Camelot Character Biographies

King Arthur (Jamie Campbell Bower)

A 19/20 year old struggling to cope with the revelation of his previously unknown destiny - can this young man really be a great King? And even if he really is Uther's son, does he actually want to be King? Initially, Arthur doesn't feel ready, worthy or remotely like the right guy for the job. Except we can see he is: his adoptive father Ector has educated him, taught him combat, but also history. He knows how others have tried to lead - can he now apply this in ways that perhaps can make him serve it better than most, but to lead his country? This first season sees Arthur move from denial to believing that perhaps he could be the man for the job. As he realises that what he can offer most is hope, but he can't do it on his own. He needs a fellowship, bound together by a belief in hope. And maybe even new concepts - justice, fairness and the beginnings of something called chivalry? But he'll have to bind that fellowship together from a set of disparate, opinionated individuals all with their own agendas. He'll have to bring the idea of Camelot into reality and then maintain it and most importantly persuade the country that this is the way to live.

Merlin (Joseph Fiennes)

Mid-40s, a powerful ex-warrior, who some see more as the feral lunatic who lives in the woods. He's earthy, sexy and dangerous. No wand, no potions - but plenty of power. Harsh, unsentimental and direct, Merlin never reveals more than he has to - often because he doesn't know. This Merlin is not yet a sage: he doesn't have all the answers. He's fallible, constantly thinking on his feet, reacting to events as they happen. Because our Merlin is a man tormented by the fractured bits of information revealed to him, and his inability to yet understand the full picture. It is the most important jigsaw imaginable, but he doesn't yet have all the pieces but what he does see terrifies him. Likewise, his powers are dark, mysterious and connected to nature and natural forces. Like all the magic in this show, it costs. It's painful to deliver and cannot be fully controlled. He has foresworn his power - he suppresses this part of his nature, frightened of what it can do to him and to others. Merlin's Briton is a terrible place to be. The only place that is worse is inside Merlin's head.

Morgan (Eva Green)

Unlike her half-brother, Arthur, Morgan has no doubts about her destiny. She was born to rule - end of story. If she meets any resistance, she'll remove it. If she wants something or someone, she gets it. However now she has been denied her destiny by an interloper, a puppet controlled by her father's sorcerer. She believes Briton should be hers. To be a woman in this world is to be dominated and denied by men, but Morgan has learned to avoid being a victim and use her circumstances to her advantage. Her father's banishment of her to a nunnery led to her developing powers of necromancy, under the guidance of a nun called Sybil. Morgan ensures her gender will not hold her back - rather, she'll use it. Sex is a weapon and Morgan will do whatever it takes to win.

Guinevere (Tamsin Egerton)

Unlike Morgan, Guinevere does not want to use her gender as a weapon. She refuses to be bowed and beaten into submission by men but wants to be judged on her on terms - as someone who is worthy of respect because of the person she is, the qualities she has and choices she makes. Guinevere essentially wants freedom to be her own person and this desire can sometimes make her selfish. Yet a childhood betrothal to the warrior Leontes hangs over her head - she is soon to be married to a handsome, brave, kind man, who is very much in love with her. Is it wrong that she wants more? That she wants to be married to a man she loves in turn? This niggling doubt is set alight when she meets Arthur, a man with whom her connection is passionate, visceral and intellectual. But she is to be married to Arthur's own champion, and she must suppress these feelings at all costs.

Igraine (Claire Forlani)

The woman who gave up her son finds herself a widower and reunited with the child she had taken from her. The stoical, refined Igraine soon finds herself out of her depth at Camelot and determines to do what she's always done best - survive. As the only person who understands how a castle should be run, she'll fashion out a new role for herself and work at defining a relationship with her son. There's a fascination and an attraction between her and Merlin - the man who took the child from her arms but how dangerous will this prove to be?

Kay (Peter Mooney)

The reasoned thinker, next to his brother's more impulsive nature, Kay comes to Camelot to assist his brother, and is soon made Marshal of England. He'll stand at Arthur's side, giving him advice and opinion, just when Arthur needs it most. As Kay forms a close bond with Leontes, will his loyalty to his brother be tested?

