Whatever Happened To Tom Ellis From Lucifer?
Tom Ellis is known for being the man who brought to life one of the most charming iterations of the Devil you love to hate — Lucifer Morningstar. Based on a story about the Devil from DC Comics, "Lucifer" starred Ellis as the handsome fallen angel who rules as the Lord of Hell. However, unlike the stories tell us, Lucifer isn't evil. Instead, he has the power to bring out people's deepest, darkest secrets. He's more of a chaos starter than a wicked being.
The series starts out with a bored Lucifer who opts to leave Hell and go to the City of Angels, Los Angeles. He brings his demon best friend Mazikeen (Lesley-Ann Brandt) with him, and the two run a bougie nightclub. However, things take a turn when he meets LAPD Detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German). His powers of persuasion don't work on her, and he's immediately enthralled. He begins to work with Decker on cases, arguing that it's the most entertainment he's had in years.
"Lucifer" ran for three seasons on Fox before being abruptly canceled. Luckily, fans' hashtag campaign #SaveLucifer caught the eye of Netflix, and the platform picked the series up for another three seasons. Since "Lucifer" wrapped in 2021, Ellis has held a relatively low profile, which is curious considering he garnered so much attention for the wildly popular series. So, just what has he been up to? And why did he disappear from the limelight?
His recurring character arcs on previous shows didn't work out
Prior to his role as Lucifer Morningstar, Tom Ellis had some success in other popular shows — many of which could have catapulted him to the same level of fame that "Lucifer" did. Except, his character arcs never quite lasted.
In 2007, Ellis was cast as Thomas Milligan in "Doctor Who." He was initially introduced during an alternate timeline, "The Year That Never Was," as a doctor with the Peripatetic Medical Squad — a team rebelling against the Saxon Master. He and Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman), companion to the Tenth Doctor, engaged in a flirtation — one that continued into the proper timeline. The two eventually got engaged, with the promise that Thomas would surely return to the series. However, his character was scrapped, with Martha instead marrying Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke), another previous companion.
Ellis suffered a similar fate in 2013 when he was cast to play Robin Hood in "Once Upon a Time." The series was known for bringing well-known fairytale characters to life. This version of Robin Hood was cunning and resourceful, so it came as no surprise that he eventually became a staple character in the show. However, Ellis was recast with Sean Maguire, cutting his time in the magical land of Storybrooke short. Similarly, his "Merlin" character Cenred experienced a short time on the show, as he was killed off after a handful of episodes.
Ellis' contract dispute for the final season of Lucifer caused tension
When Fox made the decision to cut ties with "Lucifer," viewers were outraged. "Lucifer" fans tried to save the show by launching the #SaveLucifer #PickUpLucifer campaign. This hashtag became the number one trending topic on social media with over 3 million tweets and retweets, proving just how important the series had become to fans. Luckily, Netflix answered the call and brought Season 4 to its platform.
"Lucifer" enjoyed success on Netflix, as the streamer brought it back for a total of three seasons. However, this caused some apparent tension, as contract disputes between Tom Ellis and the studio threatened a final conclusion for the beloved characters. In the spring of 2020, TVLine reported that production on Season 6 was in jeopardy as the re-negotiations between Ellis and Warner Bros. came to a "standstill."
It was reported by an insider that the goal was to keep Ellis happy with the final negotiations. "Everyone wants Tom to be happy," the source told TVLine. "But there's a limit, and it's been reached." While neither Warner Bros. nor Ellis' spokesperson ever commented on the speculation, the delay was cause for concern. Thankfully, all parties were able to pull things together and provide fans with the ending that they had worked so hard to get.
His Lucifer role was recast for Netflix's Sandman
In 2022, Netflix debuted an adaptation of Neil Gaiman's acclaimed graphic novel series "The Sandman." The show follows Morpheus (Tom Sturridge), one of the seven "Endless" that embody and control the forces of nature. Morpheus is the lord of dreams, and when he's captured, his realm of dreams is sent into absolute chaos. Aside from Morpheus and his other Endless siblings, a popular character from Gaiman's comic is Lucifer, the ruler of Hell. Since both have existed in the DC Comics continuity, Tom Ellis' version of Lucifer is loosely based on Gaiman's work, and some fans wondered why Ellis wasn't brought back to play Lucifer in "The Sandman." However, the reason is quite simple: The character Ellis portrayed is simply too different from the one in "The Sandman."
