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Jasper William Morgan (born 12 June 1970) is a British-American hotelier, businessman, and former actor. He is best known for his portrayals of Liam in the 1997 film Dark Skies, of Sebastian Harewood in the 1995 television miniseries The Outcast, and of Daniel Austin in the critically acclaimed 2009 detective noir film A Conflict of Shadows, for which he earned an Academy Award. He also received a Tony for his role in The Lights of Love (2003).

▲ Early Life and Family

Morgan was born in Mayfair, London to parents Alexander Morgan, the UK's financial secretary to the treasury, and Jillian Morgan (née Spencer), who was the Dean of the University of Central London. He is an only child.

Morgan's paternal grandfather, Sir Ambrose Collins Morgan, was a decorated Royal Navy Admiral, and his great-grandfather, Professor Nathaniel Morgan, was an acclaimed neurosurgeon and neurosurgery researcher who taught at Oxford University. His maternal grandfather, Phillip Spencer, was an investment banker and his wife, Augusta Spencer (née Clairmont), was an oil painter and sculptor.

He spent the majority of his childhood in the care of his maternal grandparents and it was his grandfather, who Morgan cites as being a major influence in pursuing acting as a career as they often watched classics together. His favourite films growing up were The General (1926), Casablanca (1942), and One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), and To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). His parents wanted him to follow their footsteps into government or education or even to become a doctor, but Morgan was always adamant about wanting to be an actor. Eventually he was allowed to enrol in a local drama club where he built up his confidence and started to gain some experience in amateur dramatics.

His education was spent in private London schools, which Morgan doesn't credit as having any significant impact on him at all. He has said that there was always more of a focus on mathematics, science, and competitive sports rather than any of the arts and often felt very much an outsider from the rest of his classmates. However, he managed to encourage his secondary school headmaster to put on a rendition of Macbeth for pupils and parents, which was met with praise.

At the age of 18, Morgan attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. His parents helped to pay for the majority of his tuition, but only agreed to do so if Morgan got himself a part-time job to pay for the rest. He ended up at the at the Mornington Hotel near Regent's Park where he first worked the reception nightshift before transferring to waiting tables and later becoming the restaurant manager. He gave up the job once he signed on to The Outcast.

▲ Career

After appearing as an extra in several British television shows throughout 1993, Morgan portrayed Sam Woodbury in the short-lived London West End play One More Night, and then as the younger version of Eric Radcliffe Reid’s character Wilson in the short film Whirlwind, Morgan landed his breakthrough role in the 1995 miniseries The Outcast, playing the lead character Sebastian Harewood: a young upper class gentleman who is disowned by his wealthy father and is forced to make his own way in the world. The show’s director Kathryn Liu states that she ‘took a risk when casting Morgan, not knowing if an inexperienced actor would be able to handle a complicated filming schedule’, but later admitted that "he was perfect for the role and absolutely smashed it’ and ‘his inexperience as an actor even benefited him greatly in that his naivety transferred well into Sebastian’s own". Morgan and Liu later went on to work together on the 2013 action film Highwire.

Morgan was then quickly cast in the 1997 psychological thriller Dark Skies, which was filmed in his hometown of London. His role as the protagonist Liam, a recluse with a vendetta against the world who is also trying to maintain an equilibrium within the relationship he has with his overbearing girlfriend, gained him international recognition. Variety praised Morgan’s performance, writing: “it’s hard to tell that he has very little professional acting experience when watching him portray Liam. Morgan perfectly encapsulates his character’s life of hatred and from his very first moment on screen you’re simultaneously sympathetic and agitated, wanting him to improve his situation and yet also completely understanding why he is the way he is”. He was nominated for a BAFTA for this role and was the catalyst to his career.

When the filming of Dark Skies concluded, Morgan went to work in New York City after landing an off-Broadway role in Impolite Society (1998), which ran between 15 January and 12 March. Whilst his role was small, he was popular with audiences and it gave him the confidence to continue pursuing his career on the stage. Morgan told the American Theatre Magazine: "Theatre was always the most formidable area of acting for me. Doing a play at school was immensely different to doing one on a stage in front of almost 500 people in New York City. Whilst my first show in London played to more people than Impolite Society did, it felt far more daunting this time, strangely enough, and to be performing in front of an American audience was certainly surreal and incredibly special. I'd dreamed of that as a young boy and to have that dream come true is a huge ego boost". It was following this success that Morgan permanently moved to Manhattan.