King Arthur (Jamie Campbell Bower)

A 19/20 year old struggling to cope with the revelation of his previously unknown destiny - can this young man really be a great King? And even if he really is Uther's son, does he actually want to be King? Initially, Arthur doesn't feel ready, worthy or remotely like the right guy for the job. Except we can see he is: his adoptive father Ector has educated him, taught him combat, but also history. He knows how others have tried to lead - can he now apply this in ways that perhaps can make him serve it better than most, but to lead his country? This first season sees Arthur move from denial to believing that perhaps he could be the man for the job. As he realises that what he can offer most is hope, but he can't do it on his own. He needs a fellowship, bound together by a belief in hope. And maybe even new concepts - justice, fairness and the beginnings of something called chivalry? But he'll have to bind that fellowship together from a set of disparate, opinionated individuals all with their own agendas. He'll have to bring the idea of Camelot into reality and then maintain it and most importantly persuade the country that this is the way to live.

Merlin (Joseph Fiennes)

Mid-40s, a powerful ex-warrior, who some see more as the feral lunatic who lives in the woods. He's earthy, sexy and dangerous. No wand, no potions - but plenty of power. Harsh, unsentimental and direct, Merlin never reveals more than he has to - often because he doesn't know. This Merlin is not yet a sage: he doesn't have all the answers. He's fallible, constantly thinking on his feet, reacting to events as they happen. Because our Merlin is a man tormented by the fractured bits of information revealed to him, and his inability to yet understand the full picture. It is the most important jigsaw imaginable, but he doesn't yet have all the pieces but what he does see terrifies him. Likewise, his powers are dark, mysterious and connected to nature and natural forces. Like all the magic in this show, it costs. It's painful to deliver and cannot be fully controlled. He has foresworn his power - he suppresses this part of his nature, frightened of what it can do to him and to others. Merlin's Briton is a terrible place to be. The only place that is worse is inside Merlin's head.

Morgan (Eva Green)

Unlike her half-brother, Arthur, Morgan has no doubts about her destiny. She was born to rule - end of story. If she meets any resistance, she'll remove it. If she wants something or someone, she gets it. However now she has been denied her destiny by an interloper, a puppet controlled by her father's sorcerer. She believes Briton should be hers. To be a woman in this world is to be dominated and denied by men, but Morgan has learned to avoid being a victim and use her circumstances to her advantage. Her father's banishment of her to a nunnery led to her developing powers of necromancy, under the guidance of a nun called Sybil. Morgan ensures her gender will not hold her back - rather, she'll use it. Sex is a weapon and Morgan will do whatever it takes to win.

Guinevere (Tamsin Egerton)

Unlike Morgan, Guinevere does not want to use her gender as a weapon. She refuses to be bowed and beaten into submission by men but wants to be judged on her on terms - as someone who is worthy of respect because of the person she is, the qualities she has and choices she makes. Guinevere essentially wants freedom to be her own person and this desire can sometimes make her selfish. Yet a childhood betrothal to the warrior Leontes hangs over her head - she is soon to be married to a handsome, brave, kind man, who is very much in love with her. Is it wrong that she wants more? That she wants to be married to a man she loves in turn? This niggling doubt is set alight when she meets Arthur, a man with whom her connection is passionate, visceral and intellectual. But she is to be married to Arthur's own champion, and she must suppress these feelings at all costs.

Igraine (Claire Forlani)

The woman who gave up her son finds herself a widower and reunited with the child she had taken from her. The stoical, refined Igraine soon finds herself out of her depth at Camelot and determines to do what she's always done best - survive. As the only person who understands how a castle should be run, she'll fashion out a new role for herself and work at defining a relationship with her son. There's a fascination and an attraction between her and Merlin - the man who took the child from her arms but how dangerous will this prove to be?

Kay (Peter Mooney)

The reasoned thinker, next to his brother's more impulsive nature, Kay comes to Camelot to assist his brother, and is soon made Marshal of England. He'll stand at Arthur's side, giving him advice and opinion, just when Arthur needs it most. As Kay forms a close bond with Leontes, will his loyalty to his brother be tested?

