Daniel Gillies, star of The Vampire Diaries broke a lot of hearts when it was announced that the series was coming to an end. But passionate fans were in luck because Daniel Gillies best for his portrayal of the vampire Elijah Mikaelson would live on in spin-off series called: The Originals.
Fans are used to seeing him once a week and on certain supporting roles in major films like Spider-Man 2. But there is more to the Canadian-born New Zealander that meets the eye. Best known for his portrayal of the vampire Elijah Mikaelson, Daniel Gillies
achieved incredible success on television. But interestingly, his career and personal life reveal his impressive work ethic and character. With such impressive talent and integrity, it is no surprise that his already successful career garnered so many loyal fans over the years.
His portrayal of Elijah Mikaelson in The Vampire Diaries and The Originals earned him a great deal of praise from fans and critics alike. He has also appeared in a number of films and stars in Saving Hope. Did you know that Daniel Gillies talents lie behind the camera as well? Here are six of the most interesting facts about the actor:
Six Things To Know About Daniel Gillies
Number 1: He broke away from family tradition
Daniel Gillies was born on Sunday, March 14, 1976 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Winnipeg is a city with a lot of things to see. The 43-year-old’s birth sign is Pisces and the zodiac animal sign he belongs to is the Dragon. He was born in the 1970s, the median money income of families in the United States was around $9,800 in 1970.
He had his first acting experience on stage with the Auckland Theatre Company. More specifically, when Gillies decided to pursue acting, he was breaking away from the family craft as a surprising number of his family members have had careers in medicine. This includes his mother (a nurse), his father (a pediatrician), and even his great-great-great grandfather, a pioneer in the field of plastic surgery. So fans, are we so thankful that he chose to pursue a career in the entertainment industry? Today the Actor is best known for his work on The Vampire Diaries and its spin-off, The Originals. He also had a prominent role in Saving Hope. He married actress Rachael Leigh Cook in 2004. He and ex wife, Rachael have two children.
Number 2: He is not just an actor
We all know Gillies from his most famous work on screen. His appearances on film and television have captivated audiences around the world. However as far as talents go, he can go far beyond just acting. Gillies has also exercised his creativity as a writer, director, and producer.
Perhaps most notably, he fulfilled all three of these talented gifts in the 2012 film Broken Kingdom. In addition, he might add a director’s role to his list of capabilities as he directed an episode of The Originals just this year.
Number 3: He is inspired by a melting pot of people
While most people look for inspiration from notable figures within their own field, this is only half the case for Gillies. He has stated that he finds great inspiration from figures like David Lynch.
David Keith Lynch (born in 1946) is an American filmmaker, painter, musician, singer, sound designer, photographer, and actor. He is best known for writing and directing films such as Eraserhead (1977), Blue Velvet (1986), and Mulholland Drive (2001), which are often critically regarded as among the best films of their respective decades, and for his successful television series Twin Peaks (1990–1991).
These works led to him being labeled “the first popular Surrealist” by film critic Pauline Kael. A recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, he has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and has won the César Award for Best Foreign Film twice. He has also been awarded the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and a Golden Lion award for lifetime achievement at the Venice Film Festival. He has been described by The Guardian as “the most important director of this era”, while AllMovie called him “the Renaissance man of modern American filmmaking”.
Daniel Gillies also expressed his admiration for individuals like artist Marina Abramovic and radio host Ira Glass. Marina Abramović is a performance artist and art filmmaker whose work explores body art, endurance art and feminist art, the relationship between performer and audience, the limits of the body, and the possibilities of the mind. Actively participating in four decades, Abramović refers to herself as the “grandmother of performance art”. She pioneered a new notion of identity by bringing in the participation of observers, focusing on “confronting pain, blood, and physical limits of the body”.
Ira Jeffrey Glass is an American public radio personality. He is the host and producer of the radio and television show This American Life and has participated in other NPR programs, including Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Talk of the Nation. Originally from Baltimore, he began working in radio in his teens, and during his summer breaks while attending Brown University, worked alongside Keith Talbot at NPR. He was a long time story editor and interviewer, before beginning to cover his own stories in his late twenties. After relocating to Chicago, he continued to work on public radio on All Things Considered and The Wild Room, the latter of which he co-hosted. After receiving a grant from the MacArthur Foundation, he and Torey Malatia developed This American Life, which won a Peabody Award within its first six months and became nationally syndicated a year later.
