My youngest daughter was a huge fan of The Vampire Diaries, not least because of Klaus Mikaelson (played by Joseph Morgan) who stole the show in every scene. That charisma is also present in Joseph when he is not acting, only in real life he is much nicer.
Joseph Martin (his real name) was born in London, but grew up in Swansea, Wales. He moved back to London at the age of eighteen.
He is known for various successful series, such as the aforementioned Vampire Diaries, but also in spin-off The Originals (again as Klaus Mikaelson), Brave New World, Titans (2018) and Halo. He also played in feature films, such as Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World and the remake of Ben Hur.
Perhaps it is less well known to readers that he also works as a screenwriter and director. In Carousel, for example, he was both his wife Persia White's co-star and her director. Persia also co-wrote the script for this film, as she had done for Revelation. A unique and creative couple indeed.
ConanMiller (CM): You were born in London, but you moved to Wales soon after, and then back to London eleven years later. Did that move help prepare you for a life as an actor?
Yes, that had a huge impact. It started with the fact that I had an English accent and went to a primary school in Wales. That caused some awkward situations, so I quickly taught myself a Welsh accent. I wanted to be liked and that later influenced my choice to become an actor. When I started acting lessons at the age of sixteen, I knew I had found my soul mate.
All my classmates there were looking for a place where they didn't stand out, because everyone stood out there. In a normal class, you were judged on that. I was creative and active and that wasn't always appreciated. It wasn't until later in the acting class that I noticed that these were my strengths.
CM: In 2014, you married Persia White. Congratulations on your tenth anniversary!
We've known each other for thirteen years now, because we met on 11-11-2011, which is an interesting fact. That was on the set of The Vampire Diaries.
In Hollywood, marriages don't usually last that long. By now, all the married couples our age are divorced. We have a relationship built on mutual support and inspiration, and that's important.
CM: Then you suddenly became a father to a daughter (from Persia's previous marriage to Saul Williams).
Yes, I do enjoy that. I like the opportunity to mentor younger people, especially actors. That way I can maybe prevent them from making the same mistakes I made.
CM: Therein lies an interesting dilemma. You may learn more from your mistakes than from a father or mentor who tells you not to do something.
That is indeed something I am concerned with. After all, you can guide someone too closely or give them too much freedom. There were things in my youth that were not perfect, but they also gave me the means I needed to shape and sustain my career.
CM: Persia is vegan and she has quite a strong opinion when it comes to animal abuse and such. You became vegan the year you married Persia. Is that a coincidence?
I had been a vegetarian for a few years, but I became vegan in early 2015. That was partly because Persia is an amazing cook, almost like a chef. That made it easier of course, but she never forced me in that direction. It all happened very naturally, partly because of the documentaries we made. I learned a lot about how animals are treated and what my feelings were about that. I couldn't go back to a different lifestyle now, also because it makes me so much healthier and more energetic than before.
CM: Doesn’t that cause problems when you’re on set? Or do the caterers take good care of you?
Yeah, it’s usually fine. You know, I think I went vegan at the right time, because it’s becoming the norm now. When I started acting, you were lucky if they had falafel, you couldn’t get any more vegetarian options. Nowadays, there are a lot more vegan restaurants. Last night, for example, we had an amazing vegan curry, it was so good.
There are places where it hasn't quite caught on yet. Hotels in particular are still lagging behind. I once sneaked a George Foreman Grill (contact grill) into the hotel room so I could grill some tofu or something to get enough protein.
Airlines are also lagging behind. There are only a few that have enough vegan products on board. I think, come on guys, it's 2024. You should be leading the way.
CM: I try to be a vegetarian, but it’s not always easy. I also get a lot of comments from people around me, as if they see it as a threat.
Yes, I also notice that some people feel it as criticism of their diet. But I feel so good about it. During the filming for Titans (2018), which was quite physical, I had to spend a lot of time in the training room and my diet was never the limiting factor. I actually get a lot of energy from it and I also recover faster. I also don’t feel so full after a meal.
CM: Besides being an actor, you are also a writer and director. If you had to choose, what would you most like to continue doing?
You know, when I was about fifteen, I read a script by Quentin Tarantino, Natural Born Killers, I think. Oliver Stone became the director of that and the script is quite different from the final film. I liked that script so much that I started reading all of his scripts. After that, I wrote a script myself, which was quite similar to Pulp Fiction, in retrospect, hahaha. It certainly inspired me to want to become a writer/director.
At that age I actually wanted to be a musician, a rock star. But that kind of clashed with that other plan, so I decided to learn more about acting. As a way to get into it, so to speak, but then I fell in love with acting. Now that I'm writing and directing more, it seems like that was always my plan. So I'll probably end up as a rock star, hahaha.
CM: I write myself and that is not difficult in itself. What is incredibly difficult is determining what is good and what is not. I always have that feeling of ‘this story has been told a thousand times’. How do you make something that people really want to read? I collect all those fragments of scenes and ideas and try to find a line in them. Then you have to polish everything and try to make the best possible story that you can, without holes.
And when you're done, you want it to be simple and natural. And that's the hardest part, isn't it? Writing something that someone else will think; I could have thought of that. But it's a long process of sanding and shaving that statue, so to speak, until it's finished. I'm still learning, but at a certain point you have to step back and leave it alone. Otherwise you just keep tinkering and changing.
CM: Lastly, are there any characters from movies, books, or games that you would like to play again?
Yes, absolutely! I read a lot and varied, such as the first books by Joe Abercrombie (the author of The First Law trilogy, among others). There are several characters in there that I would like to play. I would definitely like to get the lead role in the film adaptation of the books by Jay Kristoff (Empire of the Vampire).
Now that I have a role in Halo, people often ask me if I have a favorite game. I would say Skyrim. I would like to do something with that. That whole Viking-like period like The Last Kingdom and Vikings, I could relate to that. But with a good dramatic story arc, like in season four of Titans (2018). So a story in which someone goes through a certain character growth. I find working out such a mental journey fascinating.
But right now I'm looking for something completely different. It's a matter of choosing the right moment. I want to play something completely different than before, a role that is really different from my previous roles. That's exciting. Not relying on the image that my fans have come to know. Growing by doing something completely new, something that people can hopefully appreciate.
CM: And to be able to grow as an actor because of that.
Exactly! Because you want to keep challenging yourself and not become complacent, or afraid to try something new. Dare to fail. That's important, I think.
CM: Maybe you should write a new script for that yourself?
Hahaha, yes, I think so too. I'm already working on something. The great thing about that is that I'm involved in the creative process at an early stage. And then working with other people on something you're passionate about, that's probably the most beautiful thing you can do for me.
Unfortunately, we have to say goodbye, but I have decided to follow Joseph's career with interest from now on. I think we can expect a lot more from this talented and amiable actor.