Everyone has been encouraged to fall down the dragon/ fairy/ romantasy smut rabbit hole at least once. The rapidly growing literary genre is overwhelmingly written and read by adult women, most of whom are Millennials and Gen Z.
Now that the lead cast of the first Empyrean series book, Fourth Wing, which is being adapted into a series for Prime Video, has finally been announced, smut fans have a new hero in Esther McGregor.
The actress will play Violet Sorrengail in the series, who is forced by her mother, General Sorrengail, to join the Basgiath War College and become a dragon rider in the kingdom of Navarre. And yes, it's going to be steamy.
Who is Esther McGregor?
Esther McGregor is a British actress, model and musician. She was born in London to Scottish and French-Greek Jewish parents and moved to LA when she was 11 years old. She is bilingual.
During the pandemic, Esther started a band called French Thyme and they released their EP in 2020. She also became a tattoo artist and opened a tattoo shop in New York City called Pink Ether (you can try to book her if you so desire).
How old is Esther McGregor?
Esther is 25 years old. She was born on 22 October 2001.
Who does Esther McGregor play in Fourth Wing?
Esther has just been cast as the lead role in Fourth Wing, which is set to be the breakout role of her career so far. The series is based on the 2023 romantic fantasy novel by Rebecca Yarros.
In the first book, Violet is 20 years old. She is described as having brown hair with silver tips and hazel eyes. She is also short and therefore far smaller than your typical dragon rider. Violet was born with a connective tissue disorder caused by her mother's illness during pregnancy, leading to frequent dislocations, bruising and weak bones. She is sharp-witted, intelligent and resilient.
'Holy sh– Esther McGregor is perfect,' wrote on fan on X after hearing the casting news. 'I hope they are ready because their lives are about to change forever,' wrote another.
What else has Esther McGregor starred in?
Fourth Wing is not Esther's first rodeo. She started modelling at the age of 16, working for Fendi, Stella McCartney, Miu Miu and Celine.
In 2022, she made a cameo in the Disney+ miniseries Obi-Wan Kenobi and played Natalie in the coming-of-age drama High School. In May 2024, she was cast in the Prime Video series We Are Liars based on E. Lockhart's 2014 novel.
This summer, she was cast in Life Is Strange as Rachel Amber and starred opposite Zach Braff in Clean Hands. Esther has also had roles in Babygirl and The Room Next Door.
Is Esther McGregor related to Ewan McGregor?
Yes, Esther's dad is the Golden Globe-winning Scottish actor Ewan McGregor, known for hit films like Moulin Rouge and Trainspotting.
She has three sisters, Clara, Jamyan and Anouk and a half-brother Laurie from her father's second marriage to actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
Ewan and Esther's mother Eve Mavrakis got divorced in 2017 after Ewan fell in love with his Fargo co-star Mary Elizabeth. 'It was a very painful time,' Ewan has said. 'My children were very hurt.'
Is Esther McGregor a nepo baby?
Yes, Esther's father and stepmother are both famous actors and her mother is a production designer. Her elder sister Clara is also an actress and her great-uncle Denis Lawson was in the original Star Wars trilogy.
Is Esther McGregor in a relationship?
Esther, who identifies as bisexual, has not revealed her relationship status in public.
Does Esther McGregor have social media?
Yes, you can keep up with Esther on Instagram at @esther.mcgregor, where she already has more than 231k followers.
Nikki Peach is a senior writer at Grazia, working across news, entertainment, features. She has also written for the i, i-D and the New Statesman Media Group and covers all things pop culture for Grazia (treating high and lowbrow with equal respect).