdom/Kingdom Come Films". StayFamous.net. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
- ^ Barry, Rebecca (19 June 2005). "Spiderweb of fame". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
- ^ RAE, FIONA. "Axe hovering over Street Legal's core cast". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ "Mary Jane Watson and John Jameson (Daniel Gillies)". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (22 January 2013). "Daniel Gillies Joins CW's 'Vampire Diaries' Spinoff 'The Originals'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ "Daniel Gillies Joining 'Vampire Diaries' Spinoff 'The Originals'". MTV. Archived from the original on 2 October 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ Naoreen, Nuzhat. "'Vampire Diaries' Daniel Gillies on his new drama 'Saving Hope'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ "Vampire Diaries Star Daniel Gillies Reveals Where He's Headed, and the Elena Scene We Never Saw!". E! Online. 17 February 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ "Daniel Gillies on Saving Hope, Originals". Digital Spy. 7 August 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ "Virgin River star Daniel Gillies just gave a huge update about season 4". Cosmopolitan. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (26 January 2021). "'Coming Home In The Dark': Eerie First Teaser For Sundance Thriller Starring 'The Originals' Star Daniel Gillies". Deadline. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ Whittock, Jesse (25 July 2022). "'The Vampire Diaries' Star Daniel Gillies To Join Roku Original And ABC Australia Drama 'The Newsreader' As Series Regular". Deadline. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ "Baby on the Way for Rachael Leigh Cook and Daniel Gillies". People. 8 May 2013. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
- ^ "Rachael Leigh Cook: I'm Happy We Waited to Have a Baby". People. 25 June 2013. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
- ^ Webber, Stephanie (29 September 2013). "Rachael Leigh Cook, Husband Daniel Gillies Welcome Baby Girl". Us Weekly. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
- ^ Chen, Joyce (4 October 2013). "Rachael Leigh Cook Reveals Baby Name: Charlotte Easton Gillies!". Us Weekly. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Daniel Gillies Gushes Over 'Beautiful' Wife Rachael Leigh Cook, Reveals If Baby No. 3 Could Happen!". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
- ^ Stone, Natalie (13 June 2019). "Rachael Leigh Cook and Daniel Gillies Announce Split After Nearly 15 Years of Marriage". People.
- ^ Stone, Natalie (16 July 2020). "Rachael Leigh Cook's Husband Daniel Gillies Files for Divorce 1 Year After Separating". People.
- ^ "Rachael Leigh Cook and Daniel Gillies Finalize Divorce Nearly 2 Years After Split". People. 18 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
a Los Angeles judge signed off on the actors' divorce on March 10, nearly two years after the couple split in June 2019.
- ^ "From 'Vampire Diaries' to 'Virgin River' Catch Up With Actor Daniel Gillies + Find Out What He's Doing Now". Yahoo Life. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- ^ Highfill, Samantha. "'The Originals' Star Daniel Gillies on Directing: 'I Got the Best Episode of the Season'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
External links
edit