Daniel Gillies facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Daniel Gillies
Gillies at the 2014 PaleyFest
Born	Daniel Joshua Gillies (1976-03-14) 14 March 1976 (age 49) Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Citizenship	Canada New Zealand
Occupation	Actor screenwriter director producer
Years active	1998–present
Spouse(s)	Rachael Leigh Cook ​ ​ (m. 2004; div. 2021)​
Children	2

Daniel Joshua Gillies (born March 14, 1976) is an actor, film producer, director, and screenwriter. He was born in Canada but is also a citizen of New Zealand. Daniel is well-known for his roles as Elijah Mikaelson in the TV shows The Vampire Diaries and its spin-off, The Originals. He also played Dr. Joel Goran in the series Saving Hope. In 2012, he wrote and directed a movie called Broken Kingdom.

Early Life and Moving to Los Angeles

Daniel Gillies was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. His parents were from New Zealand. When he was five years old, his family moved back to New Zealand. They lived in Invercargill and then Hamilton.

Daniel became interested in acting because he felt it was something he was good at. He found that there were not many acting chances in New Zealand. So, in 2001, he moved to Sydney, Australia for a short time. After that, he went to Canada for two months. He worked as a waiter and dishwasher there. Later, he decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career.

Acting Career Highlights

Daniel Gillies started his acting journey in plays for the Auckland Theatre Company. He then got a main role in the TV drama Street Legal for two seasons. After realizing that acting opportunities were limited in New Zealand, he looked for roles in Sydney and Canada.

Soon after moving to Los Angeles, Daniel was cast in two movies: Bride and Prejudice and Spider-Man 2. Since 2002, he has worked in many films and TV shows in North America. Before getting main roles, he appeared as a guest star on shows like Masters of Horror, NCIS, and True Blood.

Becoming a Vampire in The CW Shows

In 2010, Daniel Gillies joined the popular TV show The Vampire Diaries on The CW network. He played the character Elijah Mikaelson. His role was very popular. In 2013, The CW created a spin-off show called The Originals. This show was about the lives of the very first vampires. Daniel's character, Elijah, became a main character in The Originals.

At the same time, Daniel was also playing Dr. Joel Goran in the supernatural series Saving Hope. This show aired in Canada. Daniel managed to work on both shows at the same time.

Other Roles and Directing

In 2012, Daniel Gillies wrote, directed, and starred in the movie Broken Kingdom. His wife at the time, Rachael Leigh Cook, also starred in the film.

From 2019 to 2022, Daniel played Mark Monroe in the Netflix romantic drama TV series Virgin River. He was part of the show for four seasons. In January 2021, he starred in the psychological thriller film Coming Home in the Dark. In 2022, Daniel was cast as Charlie Tate in the second season of the ABC series The Newsreader. As of 2024, he has a main role as Jake Campbell in the series Sight Unseen.

Personal Life

Daniel Gillies married American actress Rachael Leigh Cook on August 8, 2004. They have two children together: a daughter born in September 2013, and a son born in April 2015.

On June 13, 2019, Daniel and Rachael announced on Instagram that they had decided to separate. They wanted to keep the process private for their children's sake. Daniel filed for divorce on July 10, 2020. Their divorce was finalized on March 10, 2021. Since 2021, Daniel Gillies has been in a relationship with cellist Julia Misaki.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Voice Acting Roles

See also

In Spanish: Daniel Gillies para niños