Who Plays Hope Mikaelson And How Did She Get The Role?

Danielle Rose Russell, the talented and beautiful actress, played the character 'Hope Mikaelson' in the TV series "Legacies." She gracefully brought to life a tribrid character who is a cross between a vampire and werewolf, or witch. With her strong acting, which embodies both Hope's strength and also a hint of weakness in face pain, the magnificence of the series rises to another level completely. Danielle is the soul of show, just spectacular.

You’ll probably recognize her face the minute Freya walks into a room — that’s Riley Voelkel, the actress who brought so much steely warmth and arcane charm to Freya Mikaelson on 'The Originals'. I got hooked not just by the wardrobe or the magic, but by the way Riley shaded Freya’s vulnerability with dry humor and a backbone of fierce loyalty. In the show, Freya is the long-lost eldest Mikaelson, the witch who holds the family together when everything else is falling apart, and Riley made that complicated blend of maternal fierceness and lonely exile feel utterly believable. Outside of the Mikaelson storyline, Riley has kept busy with a mix of television and film work and a background in modeling that explains her on-screen poise. Most fans know she reprised the character in the extended universe, showing up in 'Legacies' and making a few crossover appearances, which felt like nice continuity for the supernatural canon. Beyond that universe she’s taken on guest and recurring roles across TV and indie film projects — working in smaller dramatic pieces, occasional genre work, and projects that let her flex different emotional registers than the stoic witch role. She also did modeling early on, which is where she cut her teeth in front of the camera and learned to use subtle expressions that read well on screen. I love watching actors like Riley who become so identified with an iconic part but still show up in varied roles; it’s like seeing a favorite musician try a new instrument and still make beautiful noise. Freya will always be what drew me in, but Riley’s range outside that story makes me keep an eye on her future projects and wonder what she’ll surprise us with next.

Hope Mikaelson's witch lineage is one of the most fascinating aspects of her character in 'The Originals' and 'Legacies'. She's a firstborn Mikaelson, which is significant because firstborn witches in that family often exhibit extraordinary power. Her mother, Hayley Marshall, had werewolf blood, and her father, Klaus Mikaelson, was a hybrid—part vampire, part werewolf. But witchcraft comes from her paternal grandmother, Esther Mikaelson, who was an incredibly powerful witch. That's where Hope's witch abilities originate. What's wild is that she's also a werewolf due to Hayley's lineage and carries vampiric traits from Klaus, making her the first-ever tribrid. The show explores how her magic manifests early, almost instinctually, like when she unintentionally channels emotions into spells as a child. It's not just about genetics, though; her upbringing around powerful witches like Freya and Vincent probably honed her skills. The way her magic fluctuates with her emotions feels very true to the Mikaelson legacy—raw, untamed, and deeply tied to her identity.

There’s something about Hope Mikaelson that always makes me stop scrolling and just grin — she’s literally the bridge between the Originals and the newer generation. In family terms, she sits one generation down from the original siblings: she’s the daughter of Niklaus (Klaus) Mikaelson and Hayley Marshall. That makes Klaus and Hayley her parents, and puts her squarely as the granddaughter of the original patriarch and matriarch, Mikael and Esther. In simpler family-tree speak: Mikael + Esther → Klaus (one of their children) → Hope. As for aunts and uncles, Hope is the niece of Elijah, Rebekah, Kol and Finn (Henrik was the tragic youngest who died before becoming one of the originals). So she’s part of that immediate Mikaelson clan by blood and sits in the lineage that carries all the family baggage — immortality, curses, witch-magic, and frankly, a lot of dramatic history. A big twist is that Hope is referred to as the first tribrid, which mixes witch, werewolf and vampire lines; that’s where her unique place in the family tree becomes story-critical. She’s the living outcome of the Mikaelson legacy and the werewolf line through Hayley. I still get chills thinking about how her existence rewrote so many family dynamics in 'The Originals' and then carried over as a central thread into 'Legacies'. For me, Hope is both heir and a new branch — she’s the Mikaelson legacy walking forward, but also someone who has to make her own choices beyond the weight of those famous ancestors.

Rebekah Mikaelson, the fierce yet tragically romantic Original vampire in 'The Vampire Diaries,' is brought to life by Claire Holt. She absolutely nails the character's mix of regal elegance and wild impulsiveness—like when Rebekah swings from scheming against Elena to weeping over centuries of heartbreak. Holt’s chemistry with Joseph Morgan (Klaus) is electric; their sibling dynamic feels so real, you’d swear they’ve been bickering for a thousand years. Fun fact: Holt actually auditioned for Caroline initially! Imagine how different the show would’ve been. She later reprised Rebekah in 'The Originals,' digging deeper into the character’s loneliness and resilience. Honestly, I’ve rewatched her daggering scene in TVD Season 3 so many times—the way she delivers 'I’d rather die than spend another century in a box' gives me chills.

Hope Mikaelson's status as a witch is one of the most fascinating aspects of her character in 'The Originals' and 'Legacies'. Being part of the Mikaelson bloodline, she inherits magic from her witch ancestors, specifically through her mother, Hayley Marshall, who was a werewolf, and her father, Klaus Mikaelson, a vampire-werewolf hybrid. But magic isn’t just about bloodlines—it’s about choice and identity too. Hope actively embraces her witch side, studying spells, rituals, and even attending the Salvatore School to hone her craft. What makes her unique is her tribrid nature, combining vampire, werewolf, and witch powers, yet her witch abilities are the first to manifest. It’s like she’s carrying this ancient legacy of witchcraft while forging her own path, which adds so much depth to her character. Another layer is how her magic evolves. Early on, she’s shown performing basic spells, but as she grows, her power becomes more refined—sometimes even terrifying. Remember when she created a whole new dimension? That’s next-level witchcraft. The show also explores the emotional weight of her magic, like how her emotions can fuel or destabilize her spells. It’s not just about being born with it; it’s about how she channels it. And let’s not forget the Mikaelson family’s dark history with witchcraft, which adds this delicious tension to her journey. Hope’s magic isn’t just a tool; it’s a reflection of her struggles, her heritage, and her resilience.