Where Are They Now: “The Mortal Instruments” Edition

Ever since the news broke that ABC Family, soon to be Freeform, was in the process of developing Shadowhunters, a television show based on Cassandra Clare’s bestselling book series The Mortal Instruments, the anticipation has been building. Now, with only five days left to go before the January 12 premiere, fans are on the edge of their seats, anxious to see whether the show does the books justice. All over social media, fans are buzzing with questions. Will the show stay true to the plot? Will the cast match the characters?  Already, the show is surrounded by excitement and speculation, and the series hasn’t even premiered yet!

In celebration of the upcoming premiere, I decided to take a trip down memory lane and investigate where the cast of The Mortal Instruments movie are now. The movie, which was released in 2013, might not have been a box office smash but it stole the hearts of The Mortal Instruments’ fans all over the globe. For many, Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell Bower embodied the two leads, Clary Fray and Jace Wayland—which is why the news that there wouldn’t be any more films hit fans so hard.

Since leaving the world of The Mortal Instruments behind, the actors and actresses behind these memorable characters have each moved on to new projects. So, where are your favorites now? Keep reading to find out!

Lily Collins (Clary Fray)

Lily Collins made her acting debut in the 90210 reboot in 2009 as the character Phoebe Abrams, catching the eye of critics, who could see that she was a star on the rise. Afterwards, she scored a multitude of starring roles in a number of movies, such as The Blind Side, Priest, Abduction, Mirror Mirror, Stuck in Love and The English Teacher, before landing the role of Clary Fray in The Mortal Instruments. Since then, she has stayed busy. She went on to star in Love, Rosie in 2014 and is currently working on an untitled Warren Beatty project. In addition, Collins recently got back together with her The Mortal Instruments costar Jamie Campbell Bower, much to the delight of fans.

Jamie Campbell Bower (Jace Wayland)

Jamie Campbell Bower made his acting debut in 2007, playing Anthony in the Tim Burton film Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The following year, he starred in the movies RocknRolla and Winter in Wartime. In 2009, he landed the role of 11-12 in the TV mini-series The Prisoner, and then the role of Caius in The Twilight Saga: New Moon, a role which he reprised in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 1 and Part 2. He also played Young Gellert Grindelwald in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and King Arthur in the TV series Camelot. Since starring in The Mortal Instruments, Bower voiced the character Skiff in Thomas & Friends: Sodor’s Legend of the Lost Treasure in 2015. Although he has no new acting projects on the horizon, Bower is actively touring with his band Counterfeit all over the U.K.

Robert Sheehan (Simon Lewis)

Like Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell Bower, Robert Sheehan was already well on his way to establishing himself as an accomplished actor by the time he was cast in The Mortal Instruments. Prior to landing the role of Simon, he had regular roles on the television shows Foreign Exchange, Young Blades, Rock Rivals and Misfits, and had guest-starred on the shows The Clinic, Bel’s Boys, BitterSweet, The Tudors, Coming U, Accuse and Me and Mrs. Jones. He had also starred in the movies Ghostwood, Cherry Bomb, Season of the Witch, Killing Bono, Demons Never Die and The Borrowers. The same year that The Mortal Instruments came out, he finished an eighteen-episode stint on the show Love/Hate. Afterwards, he starred in several movies, including The Road Within, Moonwalkers, The Messenger and Jet Trash. He is currently signed on to star in an untitled Ari Gold project and will be playing the character Duncan in the upcoming movie Geostorm.

Jemima West (Isabelle Lightwood)

Before playing the beautiful badass Isabelle in The Mortal Instruments, Jemima West mostly concentrated on acting on the small screen. Her first major role was in the TV series 15/Love as the character Cassidy Payne. From there, she scored guest roles in the shows R.I.S Police scientifique, Grand Star, Ben and Thomas, Eternelle, Camping paradis and The Borgias. She transitioned into film in 2012, starring in the movie Lines of Wellington as the character Maureen. After The Mortal Instruments, she landed roles in the movies United Passions and Kidnapping Mr. Heineken. She can currently be seen in the TV mini-series Indian Summers and is slated to guest star in the show Endeavor.

