Outlander stars Sophie Skelton and Richard Rankin have revealed their thoughts on the most prevalent misunderstandings about their iconic show as it enters its seventh season, and some of them may surprise you.
On the programme, they portray Brianna and Roger MacKenzie, the daughter and son-in-law of pivotal couple Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan).
They have settled in Fraser’s Ridge, North Carolina, with Claire (who returned to Scotland in 1743 in season one), Jamie, and the community in 1770s America, alongside their son Jemmy, as they prepare to welcome their second child together.
Season six of the fantasy-drama series, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, was inevitably impacted by Covid, eventually being trimmed into a shorter run of eight episodes, meaning it ended ahead of the conclusion of its comparable book in author Diana Gabaldon’s best-selling Outlander series, A Breath of Snow and Ashes.
‘We were struggling with that in terms of [the fact that] this show has a very vast crew and a vast amount of SAs [supporting artists] for certain scenes are needed and that really helps build our world,’ Sophie said.
‘So season six definitely had a different feel to it for the show.’
However, season seven, which entailed a return to routine filming and a year-long shoot, gave a ‘back to school’ feel.
Discussing the benefits of how the season split happened, the 29-year-old added: ‘I think it was perfect for us because it gave more time to our storyline. There’s so much that happens in this show and Diana’s books are so rich and there’s so much material that it’s hard to fit it all in – so it was actually quite nice for us to finish six where it did and then just really start our storyline from fresh with seven.
‘Roger and Brianna are expecting a baby and that really is the catalyst for a lot of what happens to us and to our characters this season. So, to start that fresh was much better in the end.’
Season seven is a generous 16 episodes long, but just the first eight episodes are due to run this summer, with fans suffering to another mini-‘Droughtlander’ midway through as they adjust to life without their favourite.
Outlander has been on the air since 2014, building a devoted fan following along the way, and a spin-off is in the works for after the already confirmed eighth and final season.
Sophie and Richard joined the time-traveling juggernaut for its second season in 2016, but what do they believe are the most common misunderstandings about the programme and working on it as two long-time insiders?
‘I think, in terms of the genre, it can often be misunderstood, and I think that’s a very good point,’ shared Richard, 40.
Co-star Sophie agreed, chiming in: ‘Yeah, when people say, “What’s it about?” and it’s kind of like, how do you describe that? Because this show genuinely calls pulls all the genres into one, and that sounds too good to be true, but Outlander has actually done it successfully! I mean, do you say sci-fi, do you say drama [or] love story? It’s really hard to describe it without it then getting put into a box, which isn’t necessarily the right box!’
‘I think some people some people don’t think it’s for them, which is more often than not men,’ Richard continued.
‘But I think it’s kind of misunderstood as being soppy romance and it never is, it never has been – not that there’s anything wrong with that genre. But I think it’s just misrepresented and misunderstood,’ the star, who has recently been cast as Inspector Rebus in an upcoming adaptation of Sir Ian Rankin’s (no relation) popular crime novels, said.
Sophie, a former CBBC actor, was eager to shatter the show’s glamorous stereotype.
‘If you’re talking about the actual work itself, I think a common misconception is that it’s all glamorous and “Yay, you’re on this big show, and it must be fun!”, and it is super-fun but we work very hard. I mean, we just did a whole season of semi-continuous days and our hours are long and the weather’s tough…’
Richard came in to clarify what a semi-continuous day is, noting that it’means you don’t get your noon sleep’.
Sophie, who struggles with midday slumber, added: ‘I can’t nap because then my wig looks like I’ve just been dragged through a hedge!
‘I don’t know how you do it. I just I’m so grumpy after a nap and I’m all disorientated. These guys all have little snoozes in their trailers…’
Revealing how these types of days on set work, Richard explained the positives of it as a ‘kind of running lunch where you get a half-hour break, which is great because it keeps everything moving and your day is shorter so it’s great over a long period of time.’
On Outlander, which is shot on location in Scotland, the couple is also physically pushed alongside their castmates and staff.
‘It’s not much green screen – we film in the snow and the rain and the mud and we really all do pull together and dig deep and it’s tough,’ Sophie revealed.
‘That’s why press tours are great – and the fact that the fans have stuck with us for so long, we are genuinely so appreciative – because when we come out of that little hub in Scotland and actually see how much the world loves it, it reminds you why we do what we do.
‘It’s such great stories to have out there and such great characters for people to love and learn from that it’s always good when you get to show it to the world.’
Richard was also busy trying to come up with other times for a nap that would work on set, to which Sophie pointed out: ‘You only have to nap because you play games until 3am and then go to work.’
‘You mean read scripts…,’ Richard hastily corrected her.
Outlander season seven premieres on Friday June 16 on Lionsgate Plus.
Source My Celebrity Life.
