Lucifer at 10: Tom Ellis breaks down beloved show’s devoted fanbase, survival skills, and enduring legacy

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In January 2016, a new take on Lucifer emerged – and he wasn’t what people expected. Forget horns and fire; this devil was stylishly dressed in a sharp suit and cruised through Los Angeles in a classic 1962 Chevrolet Corvette, all set to the music of Cage the Elephant’s ‘Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked.’ He arrived with a mischievous smile and a glint in his eye.

Within the first minute, Tom Ellis, as the Devil, makes it clear this version of the character is playful and enjoys causing trouble, promising viewers an entertaining experience.

After a decade, Lucifer Morningstar remains the character most associated with Mike Carey’s work, and he’s proud of that. The show’s lasting success is a testament to the dedication of its fans, their belief in the series, and its remarkable comeback.

He said, “It’s unbelievable. It feels like we’ve been working on this forever, but it’s hard to believe it’s only been ten years. I still remember everything like it was yesterday.”

The Devil’s In The Details

I remember reading the script for Sarah Silverman’s pilot that HBO was working on, and I instantly knew that was exactly the kind of project I wanted to be a part of. They told me I might be a little too young for it, but I was so eager I just kept saying, ‘Please, just let me audition, let me get in a room with Sarah!’

He remembers being at the airport with a stack of scripts to review for future projects. He picked one up that said ‘Lucifer’ on the cover and initially thought, ‘Oh no, what’s going to be bad in this one?’

I started laughing pretty early on, around page three, and that’s when I thought, ‘Wow, this person could be the one.’

This Lucifer Morningstar, eternally sentenced to rule Hell, has had enough of being blamed for humanity’s mistakes. He decides to take a vacation on Earth, quickly becoming a popular figure in Los Angeles’ nightlife. Surprisingly, he discovers a new calling by working as a consultant for the LAPD.

Ellis immediately envisioned the character, describing Lucifer as a blend of Oscar Wilde and Mick Jagger’s personalities. He also made the creative choice to give Lucifer a British accent, a detail not present in the initial script.

He felt the character’s accent was very clear from the writing. He did attempt an American accent before the audition, but admitted it didn’t work; he thought it made the character sound unpleasant and unlikeable.

Okay, so this film’s lead… let’s just say he’s a bit of a rogue. But honestly, I think the filmmakers were counting on his inherent British charm to make it all work. And you know what? It did work. I think the American audience was totally willing to forgive a lot just because of that accent and that classic British vibe. It’s amazing how much you can get away with when you’ve got that going for you!

Ellis impressed executive producer Len Wiseman during the audition, and Wiseman became a strong advocate for him to play the lead. Wiseman contacted Ellis after getting his number from a friend, telling him he was determined to get him the role, but first needed to convince the studio and network.

Ellis was still establishing himself as an actor in the United States. He’d found success in the UK, notably playing Gary in the BBC comedy Miranda, but getting noticed in America was proving more challenging.

Before landing the role of Lucifer, Ellis gained recognition starring in the TV series Rush. He played a flawed but compelling doctor in Los Angeles who treated the rich and famous. Although the show was cancelled after just one season – a fact Ellis regrets – he believes it ultimately helped him get the part he’s most known for.

Ellis described landing the role of Lucifer as a stroke of fate. Although getting the part wasn’t a miracle in itself, it marked the beginning of a series of lucky events that helped the show become a success.

Honestly, even before Lucifer actually came out, there was a lot of pushback. The very concept of trying to make the Devil a sympathetic character seemed like a huge gamble, and a group called One Million Moms voiced their objections long before anyone had even seen a single episode. It was a bit of a battle just to get it off the ground.

Ellis points out that people who criticize something they haven’t actually experienced reveal more about themselves than about the work itself. She also notes that any initial controversy surrounding the launch quickly died down.

Save Lucifer

I was a huge fan of Lucifer when it first came out! It was originally made for Fox by Warner Bros., and it ran for three seasons, but then it got cancelled in 2018, which was so disappointing. The creators actually thought that was the end. Apparently, ratings in the US were just okay – not terrible, but not amazing either. But overseas, it was a massive hit! That’s what really saved the show, as far as I understand.

After the first season aired, Warner Brothers organized a short press tour in Europe. This was because the show became available on Amazon and Netflix in several European countries.

Fans were going crazy for Lucifer, and I started to notice it seemed much more popular than I’d initially realized. Having been an actor for a while, this was the first time a show I was in felt truly widespread and popular in so many different places.

When Fox cancelled the show after its third season, I was really surprised. It seemed popular, and I figured a lot of viewers would be upset by the decision.

That statement was a massive understatement, and it turned out I was completely right about how things would go.

As a huge fan of ‘Lucifer’, I was absolutely thrilled when the show faced cancellation! The outcry from the fanbase – seriously, #SaveLucifer was everywhere – was incredible. It got so much attention online that Netflix actually listened. Within just two weeks of us “Lucifans” fighting for it, they brought the show back for more seasons. It was a total win for the fans!

