Charles Michael Davis Previews Legacies‘ Epic Originals Reunion — Plus, Which NBA Great Is a Marcel Fan?
Four years after leaving the French Quarter behind, Charles Michael Davis is bringing Marcel Gerard back to New Orleans on Thursday’s Legacies. And as he tells TVLine, his former Originals co-star Danielle Rose Russell had the perfect response to his return: “I would have thought you’d have been back sooner.”
Davis makes his Legacies debut alongside Nathaniel Buzolic, who’s also appearing on the spinoff for the first time. They’re joined by returning guest stars Claire Holt and Riley Voelkel, officially making this the largest Mikaelson family reunion since The Originals ended in 2018.
But Davis’ time as Marcel stretches back much further. The cool, confident karaoke king was introduced during The Originals‘ 2013 backdoor pilot on The Vampire Diaries, making Davis one of the few actors to have appeared on all three shows. And he still remembers filming that episode, appropriately titled “The Originals,” like it was yesterday.
“It’s cemented in my head because it was such a moment for me and for my career,” Davis tells TVLine. “That’s the line. My life completely changed after that. I remember meeting Joe [Morgan], I remember having dinner with him and Daniel [Gillies], I remember doing rehearsals with [director] Chris Grismer and [writer] Julie Plec, and I remember going to New Orleans. Some things I’ve intentionally forgotten, but I remember a lot of it. Being there for five seasons, that show was so much a part of my life.”
And while there’s still the minor issue of Hope’s suppressed humanity to contend with, rest assured that the episode will also give fans plenty of updates about her extended family members, including at least one whose name Legacies has yet to mention.
“It did feel like we were home,” Davis says of shooting Thursday’s episode in Conyers, Ga. (which served as The Originals‘ “New Orleans”) and in a reconstructed locale from the show. That scene, where everyone is “sitting at the table, reminiscing and laughing about things,” was Davis’ favorite to film. “Especially now with the restrictions of COVID and all that, to be sitting and chatting and seeing people’s faces was a good little bubble to be in for a few hours.”
It’s guaranteed to be an emotional hour for all longtime fans of the franchise, including *checks notes* basketball great Shaquille O’Neal?
Davis tells us: “I was working on NCIS: New Orleans during the pandemic, and I checked my phone and saw I had a DM from ‘Dr. Shaquille O’Neal,’ or whatever he goes by on there. I thought that it was a joke, but I saw it had the little blue check. So I opened the message. He was like, ‘Hey, I just started watching The Originals. It’s a great series, you’re a great actor, keep up the good work. God bless. And I wrote back like ‘WHAAAT?!’ So he sent a video of him sitting at home on the couch, then reversed the phone and showed that he was watching an episode of The Originals. And he goes, ‘You’re a bad dude, Marcel.'”
Your thoughts on Legacies‘ big Originals reunion? Are you pleased to learn that Shaq is a fellow fan? Whatever’s on your mind, drop it in a comment below.
I do not watch this show but he is fine AF!
🔥🔥🔥
Glad that it sounds like the Originals characters will actually be appearing for real, and not as hallucinations.
Also, the mental image of Shaq sitting on the couch, eagerly watching this crazy vampire show amuses me greatly.
Looking forward to seeing Marcel again in tomorrow night’s episode, as well as the other surviving Originals. And another thing. Renew “Legacies” CW!!!
it will be cool if the returning mikaelsons face off against the gods, that will be epic
Yes, it would be epic if they do that. Perhaps they could do it in a potential 5th season. The CW needs to renew this.
also he says he met joseph after the originals started but joseph said they knew each other before the show started so im confused
Okay, I need Shaq to do a Gogglebox type show. I must know more about his tv opinions.
I am so excited for this episode
Does ANYONE like this actor?
yeah I do
Lots of people do.
I liked him on NCIS: NO & Chicago PD…plus he is VERY attractive. 💋
Maybe flip that question – does anyone, other than you, dislike this actor?
Absolutely the best idea to date for legacies. Can’t wait and hope to see more characters like this. I mean seriously anyone can come back from the dead in tvd world
I’d love it if they brought Davina into the picture & Vincent. They would make great teachers at the school & the students would benefit from their experience.
I absolutely love the originals,and having watched it for so long,IAM a true die hard fan,now to be able to watch legacies let’s just say from klause to Marcel Rebecca,Freya and kol,now hope it’s a wonderful show
I am super excited, can’t wait for the episode to air and I do hope that it’s not for just one episode I love the Michelson family.
The Originals should help the Legacies, the Originals or the Vampire Diaries never had monster’s and it’s really blowing the Legacies. Please bring back the cast of the Originals to the Legacies.
most of tvd/originals alumni have no reason to show up on legacies outside of maybe cameo roles
and really why are the monsters even in conversation still, they are such a non factor, they are stupid little episodes brett does now and then, they are not harming the quality of legacies overall
Yes, I agree that there need to be more crossovers for potential future seasons. It would help the show a great deal. Overall, this season has been a massive improvement over season 3 & I hope that it continues to improve.
I am genuinely looking forward to this episode. Miss those shows a lot. I am enjoying legacies
I fell in love with the whole thing tvd. The originals. Plus of course legacies. I always wanted to know what else was in store for the mikalsens
I’d give almost anything to have these amazing characters back on either television or a movie. With doing crossovers it would be so easy to bring back the stars from The Originals and Vampire Diaries and Legacies. Best television ever. Anything you wanted they gave it to you in spades.
Thank you everyone involved for bringing the originals cast back together I cannot wait for tonight this is absolutely the pinnacle of this year of television❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I absolutely agree with Shaq, Charles Michael Davis is a great actor! I loved him in the Originals it’s a great show. I have have binged watched it over 3 times. I can’t wait to see him in Legacies!
I am a great fan of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals….I haven’t been able to tune into the Legacies is because I do not have a TV service…I am a disabled senior citizen on a fixed income and can not afford TV service…But my grandson has shared with me his streaming through his Xbox and I have watched the original and vampire diaries… wonderful stories… hopefully one day I will be able to get TV service…Great Shows ,
Hopefully, “Legacies” will get renewed for more seasons, plus I smell spin-off potential with The Gods, so there are plenty of stories left to tell in this universe.
Klaus, and Elijah too 👍🏿
Im so excited for the Orginals Reunion.I loved this show. My favorite out of the 3 shows. I watch and rewatch all of them. Would love to see more spin-offs come from them. To bring Klaus back would be great. It is probably my favorite to watch.
I bought the dvd boxset the originals and TVD and am watching Legacies now , but a New Originals season with Klaus and Elijah ( there is always a loophole) would make my year really seen it so many times now still not enough so YES please more of the same
I absolutely LOVED that he got such a good ending on The Originals. Ended up being one of the most powerful beings rather than just the Michealson’s lapdog.
Well obviously odds are Marcel, now an UberVamp himself since he was received that major upgrade in the last year of “The Originals” will be a much better match for Hope. Adding in his love of Rebecca and with the two magically inclined Originals and Hope will have to at the very least listen to her extended family.
Excited I miss both and all of the shows I wish all three of the shows would come back 👍😊👍
You should continue to have some of the originals in legacies it helps make the show better as well as keeps the shows a live
Plz make the originals reunion I would love to watch it and plz bring the whole mikaelson family.
I can’t wait for the legacy episode to watch Marcel.
I have a feeling that this episode will spark online discussion. Can’t wait for the episode.