Between 1999 and 2004, Morgan played Dr Reginald 'Reggie' Keller, a paediatrician and the younger brother of Dr Carolyn Keller (Erin Hardy) in the long-running medical drama series Heartlines, filming the majority of his later episodes in blocks so he could star in other projects (namely the 2002 film Unity and the 2003 theatre production The Lights of Love). During an interview for The Hollywood Reporter in 2012, Morgan said: "this period of my career was easily the most challenging I had done up to that point. Simultaneously acting in 27 episodes of a TV show and a film whilst also preparing to take on a Broadway role wasn't the smartest decision I had ever made, but it was one that allowed me to push myself to my limits and see what I could do under such immense pressure. My hard work certainly paid off; the honour of receiving a Tony award at the end of it all came as a wonderful surprise. However, I wouldn't recommend that kind of schedule for any actor, no matter their age or prowess."

In 2006, Morgan took on his only voice role in animated adventure Nightwalker, alongside Ricky Santos and Florence Martin-May, in which he played a crow named Merrick. He stated that he “wished to have taken on more voice acting in [his] career, but it was, unfortunately, never meant to be”. Directors Julia McGregor and Imaan Bashar had bronze statues made of the animal characters to give to their respective voice actors once filming commenced and Morgan is known to keep his in the office of his hotel.

Morgan spent most of 2007 on hiatus. He spent time out from acting in London as well as in Scotland, Tuscany, Munich, and Hawaii. During his time in London, he returned to his alma mater to give talks and acting classes to drama students; he was almost persuaded into becoming an acting coach, but turned it down to the fact he didn't believe he "had enough viable experience" at the time. It was in August 2007 that Morgan began to partake in philanthropic work, which he said he wished he could have began sooner, and was introduced to the Brave Youth Theatre Charity by friend and fellow actor Cecilia Crane, of which he is still a patron.

In 2008, he took a small role in the miniseries Small Mercies, appearing in three of the five episodes, in which he played Louis Graves, the father of the main character Serena Graves (Lily Richardson-Gill). Filming took place in Seattle, Washington, between April and September, with the show airing on New Years Day 2009. A second series had been proposed, but was ultimately scrapped.

His next appearance was in A Conflict of Shadows (2009), noted internationally for being his greatest performance. Morgan portrayed Daniel Austin- a corrupt police detective working for the NYPD in 1917- who slowly loses his sanity over the course of the film. On his role, Morgan commented: "Playing Daniel was like playing several different people. Each scene he was in was slightly different in terms of his speech and body language and to maintain those distinctions consistently was tough, but he was an incredibly entertaining character to play. I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to play him again if a sequel ever came into fruition." Audiences and critics raved about the film as a whole and of Morgan's performance, Edward Quartermain wrote: "he can express so much by one simple glance and it can be such a powerful gesture, especially to reflect the torment and gradual change in Daniel's internal world as he actively shuts out reality. The range that Morgan presents, from subtle finger switches to full-blown fiery rage, proves he is a formidable actor and one that will continue to both impress and surprise audiences around the world". The film eventually earned more than $1 billion worldwide and went on to win five Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Costume Design) as well as numerous other awards (see here) and several other nominations (see here).

Morgan appeared in his fourth and final stage production, Heart of Steel, in 2011, in which he played Charlie Steel: a down-on-his-luck English man in New York City whose cold heart slowly starts to melt when he inadvertently befriends a lost, yet perpetually optimistic 12 year old boy named Ben (Samuel DeWitt). He was highly praised, with critic Laura Pryce saying: “his performance is captivating and deeply moving, a real intriguing insight into how a troubled man's life is a constant battle and can be suddenly transformed into a different kind of battle with something now worth fighting for. His chemistry with DeWitt is also exceptionally joyful to watch- a real bond was formed between both characters and actors”.

