Biography
Who is Daniel Gillies?
Early life and background
Daniel Joshua Gillies was born on March 14, 1976, in Winnipeg, Canada. His family returned to New Zealand when he was five years old. He grew up in the cities of Invercargill and Hamilton. During his youth, he attended Southwell School and Hamilton Boys High School.
Although he came from a family with a strong medical background, he decided to pursue acting. He stated that performing was the only skill he felt confident in.
Starting his acting career
Daniel began his acting career performing in productions for the Auckland Theatre Company. He eventually secured a lead role in the television drama Street Legal, where he stayed for two seasons.
Feeling that his career options in New Zealand were limited, he moved to Sydney, Australia for a brief period. Later, he traveled to Canada to work as a waiter and dishwasher. Eventually, he relocated to Los Angeles to search for new acting opportunities. Shortly after arriving, he appeared in films such as Spider-Man 2 and Bride and Prejudice.
Television and film success
Since 2002, he has worked extensively in the North American film and television industry. He appeared in guest spots on shows like NCIS, Masters of Horror, and True Blood. In 2010, he joined the cast of the CW drama The Vampire Diaries as Elijah Mikaelson.
He continued this role in the successful spin-off series, The Originals. During this time, he also played Dr. Joel Goran in the supernatural series Saving Hope. From 2019 to 2022, he took on the role of Mark Monroe for four seasons in the Netflix drama Virgin River. In 2022, he also joined the cast of the ABC series The Newsreader.
Directing and personal life
Outside of acting, Daniel Gillies has worked as a film director and editor. In 2012, he wrote, directed, and starred in the film Broken Kingdom alongside his then-wife, Rachael Leigh Cook. He also starred in the 2021 psychological thriller Coming Home in the Dark.
Regarding his personal life, he married Rachael Leigh Cook in August 2004. The couple had a daughter born in 2013 and a son born in 2015. They announced their separation in June 2019, and their divorce was finalized in March 2021. Since 2021, he has been in a relationship with cellist Julia Misaki.
Birthday and age
Daniel Gillies was born on March 14, 1976, which makes Daniel 50 years old today. That birthday falls under the Pisces sign. Daniel shares the date with 27 other famous people.
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