Kevin Zegers (Alec Lightwood)

Kevin Zegers already had an impressive career by the time he was cast as Isabelle’s brother Alec Lightwood in The Mortal Instruments. As a child, he guest-starred on a number of television shows and played several minor roles in the movies. In 1997, he scored his first major role when he was cast as Josh Framm in the movie Air Bud, a role which he reprised in all three sequels. Afterwards, he starred in the movies Treasure Island, It Came From the Sky, Four Days, Komodo, The Acting Class, Time Share, Virginia’s Run, Wrong Turn, Dawn of the Dead, Transamerica, Zoom, The Jane Austen Book Club, The Stone Angel, Gardens of the Night, The Narrows, Fifty Dead Men Walking, Frozen, Vampire, The Entitled and The Colony. He also played Ethan Benchley in the show Titans and Mark Muir on Titanic: Blood and Steel, and guest-starred on Smallville, House M.D. and Gossip Girl. Since starring in The Mortal Instruments, he has ping-ponged between the small and big screen. He played Simon Brunson in the movie All the Wrong Reasons, Owen on the TV Mini-Series Gracepoint and Chuck in The Curse of Downers Grove. He’s slated to appear in the upcoming movies Sleepwalker and 478.

Godfrey Gao (Magnus Bane)

In all honesty, I couldn’t have chosen a better actor to play Magnus Bane. Godfrey Gao personified him, in my opinion, to the point where I felt that what I visualized and what he portrayed meshed perfectly. Before being cast as Magnus, Gao starred in two different television shows: Bull Fighting and Momo Love. Since The Mortal Instruments, he has been concentrating on film roles as well as TV gigs. He is currently working on the show God of War Zhao Yun in addition to filming The Wedding Bible and The Jade Pendant. In addition, he is slated to appear as Eric in the TV series The Peach Blossom Neverland.

Lena Headley (Jocelyn Fray)

While Lena Headley played Clary’s mom Jocelyn Fray in The Mortal Instruments, she is most known for playing someone much more conniving: Cersei Lannister on Game of Thrones, her most iconic role yet. Before even that, however, Headley was making a name for herself by starring in the movies 300, St. Trinian’s, Dredd and The Purge. In addition, she also played Sarah Connor in the short-lived television show Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles from 2008—2009. In between starring as Cersei on Game of Thrones, Headley has found time to act in several movies since The Mortal Instruments, including The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box, Low Down, 300: Rise of an Empire and Zipper. She is currently signed on to play Lady Catherine de Bourgh in the upcoming film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Valentine Morganstern)

Before playing Valentine in The Mortal Instruments, he was most known for his role as King Henry VIII in the critically acclaimed show The Tudors. Before even that, he was making a name for himself as a film actor, starring in a multitude of films such as Alexander, Match Point, Mission: Impossible III, August Rush, From Paris With Love and 6 Souls. The year that The Mortal Instruments came out, he scored the role of Dracula in the short-lived television series Dracula. In 2015, he played Trevor in the movie Stonewall. Fans can expect to see him in the upcoming remake of Roots and in the movies London Town, The Rising: 1916, Shambhala, Shadow and Damascus Cover.

Aidan Turner (Luke)

Prior to starring as Luke in The Mortal Instruments, Aidan Turner mostly focused on acting on television. Some of his television credits include The Tudors, Desperate Romantics, The Clinic and the British version of Being Human, in which he played the character Mitchell. Then, in 2012, he landed his first major film role: that of Kili in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, a role which he continued to play in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. He recently scored the role of Ross Poldark in the show Poldark. Fans can expect to see him in the upcoming films The Secret Scripture, Loving Vincent and Look Away.

Jared Harris (Hodge)

Last but certainly not least, we have Jared Harris, the son of late actor Richard Harris, who is arguably one of the most successful actors in this cast. Prior to playing Hodge in The Mortal Instruments, he starred in a multitude of box office hits, including Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Ocean’s Twelve, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Extraordinary Measures, The Ward, Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows and Lincoln. He also guest-starred on the shows Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, The Riches, Fringe, Mad Men and Axe Cop. Post-The Mortal Instruments, he scored roles in the movies Pompeii, The Quiet Ones, The Boxtrolls, Poltergeist, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Baby, Baby, Baby. In addition, he guest-starred on the shows The Crown and The Expanse. Fans can expect to see him in the movies The Last Face and Certain Women.

 

Be sure to catch the premiere of Shadowhunters on January 12 at 9:00 pm EST on ABC Family/Freeform!