Honestly, it was a really weird feeling when the show got cancelled. The head of Warner Bros. had flat-out told me that if Fox didn’t renew it, that would be the end. We were all pretty heartbroken, because we genuinely loved making the show, and it seemed like audiences were really into it too.

It was really heartwarming to see how much the show meant to people – that’s honestly where it all began. Things just took off from there! About four or five days after they announced the cancellation, I got a call from the head of Warner Bros. He’d previously told me it was over, but now he was saying they’d noticed the fan reaction and wanted to see if they could find the show a new home.

That experience gave me a renewed sense of hope, even though I didn’t expect much to come of it. Still, it motivated me to reach out online and encourage others to continue speaking up and making their voices heard.

It was an incredibly positive and empowering experience. It felt like ordinary people could really make a difference, which is rare nowadays. It strengthened my trust in my instincts and in the power of passionate communities, like fandoms.

The show really took off after it started streaming on Netflix. We’d already built a lot of excitement, and when the new season dropped, the response was incredible – it was a huge success and completely exceeded our expectations.

The show proved so popular that it was renewed for a fifth season, and then extended with even more episodes. Seeing how much fans loved it, Netflix surprisingly decided to bring the show back for a sixth and final season, which aired in 2021 and concluded the series.

The God Squad

Despite facing challenges, the show Lucifer remarkably lasted for a long time. Even as the story became increasingly complex – with showrunners Joe Henderson and Ildy Modrovich adding more characters, both human and supernatural – the show’s ‘case-of-the-week’ format continued to succeed.

Though the show began with Lucifer, viewers quickly grew to love the supporting characters who surrounded him. These included Mazikeen (Lesley-Ann Brandt), Lucifer’s close demon friend who came to Los Angeles with him; Amenadiel (DB Woodside), Lucifer’s brother sent by God to convince him to return to Hell; Detective Dan Espinoza (Kevin Alejandro), who was skeptical of Lucifer’s unusual methods; and Dr. Linda Martin (Rachael Harris), a therapist uniquely tasked with treating the devil himself.

However, Detective Chloe Decker, played by Lauren German, was arguably the most significant character, eventually becoming Lucifer’s love interest. Fans quickly became invested in their potential relationship – often called “Deckerstar” – and the question of whether they would get together became a key part of the show’s storyline.

Ellis has said German is one of the funniest people he knows, and that made it easier to work on the story and connect with the fans.

He explained that when fans expressed how important this storyline was to them, it confirmed for the creators, Joe and Ildy, that it should be the central focus. While that wasn’t the original plan, everyone involved really enjoyed working together and had a great time bringing it to life. Lauren and I, in particular, had a lot of fun collaborating.

We, as both actors and characters, really believed in the show and felt it was crucial to get things right.

Resting in Peace

As the show neared its final episode, Ellis – who was now also a producer – and the rest of the team felt immense pressure to deliver a satisfying conclusion. This was particularly challenging because they had already written and rewritten the ending multiple times, constantly adding to the story.

It’s tricky balancing what fans want with staying true to the original story that attracted them. We had to rework the finale because we initially planned for season five to be the end, which led to some challenges in figuring out how to wrap things up.

I thought the story needed one more emotional sacrifice. I wanted it to be a mix of happy and sad, not just happy. So, we discussed it and decided it would be powerful if Lucifer gave up time with Chloe while she was on Earth. That way, she could experience being a single mom to Trixie and all that comes with it, knowing she’d eventually be with him for eternity.

Even though their relationship didn’t work out in this life, and it was a little sad, we knew they would be together forever. That’s how we justified the story.

I enjoyed it a lot. It wasn’t perfect or polished, but it was emotionally impactful and included everything fans were hoping for. I was happy with how everything came together, and I think Joe and Ildy did a fantastic job getting us to the point we reached in season six.

Now that Lucifer and Chloe have found happiness together, even if it’s in the afterlife, actress Lesley-Ann Ellis has been thinking about the show’s impact. She believes ‘Lucifer’ brought people together – connecting friends, families, and even those with different beliefs.

He’s been surprised and pleased to hear from religious leaders and people of faith who’ve connected with the show. Many have told him they’re using clips or ideas from it in their sermons or Bible studies, which he thinks is wonderful because it sparks meaningful discussions.

“I think we went out on a high, and I think that’s the best way,” he says of letting the show rest. “I think we pretty much covered all bases, without getting to the point where it just gets ridiculous, even though it’s a story about the devil running a nightclub in LA! It’s doing a disservice to the story we’ve already told.”

All episodes of Lucifer are available now on Netflix.

Authors

Tilly PearceFreelance Writer

Tilly Pearce is a freelance TV journalist who covers a wide variety of shows, from reality TV like Love Is Blind to science fiction series like Fallout. She’s a highly qualified journalist, holding NCTJ Gold Standard accreditation, and has experience as a deputy editor at both Digital Spy and Daily Express US.

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2026-01-29 18:39