You’ve done a bunch of different spells during the show. Is there any spell you can think of that you’d love Merlin to be able to do, or power he doesn’t have that you’d love him to have?
Possibly, ah… let me think. Maybe, ah, I always thought teleportation would be a great one, which we haven’t figured out how to do yet. I think that would be a really good one. Might cut out on all the quests we have to go on, though. But yeah, I think teleportation would be a great one.
You guys have had some really great guest stars in season past, but is there anybody this season we should look forward to?
Yeah, um, there’s a great duo coming up with Ben Daniels and Miranda Raison. They play Tristan and Isolde, who make an appearance later on in the series, and they are fantastic, they really are. And they’ve really got such a great dynamic amongst each other and were really a lot of fun to have around on set as well, actually as well. And yeah, that’s one to really look forward to, I think.
Anyone you’d like to see guest star? Maybe a dream actor?
Oh, I’ve got way too many. Living or dead?
Yeah, either or.
I mean, wow, I mean, you’re talking, like, maybe one of my favorite actors of all time is definitely Paul Newman, you know what I mean? I love… I’ve got so many favorite actors. I love Sean Penn. Yeah, I’m not so sure we could get them on the show.
You could have them be a rival king or something.
Yeah, why not? It’d be great.
So first of all, I was wondering – the season finale is shaping up to be pretty epic and pretty heart-wrenching, so exactly how much should I expect to cry on Christmas Eve?
[Laughs] I think there might be some tears of joy, to be honest. There’s some pretty iconic moments happening in the season finale of season four. It’s huge, epic moments, in terms of visually of what you’re going to see. It’s iconic, if you can imagine, the finale’s called “The Sword in the Stone”, so you can guess. But also the end, in a way, I think is very surprising. And also there’s a bit of a cliffhanger that I think people will be intrigued by. I was certainly intrigued by – I think it’s probably the most intriguing ending we’ve probably had for a season. And that leaves a lot of questions for where we’re gonna go in season five. So we come to a really nice conclusion, but at the end it’s kind of thrown up in the air a bit as well. So that… I think I’ve probably teased you enough without saying too much.
Well I have a guess, but I won’t say it so you don’t have to tell me if I’m right or wrong yet. But I also had a question about the magic reveal, which I’m sure you’re sick of answering questions about, but when do you think it becomes imperative that Merlin has to reveal his magic to Arthur? Like, at what point does it become that their relationship can’t survive once he’s been lying for so long?
Yeah, I think it needs to come to the point where Merlin has to be absolutely 100% sure that he… at this stage if Merlin were to say that he had magic he would no doubt be executed or exiled for his betrayal, for his abuse and for his ability not to be trusted, and that would be a big problem. Merlin is the one thing that’s keeping him focused on his path or destiny, the fact that he’s just just regarded as a servant, so he can actually flee and he can do that. The minute that he comes out that he’s got magic is a huge risk, so he’d be stupid to do it at this stage. Arthur needs to not be Uther, basically. And once signs of change are shown, once it looks like Arthur won’t be a reincarnation of Uther as a king, that’s the time, that’s when Merlin can then do it, and you’re definitely seeing a progression of that and a grounding of that in season four.
Clacked by Julia Hass 
on Dec 21, 2011 @ 10:00 EST5EDT
I really like your questions in this interview and it seem Colin evaded the ones I was the most interested in – the fact that Arthur is “dumbed down”, for example. If they seriously don’t recognize this side effect of the secret magic then that’s a bit worrisome.
And I don’t quite know what to do with his answer to the magic reveal question? It just seems really sad that after seeing the Arthur & Merlin relationship develop so beautifully he thinks Arthur would execute Merlin on the spot. And the season has already shown that Arthur is different from his father (4.07, 4.10) so I’m just going to take these as evading.
I can’t see how anything but the magic reveal can really change the current set up of the series and open it up to many new options. Neither can I see “you’ll see that the relationship has come to the point where maybe they’re ready to set rules and set grounds and become a good team to rule the kingdom” happening without the magic reveal, because as you implied in your questions, it puts a heavy strain on their relationship.
Oh, just give me the finale!
