Tom Ellis may now be best known for playing Lucifer Morningstar, but his real-life religious upbringing gave him a unique perspective when he took on the role of the Devil in the hit series.
With the second-season premiere of CIA and the ninth-season premiere of FBI set to cross over on October 5 as part of CBS Premiere Week, Ellis has been promoting the return of the hit spy drama. During an interview with RadioTimes, however, the actor looked back on his time as Lucifer and explained why he had “zero hesitation” about accepting the controversial role.
Ellis grew up with a Baptist pastor as his father, but he says religion was presented to him in a particularly positive way.
“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.
Tom Ellis Had an Answer for ‘Lucifer’ Critics
Ellis said his upbringing also became useful when he began promoting Lucifer in the United States and encountered people who questioned the premise of a show portraying Lucifer as a central character.
“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.”
The actor explained that his father’s reaction gave him an easy way to respond to those concerns.
“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.”
As Lucifer continued, Ellis discovered that the show’s themes resonated with viewers of faith in ways the cast and creators had not necessarily anticipated.
“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.
The experience ultimately became an unexpected part of Lucifer’s legacy, with the fictional story opening conversations among viewers about faith, religion and the idea of redemption.
‘CIA’ and ‘FBI’ Return With a Major Crossover
Ellis is now returning to CBS as CIA agent Colin Glass in CIA Season 2. The season premiere, titled “The Deep,” follows the team as they track a known cartel fixer who arrives in New York City. Their investigation takes a darker turn when they discover the body of a DEA agent and realize the case is more complicated than it initially appeared.
The team must work quickly to prevent additional murders, while Bill Goodman makes a shocking discovery after returning to work following the death of his father. FBI Special Agent Stuart Scola, played by John Boyd, is also brought in to assist with the case.
Meanwhile, FBI Season 9 begins with “Rendition,” in which a young traveler is found shot dead in a state park. The investigation reveals that she witnessed the execution of someone involved in a top-secret government-sponsored project.
The episode also follows Maggie as she attempts to establish a relationship with her new partner, Isaiah Green, played by Roland Buck III, while OA adjusts to a new role.
