‘Lucifer’ Star Tom Ellis Was in These Shows Before Becoming the Devil

Quite a few actors have portrayed Satan with a certain level of swagger, and Tom Ellis as Lucifer Morningstar ranks up there with the best of them. For many fans, Lucifer is their first introduction to the British star, but he’s been at this for years. Why do you need to know this?

Because once you’re finished binge-watching every season of Lucifer by the end of 2020, you’ll undoubtedly want to watch Ellis in something else. Since there’s no guarantee of a spinoff in the DC Comics universe, perhaps these series from Ellis’ past will do the trick.

‘Miranda’

In Miranda, Ellis plays Gary, the crush of the titular character. The British sitcom aired from 2009 to 2016 and Fleabag has often been compared to it. Miranda’s crush on Gary finally culminates in a courtship and proposal, but not without a string of embarrassments.

‘Rush’

Before landing Lucifer, Ellis was Dr. William Rush, an emergency physician who worked outside of hospital walls and who had a penchant for partying. Rush was canceled after airing just 10 episodes on USA in 2014.

‘Gates’

2012’s Gates only had five episodes, but Ellis starred as Mark, a husband/father who along with his wife, tries to navigate the school politics that come with dropping off and picking up their child at the gates.

‘EastEnders’

In 2006, Ellis did a spot on the long-running British soap, EastEnders where he played Dr. Oliver Cousins, the love interest of single mom Little Mo. According to IMDb, he was in 29 episodes before his character made an exit.

‘Nice Guy Eddie’

Although Ellis wasn’t in many episodes of Nice Guy Eddie, many fans say they remember and enjoyed watching him in the 2002 British drama where the main character learned he was his son.

‘The Fades’

This supernatural mini-series featured six episodes with Ellis starring alongside Natalie Dormer and Daniel Kaluuya. The 2011 BBC show focused on a teen who could see spirits of the dead, with Ellis’ character being a widower whose wife was one of the departed “Fades.”

‘Merlin’

Do you remember the TV show Merlin? The BBC show had five seasons, and during its fourth in 2010, Ellis appeared in just four episodes of the series before it ended in 2012. His role was that of King Cenred, the long-haired enemy of the famous wizard.

‘Monday Monday’

The seven-episode dramedy follows a group of friends who all work at a struggling supermarket. Ellis played Steven, the personal assistant to the company’s chief operating officer.

‘Harley Street’

Ellis’ streak playing doctors began with Harley Street, a 2008 series where his character Ross Jarvis runs a hospital ward that treats rich, famous, and privileged patients.

For one brief moment in history, the actor was part of the Dr. Who universe when he appeared as Thomas Milligan in Last of the Time Lords. While Ellis has had small roles in other TV shows a few movies, he’s best known for being the leading man in Lucifer. The Netflix series returns in 2020 with 16 new episodes for its final season.