Colin is the sweetest of the sweet, but he’s also a master of talking a lot while saying nothing at all. I think, too, that he was answering from the pov that Merlin the series has not yet aired officially in the states yet, so he was couching his answers to fit the very beginning of season 4–when Uther was still alive and Arthur had not yet gone through the progression that we’ve seen, where he has for example declared he would respect the Druids.
My feeling is that this past season, season 4, Merlin has grown as a character the least of all, and that the show is now more zeroed in on Arthur and his relationship/”romance” with Gwen. I wish we could ask Colin and Bradley about that, and actually get a straight answer.
Pretty much, if we were expecting any kind of real insight at all on the characters or the show, this was not the source to get it from. Colin simply will not say anything negative, even slightly, ever.
Thank you for posting this, Julia, and good on you for being able to speak directly with the man.
Actually, Colin was straightforwardly asked and answered honestly about the slash-factor in this interview (and was slightly negative about it):
https://thetorchonline.com/latest/interview-merlins-colin-morgan-loves-american-peanut-butter/
“TTO: I have to ask you about this phenomenon of “hoyay” that I read about everywhere, where people see a gay subtext between Merlin and Arthur. Are you guys aware of this when you’re filming and what do you think about all this?
CM: It’s certainly something that we never ever play. I think you’re watching anything, and you’re looking for it, you could probably find it. You could find gay connotations in Barney. You could find it anything.
I think it very much depends on the individual watching it as opposed to any portrayal that’s being done on-screen.
TTO: Well, it’s a huge online thing. And I think it goes back to the whole keeping a secret, how Merlin can’t tell Arthur about his magic.
CM: It’s lucky that I’m not an internet person. I avoid the internet like the plague, so it’s probably a good thing that I don’t know what’s been going on.
But I can attest to the fact that there’s no intentions there of pushing of any that kind of subtext. It purely as innocent as the scripts are.
I think it’s very much dependent on the individual watching it.”
So he’s not ALWAYS completely 100% PC.
Your response to my comments actually has nothing to do with my comments. My point was that he was deliberately vague on anything to do with season 4 because he knew the interview was geared towards the States, who hadn’t seen it yet and he didn’t want to give away any spoilers.
Also, the interview you quoted from was done long before season 4, and I will definitely agree, there was no sign of any slash in season 3. I’d like to ask Colin the same question you quoted after this season where the HOYAY! was so deliberate it wasn’t even funny, and see if Colin says the same thing.
Thank you for this interview with Colin Morgan who I appreciated hugely. He really is an amazing actor and looks like a wonderful person. I like the questions and the way Colin answers them is very clever!
Like you, dear interviewer, I can say I’m in love with Colin Morgan’s powerful acting, piercing gorgeous blue eyes and sweet personality. Also his Irish accent is so adorable! I adore his portrayal of Merlin, who is my favorite character, and the way he shows all those emotions and feelings. I hope we’ll hear even more about this amazing actor! Thank you for sharing this interview.
Julia, thank you so much for this.
Thank You Julia, a lovely interview with a lovely person – especially thanks for raising the “dumbing down” question. This insistence on preserving Arthur’s obliviousness has led to contrived story lines, and a failure of the writers to account for the character’s past in their current behaviour – the dreaded reset button.
Then there is the strange reluctance to let Heroes be Heroic and it’s not only Arthur, the Knights weren’t really allowed to show heroism until the finale, all those blokes jokes in mockery of Merlin made no sense to me. Even Lancelot “the noblest of them all” got zombified and his memory marred for Arthur and his brothers in arms – yes Merlin knows the facts but he’ll never tell will he – as that would mean Magic Reveal
At the start of this year I had such high hopes for The Reveal now I don’t see it happening ….. ah well maybe next year
Thank you so much Julia for this amazing interview. Colin is such a fantastic actor and a great man. Looking foward for the epic season finale!
Thanks Julia! Those were great questions! Colin is amazing! I have to admit that I was expecting the questio as to what or how Colin feels about the show’s preoccupation with Arthur’s lovelife. I imagined that it will go like this: “Tell us Colin didn’t you feel that Merlin was shoved into the sidelines as the writers mucked about with the Arthur/Gwen theme? We certainly did!” LOL
hello colin iam shaghayegh my country in iran ilove you movie merlin
hello colin i love how old are you?