Posted in: Fox, Netflix, TV | Tagged: lucifer

Lucifer: Tom Ellis on How His Religious Upbringing Helped with Role

Tom Ellis (CIA) discusses his religious upbringing helping him tackle the role of Lucifer and respond to those who questioned his decision.

With the second-season premiere of the Tom Ellis and Nick Gehlfuss-starring CIA and the ninth-season premiere of the Missy Peregrym and Zeeko Zaki-starring FBI set to cross over on October 5th as part of "CBS Premiere Week," Ellis has been making the rounds to get the word out about the hit show's return. During an interview with RadioTimes, Ellis had a chance to reflect on another hit series that has more than a few fans, Lucifer. Noting that he had "zero hesitation" to take on the role of Lucifer Morningstar, Ellis shared how his religious upbringing helped him be able to respond to early concerns about a show portraying Lucifer as a hero.

"My dad was a Baptist pastor, but we never talked about Hell. We never talked about the punitive side of religion. It was about peace, kindness, understanding, tolerance, loving thy neighbor, and all of those things. It was a very positive experience in that sense. So, doing a show about the devil, I had no hesitation calling my dad and saying, 'Hey, Dad, I've got an amazing job.' He was like, 'Great, what is it?' I said, 'I'm playing the devil,' and he just laughed. And that's what I expected, that he would just take it in the sense of humor that it was meant to be," the actor shared.

Ellis continued, "It was nice to have that on standby for when I was doing press in America when the first season came out because I'm not naive enough to think there wouldn't be some haters out there. And there were. When they'd go, 'Why are you doing a show about the devil and glorifying evil?' – they hadn't watched the show for starters, which I think says a lot more about those people than it does about our show.

"But to be able to respond with, 'Well, I grew up in the church, my dad's a Baptist pastor, and he thinks it's cool…' And the truth is that the majority of people don't have a problem with it because they take it in the sense it was meant to be, which is a story about a fictional – or non-fictional character, depending on what your stance is – and just putting a twist on it. Taking the most irredeemable character in history and putting them on a path of redemption, I don't think that's that bad."

Over time, the combination of both the show's overall message and Ellis' own backstory afforded "Lucifans" the opportunity to have open and honest conversations about their own experiences with faith and religion. "The greatest thing is that, as the show went on, I started to get messages from people of faith and leaders, not just in the church, but in other faiths as well, who were loving the show and using the show for Bible study groups and discussions and sermons. We never intended that, but it had this deeper sense to it," he added.

CIA Season 2 Episode 1: "The Deep" & FBI Season 9 Episode 1: "Rendition"

CIA Season 2 Episode 1: "The Deep" – When a known cartel fixer arrives in N.Y.C., the team tracks him down and discovers the body of a DEA agent. After it becomes clear the case is not what it seems, the team must work quickly to prevent additional murders. Meanwhile, Bill makes a shocking discovery when he returns to work after the death of his father, and the team enlists the help of FBI Special Agent Stuart Scola (John Boyd). Written by Mike Weiss and directed by Ken Girotti.

FBI Season 9 Episode 1: "Rendition" – After a young traveler is found shot dead in a state park, the team discovers she was witness to an execution of a person involved in a top-secret government-sponsored project. Meanwhile, Maggie struggles to bond with her new partner, Isaiah Green (played by Roland Buck III), and OA adjusts to a new role. Written by Aaron Ginsburg and directed by Alex Chapple.

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