In 2012, Morgan starred as the lead in the critically acclaimed miniseries Snowfall. He played Archer Ellison- the mayor of a small Alaskan town that, blanketed by the perpetual darkness of winter, is being haunted by a supernatural force that brought despair and destruction to the residents. Talking to Variety, he said: "Snowfall was one of my more interesting and fun projects, even with the harsh filming conditions when on location. From the moment I read the script I knew I had to be a part of the show. The only disappointing thing for me was that it was only six episodes!" Morgan was also a producer for the show, the opportunity coming from the fact that original producers couldn't afford the full desired funding and Morgan offered to pay the remainder out of his own pocket. "They had a crystal clear vision for what they wanted out of the story," Morgan added, "and without the extra funding the show would have had to have been filmed on a soundstage in hot Los Angeles instead of in Alaska itself. The aesthetic of the setting is paramount to Snowfall; it wouldn't have had anywhere near the kind of chilling impact on audiences if they could clearly see the snow and backdrops were fake and digitally added in. Nobody can fully immerse themselves in a story when the details aren't all there. I was passionate about the story and knew that audiences would be just as enthusiastic as the creators were, so being able to help in adding to the budget was the least I could do. It was a high honour to be starring in the show, let alone being able to produce it".

In 2013, Morgan starred in Highwire, alongside Nina Fischer, who he previously worked with in Unity. The film was almost never made, however. Writers Dashiell McCormack and Kyle Draper wanted Kathryn Liu to direct after the first director, Jeri Schulz, dropped out last minute for personal reasons, but she initially turned down the opportunity. Despite the producers pushing to begin filming, McCormack and Draper refused to go ahead without Liu. It was Morgan, who was in the final stages of negotiations to star in the film and is a close friend of Liu's, that persuaded her to direct. After almost 8 months of filming, Highwire was released on became a success, both commercially and with audiences, earning more than $130 million worldwide, making it the biggest success of Liu's career. After the success of the opening weekend, Fischer claimed that Morgan had the rejection letter that Liu sent to McCormack and Draper framed and gifted it back to her. Liu herself later confirmed this and stated that along with the letter Morgan included a handwritten note that read: 'Dear Kat, I'm glad you took a chance on yourself and the film, like you did with me in 1995. Be brave and never doubt yourself. Love, J'.

Morgan’s final film role was in the 2015 fantasy epic Tyrant, in which he played the eponymous tyrannical ruler Lord Reynard. Filming began in early 2014 and was split between Scotland, Ireland, and Canada. He has cited that the film was his ‘most taxing’ and that ‘the villains are always the most entertaining to portray and wished I had the chance to take on that role more’. Tyrant's director Simon Leyland has often been cited to be difficult to work with due to his perfectionist directing style and long shooting periods and in an interview Morgan told The Hollywood Reporter that: "Even though Simon was determined to make a perfect fantasy film- and, in my opinion, he came rather close- the filming schedule and conditions were harsh and his criticisms only made things worse. I had a few squabbles with him on set, nothing more than minor creative differences that were eventually resolved, but sometimes had to play mediator between him and some of the crew members and actors. I was surprised I wasn't fired and replaced". He then went on to add: "Despite everything, the concept of the film was fun to play along with and being an unhinged ruler of a kingdom, shouting orders and laughing maniacally, was quite cathartic. It's an experience I'll never forget and I'm glad my acting career could end on a high". Morgan's performance also earned him a Critics’ Choice Award.

▲ Personal Life

Morgan is a trained pianist and has been playing for 45 years. It was his mother's idea to enlist him for lessons and did so from the age of 7. Morgan’s skills can be seen in the films Unity, A Conflict of Shadows, and Highwire. He has also played the piano at many charity galas, mainly focusing on charities that helped children and young adults with their literacy and that encouraged them to join in with the youth theatre. He was known for playing classical pieces as well as popular songs from film and television. Despite no longer attending these events, having stopped in 2016, just after he retired, Morgan still donates to the same charities.

Morgan is also talented in close-up magic, a skill that was introduced to him by RADA classmate Marcus Creaghan, and he would later perform these tricks for interviewers at award shows and at charity galas he attended. Morgan is also a self-professed impressionist, having learned by repeatedly watching specific film scenes and mimicking tone and inflections from a young age. He is known to do uncanny impressions of actors such as Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, James Stewart, Liam Neeson, and Christopher Walken, amongst many others, having shown them off on the first season of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and The Graham Norton Show.

From January to July 1997, Morgan was in a relationship with actress Natalia Sinclair. Their relationship was initially private for the first two months as they began to film Dark Skies together, but soon became public after they were seen together outside of filming in Hyde Park. Although Morgan has always refused to talk about the subject, several reports were made that their time together was ‘heated, passionate at first’ but then ‘rapidly developed into something toxic’. He has also refused to comment on Sinclair's untimely death, too, only stating in an Instagram post in April 2024: “…I still respect her greatly, as a person and as an actor, and that she deserved better, both from her short life and from myself”.

