Line #40 Creator/KatieMcGrath


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Katie_McGrath_1959.jpg]]
2
3	-> ''"I wasn't born an actress, but I sure was born dramatic."''
4	--> '''Personal quote.'''
5
6	Katherine "Katie" [=McGrath=] (born January 1983 in Ashford, Ireland) is an Irish actress best known for playing Morgana in the BBC series ''{{Series/Merlin 2008}}'' and [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfWindsor Princess Margaret]] in the 2009 TV docu-drama series ''The Queen''. She has also appeared in ''Series/TheTudors'' and the horror film ''Film/RedMist'' (or ''Freakdog'' as it was titled in the US) and played one of the main characters in the 2013 NBC adaptation of ''Series/{{Dracula\|2013}}''. Most recently, she portrayed Lena Luthor, Lex's well-meaning but ethically challenged half-sister on The CW's ''Series/{{Supergirl\|2015}}''.
7
8	Originally she worked behind-the-scenes as a wardrobe assistant on ''Series/TheTudors''. She was then tapped to be an extra in one scene, and... The rest may well be history, depending on how her career goes.
9
10	Named one of the 50 Hottest Irish Women by ''Complex Magazine'' in March, 2011.
11
12	And she really likes Creator/NathanFillion, really.
13
14	----
15	!!Her film roles include:
16	* ''Film/RedMist'' (2008) -- [[AlphaBitch Harriet]]
17	* ''[[Film/WE2011 W.E.]]'' (2011) -- [[RomanticRunnerUp Lady Thelma Furnes]]
18	* ''Film/APrincessForChristmas'' (2011) -- [[CuteClumsyGirl Jules Daly]]
19	* ''Leading Lady'' (2014) -- Jodi Rutherford
20	* ''The Throwaways'' (2014) -- [[ActionGirl Gloria Miller]]
21	* ''Film/JurassicWorld'' (2015) -- Zara Young
22	* ''Film/KingArthurLegendOfTheSword'' (2017) -- Elsa
23	* ''{{Film/Buttons}}'' (2018)
24
25	!!Her television roles include:
26	* ''Damage'' -- Rachel
27	* ''Series/TheTudors'' -- [[BitCharacter Bess]]
28	* ''The Roaring 20's'' -- Vixen.
29	* ''The Queen'' - [[BrokenBird Princess Margaret]]
30	* ''{{Series/Merlin 2008}}'' -- [[Characters/MerlinMorgana Morgana]]
31	* ''Literature/{{Labyrinth}}'' -- [[FemmeFatale Oriane]]
32	* ''Series/{{Dates}}'' -- [[PerkyGoth Kate]]
33	* ''Series/{{Dracula\|2013}}'' -- Lucy Westenra
34	* ''Series/{{Slasher}}'' -- Sarah Bennett
35	* ''Series/{{Supergirl\|2015}}'' -- [[Characters/ArrowverseLenaLuthor Lena Luthor]]
36	** ''Series/{{Crisis on Infinite Earths\|2019}}''
37	* ''Series/SecretBridesmaidsBusiness2019''
38	* ''Series/TheContinental'' -- The Adjudicator
39
40	!!Tropes associated with this actress's work include:
41
42	* ActionGirl: She plays a swordswoman [[LadyOfBlackMagic sorceress]] in ''Merlin'', a sultry, ass-kicking spy in Crackle's ''The Throwaways'', and did her own stunts for her memorable scene in ''Film/JurassicWorld''.
43	* AloofDarkHairedGirl: Ms. [=McGrath=] has made a career playing the "regally beautiful but withdrawn chick".
44	* BlueBlood: Not in real life, but her aristocratically pale good looks seem to make her a natural choice for such roles, to the extent that she has already played ''two'' British princesses (''The Queen'', ''{{Series/Merlin\|2008}}'') and a Viscountess (''[[Film/WE2011 W.E.]]''). Her Lena Luthor character on ''Supergirl'' is a modern businesswoman version.
45	* ButIPlayOneOnTV:
46	** Despite only playing two lesbians (one of which was a one-episode guest appearance) and one bisexual character, she has developed a reputation for playing characters who, if not outright stated to be attracted to other women, it is implied.
47	** She even stated that her role on ''Supergirl'' was the first role she had in awhile that didn't have gay overtones. Fans and critics think otherwise.
48	* ChronicallyKilledActor: Since making her acting debut in 2007, she has seen three of her characters stabbed to death (''Merlin'', ''King Arthur: Legend of the Sword'', and ''Labyrinth''), one eaten by dinosaurs (''Jurassic World''), one bludgeoned to death (''Frontier''), and one drained of blood (''Freakdog''). Her character in ''Dracula'' became a vampire and was also doomed by canon. The Adjudicator in The Continental gets shot in the head as well.
49	* {{Goth}}: In her earlier roles, most notably Harriet in ''Red Mist'' and Vixen in ''The Roaring 20's''. Her character Kate in ''Dates'' also has elements of this.
50	* LGBTFanbase: She has a very large lesbian fanbase from her LGBT roles in both ''Dates'' and ''Dracula''. This only grew due to the amount of LesYay between Lena Luthor and Kara on ''Supergirl'' and her support of the [=SuperCorp=] ship.
51	* MistakenNationality: She's Irish, but because she works on British TV she nearly always plays British characters and her accent (noted as "Dublin Posh") isn't familiar outside Ireland, so a lot of people think she's British.
52	* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: Her earlier roles, and especially ''{{Series/Merlin\|2008}}''. However, she seems to have transitioned out of this and most of her subsequent roles have her using a fake accent. ''A Princess for Christmas'' sees her using an American accent, as does ''The Throwaways''...[[OohMeAccentsSlipping to an extent]]. In ''Dates'' and (especially) ''Series/{{Dracula\|2013}}'' she does adopt a full-blown Brit accent.
53	* PrefersGoingBarefoot: Is frequently barefoot in her modelling shoots and on her Twitter, she notes her shoes are usually by her side instead of on her feet.
54	* PsychoticSmirk: Her defining facial expression as Morgana, at least in later episodes of ''Series/{{Merlin\|2008}}''.
55	* RavenHairIvorySkin: In her dark-haired roles.
56	* WhatTheHellIsThatAccent: Katie speaks with a 'Dublin posh' accent that is rarely heard in TV or film, and misleadingly sounds 'British' to unfamiliar ears. In fact it is a homegrown Irish accent (compare her performance in ''Series/{{Merlin\|2008}}'' - where she uses her ''real'' accent - with her performance in ''Series/{{Dracula\|2013}}'' where she adopts a British accent). Her American accent in ''Slasher'' and ''Supergirl'' is well known for frequently slipping into her natural Irish voice, while her normally flawless English accent slipped into Irish and bad American in ''Secret Bridesmaids Business''.

Context Creator / KatieMcGrath