Thomas John Ellis was born on November 17, 1978, in Cardiff, Wales. He is a Welsh actor best known for playing the title role in Lucifer.
Ellis has built a career spanning British sitcoms, supernatural drama, and American network television.
Who is Tom Ellis?
Tom Ellis first gained wide recognition for playing Gary Preston in the BBC One sitcom Miranda from 2009 to 2015. He later became a global star through his role as Lucifer Morningstar in the Fox and Netflix series Lucifer.
He reprised that role for the Arrowverse crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths in 2019. Ellis has also built a presence in film, including the 2024 Netflix romantic comedy Players.
His most recent major role came in 2025, when CBS cast him as the lead in the FBI spinoff series CIA. That casting marked his return to network television in a leading role after years of streaming success.
Early Life of Tom Ellis
Ellis was born at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff to Christopher John Ellis and Marilyn Jean Hooper. He has three sisters, one of whom is his twin, and the pair reportedly broke the Welsh record for heaviest twins at birth.
His family has deep religious roots. His father, uncle, and one of his sisters all became Baptist ministers, while his mother worked as a music teacher.
Shortly after his birth, the family moved from Wales to Sheffield, England. Ellis attended High Storrs School there and played the French horn in the City of Sheffield Youth Orchestra.
He later returned to his acting ambitions by training formally in Scotland. Ellis earned a BA in Dramatic Studies from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, where his classmates included James McAvoy and Sam Heughan.
Tom Ellis Age
Tom Ellis is 47 years old as of 2026, born on November 17, 1978. His zodiac sign is Scorpio.
He booked his first acting role at age 22 on the series Kiss Me, Kate. Since then, Ellis has built a career spanning more than two decades across British and American television.
Tom Ellis Ethnicity and Nationality
Ellis is Welsh, born in Cardiff before his family relocated to England during his childhood. He has spoken publicly about identifying strongly with his Welsh roots despite growing up in Sheffield.
His upbringing carried a strong religious dimension tied to his family’s Baptist ministry background. That combination of Welsh heritage and a religious household shaped much of his early life before he moved toward acting.
Tom Ellis Height and Weight
Ellis stands at approximately 6 feet 3 inches, or about 1.91 meters tall. His exact current weight is not publicly confirmed.
His height and physical presence became part of his appeal in roles like Lucifer Morningstar, a character built around charisma and stage presence. Ellis has maintained a consistent public image throughout his career on both British and American television.
Tom Ellis Education
Ellis attended High Storrs School in Sheffield, where he developed an early interest in performance through music and orchestra participation. He played the French horn in the City of Sheffield Youth Orchestra during his school years.
He went on to study at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, earning a BA in Dramatic Studies.
That program gave him formal training alongside future stars James McAvoy, Sam Heughan, and Laura Donnelly.
Tom Ellis Career
Breakthrough Role and Early Career
Ellis began his television career in the early 2000s, appearing in the British sitcom Kiss Me Kate and taking small film roles including Buffalo Soldiers in 2001. He built up a range of British television credits throughout the mid-2000s.
His roles during this period included Justyn in Channel 4’s No Angels, Thomas Milligan in the Doctor Who episode Last of the Time Lords, and King Cenred in the BBC series Merlin. He also appeared on EastEnders, The Catherine Tate Show, and Holby City.
His breakthrough came with Miranda, where he played Gary Preston opposite Miranda Hart from 2009 to 2015. That role earned him a nomination for the Golden Nymph Award at the 2010 Monte-Carlo TV Festival.
Lucifer and Hollywood Success
Ellis was cast as Lucifer Morningstar in February 2015, based on the DC Comics character. The series premiered on Fox on January 25, 2016, before moving to Netflix after cancellation, where it ran through a sixth and final season announced on June 23, 2020.
His performance earned him the 2021 Tell-Tale TV Award for Favorite Actor in a Cable or Streaming Sci-fi/Fantasy/Horror Series. He also received a Teen Choice Award nomination for Breakout Star in 2016.