On Twitter, a fan asked Gaiman to explain why Ellis was recast. He responded, "Because his Lucifer, while inspired by the Lucifer in Sandman, is so far away in terms of Sandman continuity by the end of LUCIFER [sic], that it's easier on everyone to go back to the version in the comics." Plus, by seeing an entirely new version of Lucifer, fans are now able to have a new experience when watching "The Sandman."
Gaiman said that he still admires the "lovable" version of Lucifer that Ellis played, but he knew that recasting the character was the right choice. Therefore, "Game of Thrones" actress Gwendoline Christie was brought in as a colder and more brutal Lucifer — one that's more accurate to the story from "The Sandman."
Ellis wanted to spend more time with his family
"Lucifer" wrapped in 2021 in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the restrictions, Tom Ellis has said that he would travel back and forth between L.A. and the U.K. in order to spend time with his children. However, with the lockdown, that proved impossible, which contributed to him taking a break from acting once "Lucifer" ended.
Speaking on the Reign with Josh Smith podcast, Ellis reflected on how he might not be able to see his children for months, describing the experience as being "the worst possible feeling that I could feel." Luckily, he found that he could work through the torment in therapy, stating, "I've spoken to a therapist for years now, and I think it's one of the most helpful tools that I've found in my life." This is especially the case as he gets older. Ellis is beginning to put different things in perspective for the sake of his family.
Ellis has a large family, as he shares two daughters, Florence and Marnie, with his ex-wife Tamzin Outhwaite. He also has a daughter named Nora from his previous relationship with Estelle Morgan. Currently, Ellis is married to producer and screenwriter Meaghan Oppenheimer.
The killing of George Floyd profoundly affected him
The murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota caused a wave of protests against police brutality that exploded worldwide in 2020. During this time, Tom Ellis became heavily involved in the movement against racial profiling, and with "Lucifer" being over, he dedicated some of his resources to the cause.
In an interview with Square Mile, Ellis explained how he wanted to use his star power as a voice for those who didn't have one, and it's thanks to his wife, Meaghan Oppenheimer. She went to school with Brandon Kyle Goodman, best known for his voice acting in "Big Mouth." After the murder of George Floyd, Goodman shared his thoughts and experiences as a Black man on Instagram. He would engage in conversations with Oppenheimer, which, in turn, brought Ellis in as well. Ellis decided to use his large platform as a space to spread constructive conversations. Together, they launched Black Folx, a weekly series of conversations between Goodman and other Black guests hosted on Ellis' popular Instagram account.
For Ellis, it was a chance for him to do some good. "I've got quite a big social media following now," he told Square Mile. "It's the best thing I've ever done with my social media. I want to encourage and invite more conversation like that. Brandon is so brilliantly articulate and just generally compassionate as a person."
Tom Ellis didn't want to be typecast
A major issue that many actors come across is being typecast, and this would especially be the case when an actor plays a television character over a span of several years. Eventually, audiences begin to associate the actor with the character, as that's what they're most notable for portraying. And this is exactly what Tom Ellis wanted to prevent from happening to him in his career. Because he played the character of Lucifer for so long, Ellis is looking to branch out and explore other kinds of roles, which is likely why he's been so hesitant to jump into anything too quickly.
In his interview with Square Mile, Ellis said, "I am going to find myself in that similar territory in that people are going to expect one thing from me now. And I would like to surprise them and do something completely different. That's always been my thought process." Luckily, Ellis has taken the past few years to compile a list of things he'd like to accomplish in his career, which he shared with Square Mile. From working on Broadway to portraying Benedict in "Much Ado About Nothing" (in order to follow in the footsteps of the legendary Kenneth Branagh, whom he admires), Ellis has many plans. And at the top of that list? Working with his wife, Meaghan Oppenheimer.
He wants to work with his wife
It's thanks to the magic touch of Tom Ellis' wife, Meaghan Oppenheimer, that he's returning to Hollywood after his much-needed break. Ellis shares with Square Mile that he met Oppenheimer while shooting the pilot episode for "Lucifer." They were introduced through a mutual friend who knew that the two would hit it off. And, it seems as though they were correct, as the two have been happily married since 2019.