His work in radio and television has garnered him many awards, including the Edward R. Murrow Award for Outstanding Contributions to Public Radio and the George Polk Award in Radio Reporting.Glass also performs a live show and has written or contributed to articles, books, and a comic book related to the radio show.
Did you know that the individual Gillies looks up to the most is the farthest removed from his own career is legendary mixed martial artist Fedor Emelianenko.
Number 4: Daniel Gillies Net Worth
Being one of the most popular characters on a much beloved show like The Vampire Diaries, there is no need to assume that Gillies has seen remarkable success in the entertainment industry. It goes without any surprise that he is financially well-off. Most of Daniel’s wealth comes from being an actor and current estimates have Gillies’ net worth at an impressive $3 million.
Number 5: He got divorced in 2020
Finding success in the entertainment industry can be a devastating blow to one’s relationships because we don’t get to to see the work, the travel, the stress from doing interviews and press or pressure to remain in the public eye at the same time. So, it’s kind of sad to see many Hollywood relationships that can remain intact in this line of work. Dangerous stunt conditions might end up in personal injury lawyers, but divorce situations obviously need divorce lawyers.
Gillies was married to actress and ex-wife Rachael Leigh Cook in 2004, and the two have two children: a daughter born in 2013 and a son born in 2015. The She’s All That star Rachael Leigh Cook and Vampire Diaries alum Daniel Gillies announced their separation after being together for 15 years of marriage. No wonder their separation caught people off-guard when they announced their divorce on instagram.
“With deep gratitude for every year we have spent together and the thousands of beautiful memories shared, we have mutually decided to separate as a couple,” the pair said. Cue the sad trombone. “This decision isn’t one we have come to easily or lightly. We love and respect each other as parents, people and artists and look forward to maintaining the best parts of our relationship for many years to come.” Keep reading to learn more about why exactly these two called it quits.
The acting duo said they had “mutually decided to separate as a couple,” while maintaining the positive elements of their relationship. So what factors fueled the separation of these actors?
“They both unfortunately fell out of what made them love each other in the first place and instead dived into routine rather than embracing the struggles and ups and downs marriages often sometimes take,” an insider told Hollywood Life. “They didn’t do anything for their relationship to improve it. Every moment of their attention was either devoted for their kids or themselves and their careers. They really lost track of being a couple.” The supposed insider noted, “There was never any infidelity and they both are very happy that they are mature enough to get to this conclusion because they will always have respect for each other but the romance is gone.”
Number 6: He has children with his ex-wife
Rachael Leigh Cook and Daniel Gillies are committed to putting their kids first although they recently announced their divorce. Their Instagram announcement made it clear that he cares about his children so much: “Your discretion in this matter is kindly requested for the sake of our children during this time of transition. Thank you to those of you who are already aware; for your tremendous compassion and understanding.”
In July 2019, Rachael Leigh spoke to Entertainment Tonight about that delicate period of transition. She said Gillies was filming in New Zealand when they made the news public, but they wanted to explain everything to their two young children (Charlotte and Theodore) when he returned to the States. “As long as the kids will be okay, I’ll be okay. You know what I mean?” she said at the time. “That’s the end-all. One day at a time.”
She stated that she has been tactful but candid about the challenges of the big breakup. “It feels uncertain and nobody warns you how hard adulting is going to be,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “And I’m learning. Never bored and I’m very grateful.” She also stated: “I don’t know what I’m doing, so if anybody has any advice, seriously tag me online. I’m all ears.”
But Daniel Gillies, the actor and filmmaker may have ended his 15 year marriage with actress Rachael Leigh Cook last year, but says the “Perception” star is still his “best friend,” and he’s putting his first Valentine’s Day as a single man to good use by offering himself up as a date.
“It’s the first time [being single] in 16 years, but I don’t place much importance on that day and I didn’t when we were married either,” the 43-year-old “Vampire Diaries” and “Saving Hope” star tells us. “Not to sound unromantic because Rachael and I had a very loving and wonderful relationship, but we never paid the day much heed. To us, every day was special when we were married.”
When it comes to romance, Gillies says the grandest gesture he ever experienced wasn’t to do with dates nights or gifts, but rather the arrival of his two children with Cook, 6-year-old daughter, Charlotte, and 4-year-old son, Theodore.
It is wonderful to see a couple in which both parties put their love for their kids as a stronger priority than being bitter or angry.