King Arthur (Jamie Campbell Bower)

A 19/20 year old struggling to cope with the revelation of his previously unknown destiny - can this young man really be a great King? And even if he really is Uther's son, does he actually want to be King? Initially, Arthur doesn't feel ready, worthy or remotely like the right guy for the job. Except we can see he is: his adoptive father Ector has educated him, taught him combat, but also history. He knows how others have tried to lead - can he now apply this in ways that perhaps can make him serve it better than most, but to lead his country? This first season sees Arthur move from denial to believing that perhaps he could be the man for the job. As he realises that what he can offer most is hope, but he can't do it on his own. He needs a fellowship, bound together by a belief in hope. And maybe even new concepts - justice, fairness and the beginnings of something called chivalry? But he'll have to bind that fellowship together from a set of disparate, opinionated individuals all with their own agendas. He'll have to bring the idea of Camelot into reality and then maintain it and most importantly persuade the country that this is the way to live.

Merlin (Joseph Fiennes)

Mid-40s, a powerful ex-warrior, who some see more as the feral lunatic who lives in the woods. He's earthy, sexy and dangerous. No wand, no potions - but plenty of power. Harsh, unsentimental and direct, Merlin never reveals more than he has to - often because he doesn't know. This Merlin is not yet a sage: he doesn't have all the answers. He's fallible, constantly thinking on his feet, reacting to events as they happen. Because our Merlin is a man tormented by the fractured bits of information revealed to him, and his inability to yet understand the full picture. It is the most important jigsaw imaginable, but he doesn't yet have all the pieces but what he does see terrifies him. Likewise, his powers are dark, mysterious and connected to nature and natural forces. Like all the magic in this show, it costs. It's painful to deliver and cannot be fully controlled. He has foresworn his power - he suppresses this part of his nature, frightened of what it can do to him and to others. Merlin's Briton is a terrible place to be. The only place that is worse is inside Merlin's head.

Morgan (Eva Green)

Unlike her half-brother, Arthur, Morgan has no doubts about her destiny. She was born to rule - end of story. If she meets any resistance, she'll remove it. If she wants something or someone, she gets it. However now she has been denied her destiny by an interloper, a puppet controlled by her father's sorcerer. She believes Briton should be hers. To be a woman in this world is to be dominated and denied by men, but Morgan has learned to avoid being a victim and use her circumstances to her advantage. Her father's banishment of her to a nunnery led to her developing powers of necromancy, under the guidance of a nun called Sybil. Morgan ensures her gender will not hold her back - rather, she'll use it. Sex is a weapon and Morgan will do whatever it takes to win.

Guinevere (Tamsin Egerton)

Unlike Morgan, Guinevere does not want to use her gender as a weapon. She refuses to be bowed and beaten into submission by men but wants to be judged on her on terms - as someone who is worthy of respect because of the person she is, the qualities she has and choices she makes. Guinevere essentially wants freedom to be her own person and this desire can sometimes make her selfish. Yet a childhood betrothal to the warrior Leontes hangs over her head - she is soon to be married to a handsome, brave, kind man, who is very much in love with her. Is it wrong that she wants more? That she wants to be married to a man she loves in turn? This niggling doubt is set alight when she meets Arthur, a man with whom her connection is passionate, visceral and intellectual. But she is to be married to Arthur's own champion, and she must suppress these feelings at all costs.

Igraine (Claire Forlani)

The woman who gave up her son finds herself a widower and reunited with the child she had taken from her. The stoical, refined Igraine soon finds herself out of her depth at Camelot and determines to do what she's always done best - survive. As the only person who understands how a castle should be run, she'll fashion out a new role for herself and work at defining a relationship with her son. There's a fascination and an attraction between her and Merlin - the man who took the child from her arms but how dangerous will this prove to be?

Kay (Peter Mooney)

The reasoned thinker, next to his brother's more impulsive nature, Kay comes to Camelot to assist his brother, and is soon made Marshal of England. He'll stand at Arthur's side, giving him advice and opinion, just when Arthur needs it most. As Kay forms a close bond with Leontes, will his loyalty to his brother be tested?