Oppenheimer works as a producer and screenwriter. She is the creator of the Hulu series "Tell Me Lies" starring Grace Van Patten. She also wrote for the popular AMC series "Fear the Walking Dead" before it was announced that she'd partner with Reese Witherspoon to work on the drama "Please Don't Go."
Ellis and Oppenheimer are teaming up for the first time together for their new series "Second Wife." The series is a dark comedy that follows married couple Sasha (Emma Roberts) and Jacob (Ellis). After the two make an impulsive decision to get married, they slowly begin to realize that they don't know each other very well. As the story unfolds, both Sasha and Jacob must confront a few skeletons hiding in their respective closets. The series is said to explore notions of second chances and coming to terms with failure in life and relationships.
Tom Ellis is entering his comeback season
Now that Tom Ellis seems ready to head back into the limelight, he's got a few projects in the works. In addition to accomplishing his dream of working with his wife Meaghan Oppenheimer in their series "Second Wife," Ellis has another series he's set to star in called "Washington Black."
Hulu's adaptation of the Esi Edugyan novel of the same name, "Washington Black" will see Ellis co-star with "This Is Us" star Sterling K. Brown and Ernest Kingsley Jr., who will play the eponymous protagonist, among others. Edugyan's story begins in the 19th century on a sugar plantation in Barbados, from where the young character of George Washington Black tries to escape. His journey brings him into contact with Brown's character, Medwin Harris, who becomes a kind of mentor for him. Ellis portrays the quirky inventor Christopher Wilde (otherwise known as Titch). His family owns the plantation, but Titch is exceedingly different from his cruel brother and becomes another friend to Wash during his adventures. Currently, the mini-series is in post-production with no release date as of yet.
He's moving to the big screen
For most of his career, Tom Ellis has stuck to the small screen. However, thanks to the fame that "Lucifer" has given him, Ellis now has the opportunity to reach new heights. And it seems like that's just what he's going to do, as Ellis does have something in the works for the big screen. He's set to star in an upcoming romantic comedy called "Players" opposite "Jane the Virgin" lead Gina Rodriguez. While not much has been revealed about this project, we can share the details that are known.
Currently in post-production, "Players" is described as a similar concept to that of the 2005 Will Smith film "Hitch," which follows Eva Mendes' Sara as she tries to expose Smith's Hitch — a professional "date doctor" who helps shy men approach and successfully date women. Of course, Sara falls for Hitch, realizing that his job isn't exactly the misogynist career she initially thought it was.
"Players" follows a similar formula, with Mack (Gina Rodriguez) making a habit of creating hook-up "plays" with her friends. But of course, she eventually falls hard for one of the men she goes after, who's portrayed by Ellis. The film also stars Damon Wayans Jr. and Joel Courtney from "The Kissing Booth." It's produced by "La La Land" producer Marc Platt with a 2024 expected release date.
Ellis is dipping his toes into voice acting
Ever since Tom Ellis lent his voice to the animated series "The Great North," it seems that his taste for voice acting has grown, as he's also set to voice a character in the upcoming Netflix animated series "Exploding Kittens." Based on the popular card game, "Exploding Kittens" is not only getting an animated series but also a mobile game to accompany it. This marks the first time that Netflix will launch a series and a video game at the same time from the same franchise.
Per Deadline, the series follows the conflict between Heaven and Hell as it spills out onto Earth after both God and the Devil arrive there. But here's the twist: They arrive in the bodies of cats. Casting Ellis seems like a no-brainer, as this isn't his first rodeo when it comes to portraying divine characters. However, as he's already announced his hesitance at being typecast, it stands to reason that "Exploding Kittens" will offer audiences something entirely different from the squabbles between Heaven and Hell depicted in "Lucifer."
In addition to Ellis, the animated series will feature the voices of Lucy Liu, Sasheer Zamata, and Abraham Lim, among others. Meanwhile, the Exploding Kittens game is set to launch in May 2024. "The co-development of a game and animated series breaks new ground for Netflix," head of adult animation Mike Moon told Deadline, "and we couldn't think of a better game to build a universe around than Exploding Kittens, one of the most inventive, iconic and original games of this century."