After selling his home in London, he moved to an apartment in Manhattan, New York City, which he bought from an undisclosed NBL player in 1998 and stayed there until his retirement. It is a well known fact that Morgan loves parties and over the years, his apartment has been the setting of many personal social events and charity events, even hosting an array of celebrities, including Lillian Grace Bower, David Solis, and Ethel Ajibola.

In 2004, Morgan officially became an American citizen whilst also retaining his British nationality. He has stated that ‘even though I have lived in the United States longer than I have lived in London, I will always consider myself British first and foremost’.

He has never married, but dated English actress Hattie Radford-Lowell between 2001 and 2004, American actress and singer Twyla Blake between 2006 and 2010, and briefly dated American author Summer Aston during 2013. He also dated English actress Arabella Woods whilst they were both studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He remains friends with Blake and is also close friends with A Conflict of Shadows director Colton Hensley, whose youngest son Morgan is godfather to.

Just weeks after the release of Morgan's final film, Tyrant, he hosted the 87th Academy Awards where he announced his retirement from acting. The announcement was met with a mixture of high praise of a prosperous career and disappointment from both fans and critics, many noting that they had been looking forward to seeing more of Morgan in theatre productions and speculating that he would even progress onto directing. In July 2015, he moved to Aurora Bay, California, where Of Fire and Stars was partly filmed and where he bought the Seascape Hotel from a local resident. He spent almost 2 years renovating and restoring it, with the funds coming from his own pocket, before reopening it as a luxury hotel that draws in guests from all over the world. Morgan still performs acting and music often on the stage of the hotel’s lounge & bar and takes a very active role in the day-to-day running of the Seascape.

▲ Filmography

► Film

• Whirlwind (1994) as young Wilson (short film)

• Dark Skies (1997) as Liam

• Of Fire and Stars (1998) as Ashford Roy

• Unity (2002) as Dr Quentin Horrocks

• Nightwalker (2006) as Merrick (voice role)

• A Conflict of Shadows (2009) as Daniel Austin

• Highwire (2013) as Ethan Maythorn

• Tyrant (2015) as Lord Reynard

► Television

• The Outcast (1995) as Sebastian Harewood (8 episodes)

• Heartlines (1999-2004) as Dr Reginald 'Reggie' Keller (27 episodes)

• Small Mercies (2008) as Louis Graves (3 episodes)

• The Graham Norton Show (2009) as Himself/Guest

• 82nd Academy Awards (2010) as Himself/Host

• Snowfall (2012) as Archer Ellison (6 episodes) ; also producer

• The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (2014) as Himself/Guest

• 87th Academy Awards (2015) as Himself/Host

► Theatre

• One More Night (1994) as Sam Woodbury (Ambassadors Theatre)

• Impolite Society (1998) as Nik (Astor Place Theatre)

• The Lights of Love (2003) as Elliott Bird (Broadway Theatre)

• Heart of Steel (2011) as Charlie Steel (Gershwin Theatre)

▲ List of Awards and Nominations received by Jasper Morgan

• British Academy Television Award for Best Actor: Sebastian Harewood in The Outcast (1995) – won

• British Academy Television Award for Best Actor: Liam in Dark Skies (1997) – nominated

• Critics’ Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor: Dr Quentin Horrocks in Unity (2002) – nominated

• Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play: Elliott Bird in The Lights of Love (2003) – won

• Academy Award for Best Actor: Daniel Austin in A Conflict of Shadows (2009) – won

• Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture: Daniel Austin in A Conflict of Shadows (2009) – won

• Critics’ Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor: Archer Ellison in Snowfall (2012) – nominated

• Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play: Charlie Steel in Heart of Steel (2011) – nominated

• Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture: Ethan Maythorn in Highwire (2013) – nominated

• Critics’ Choice Award for Best Actor: Lord Reynard in Tyrant (2015) – won

#( disclaimer: all names of films and people except the actors mentioned in the part about jasper’s impression skills are totally made up! )#❝ 𝙟. 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙣 ❞ ╱ other #❝ 𝙟. 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙣 ❞ ╱ bio #aurorabay.intro

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