He reprised the role of Lucifer for the Arrowverse crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths in December 2019, appearing during an episode of The Flash. That crossover connected his character to the wider DC television universe.
Recent Work
Ellis starred in the Netflix romantic comedy Players in 2024, playing the character Nick. That same year, he voiced GodCat in the animated Netflix series Exploding Kittens.
He joined the Hulu series Tell Me Lies for its second season, announced in January 2024. In April 2025, CBS ordered the FBI spinoff series CIA straight to series, with Ellis cast in the lead role of Colin Glass.
That series marked a return to network television for Ellis after years working primarily in streaming. CIA began airing in 2026, giving Ellis his first major American network lead role since Lucifer moved to Netflix.
Tom Ellis Awards and Recognition
Ellis won the 2018 National Film and Television Award for Best Actor in a TV Series for his work on Lucifer. He also won the 2021 Tell-Tale TV Award for Favorite Actor in a Cable or Streaming Sci-fi/Fantasy/Horror Series.
He picked up several other nominations tied to Lucifer, including the 2016 Teen Choice Award for Breakout Star and multiple Critics’ Choice Super Award nominations between 2021 and 2022. Those included nods for Best Actor in a Superhero Series and Best Villain in a Series.
His earlier work also received recognition. Ellis was nominated for the Golden Nymph Award at the 2010 Monte-Carlo TV Festival for his performance in Miranda.
Tom Ellis Wife
Ellis married American screenwriter Meaghan Oppenheimer on June 2, 2019, in a ceremony attended by close friends and family. The couple resides in Los Angeles.
They welcomed a daughter via surrogate in November 2023. Ellis had previously been married to English actress Tamzin Outhwaite, whom he wed in 2006 after being introduced by fellow actor James McAvoy.
Outhwaite filed for divorce in September 2013, citing adultery after Ellis admitted to an affair with a co-star during filming. The divorce was finalized in April 2014.
Tom Ellis Children
Ellis has four children in total. He and Outhwaite have a son and a daughter together, and Ellis also has a daughter from an earlier relationship that predated his marriage to Outhwaite.
He and Oppenheimer welcomed their daughter via surrogate in November 2023. Ellis has spoken about fatherhood and surrogacy in interviews, including a September 2025 conversation on the podcast How to Fail with Elizabeth Day.
Tom Ellis Net Worth
Tom Ellis’s estimated net worth is $8 million as of 2026.
His income comes primarily from his acting career across television and film, including his lead roles in Lucifer and the CBS series CIA.
His years playing Lucifer Morningstar significantly boosted his earning power and public profile. Ellis has continued building on that success through recent film and streaming projects, including Players and Exploding Kittens.
Tom Ellis Social Media
Ellis is active on Instagram under the handle @officialtomellis. He uses the platform to share updates about his career and personal life, including his work as an ambassador for Great Ormond Street Hospital children’s charity.
He has built a large following through his work on Lucifer and his subsequent film and television projects. Ellis remains a visible presence online as he promotes new work like CIA.
The Bottom Line
Ellis became a global star playing Lucifer Morningstar across six seasons on Fox and Netflix, a role that earned him the 2018 National Film and Television Award for Best Actor in a TV Series. He first broke through years earlier as Gary Preston on the BBC sitcom Miranda.
He grew up in Sheffield in a religious household, with his father, uncle, and one sister all serving as Baptist ministers. Ellis trained formally at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland alongside future stars James McAvoy and Sam Heughan.
He now leads the CBS series CIA, marking his return to network television in 2026. Ellis continues splitting his time between television, film, and voice work while raising his children in Los Angeles.
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2 Comments
I love Tom Ellis so much and I think he is soooo handsome, but you got his birth date wrong. It is the 17th of November 1978 not 1983.
Hey! Thank you Sophia, It is updated.