The CW series The Originals might have come to an end, but thanks to streaming services, the Mikaelson family will live on forever!
After introducing the brood of Original Vampires during season 2 of its parent show The Vampire Diaries, the spinoff series was born. Premiering in October 2013, The Originals was set in New Orleans and followed Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah Mikaelson and their supernatural counterparts as they deal with past enemies to take back control of the city.
Starring Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies, Claire Holt, Charles Michael Davis and Phoebe Tonkin, among others, the series aired for five seasons and came to an end in August 2018.
“It’s crazy! I came on as a guest for four episodes,” Joseph told Collider in 2013 about his character’s popularity. “There was always the potential to be a regular, but there was also the potential that they would kill me off if I didn’t do a good job after the four episodes. It’s been an amazing journey. … It’s just been crazy, and I can’t tell you how happy I am to be shooting this show. It’s just so fun! My job is amazing. I love Klaus.”
Years later, when reflecting on the show ahead of its series finale, the British actor recalled the “pretty emotional” final day of filming during an interview with Us Weekly.
“I remember sort of standing there feeling like everyone’s gone,” the former CW star said at the time. “I’m just kind of standing in New Orleans unemployed and alone. I had friends and my wife was with me as well, thank goodness. And some of the cast were with me as well, but you feel like wow. That’s it, it’s done. It’s a joy and a sadness at once, is the only way I can describe it. It’s a plethora of feelings.”
When discussing his final day on set, Joseph also told the publication that he took “as much as [he] could fit in [his] bag,” including part of Klaus’ signature look. “Yeah, the henleys. As many henleys as I could carry,” he joked.
Although both The Vampire Diaries and The Originals have since come to an end, the supernatural world that the show created still lives on with Legacies. Sometimes, viewers even get cameos from their favorite vampires — even Claire is down to reprise her role. “I love Rebekah, I love that world, I love that show. It would be a dream [to return],” the actress told Access in June 2021.
Wondering what the Mikaelson vamps and the rest of the French Quarter residents have been up to since the show ended? Click through our gallery to see what the cast of The Originals is up to now!
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