- 2 days ago
'Outlander' stars Sam Heughan, Richard Rankin and Sophie Skelton stop by THR's suite at San Diego Comic-Con and talk about reaching the end of a decade-long journey and what it has been like to reunite. Plus, they reveal how they have changed the most thanks to and because of the show.
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00:00It's known in the industry for being a tough shoot, you know, we're in tough conditions,
00:04we do long hours, and it's brutal in a lot of ways, but I actually think that that's put us
00:08in really good stead, and I'm so grateful for that, because when I go to other sets now and,
00:12you know, people are complaining they've not got their coffee or whatever else, I'm like, dude,
00:15we do wild wheeze in the middle of a forest with ticks because we can't get to the toilet,
00:19and we're, you know, we've got a snowstorm. And we enjoy it. And we enjoy it.
00:30So we are reaching the end of a crazy decade-long journey, and I love that you guys got to reunite
00:35here at San Diego Comic-Con, but in the time off, what's it been like kind of looking back on the
00:39history and experience of the show? I feel like this might be the first time we've all actually managed
00:44to sit and talk about it. I mean, when we sort of had a few false finishes, and then we had reshoots,
00:50and then I think we've all been just kind of busy. So this is a really beautiful place to come back
00:56and kind of reminisce with the fans, actually. I feel like this is the first time we've really
01:00done that and let it settle. It feels full circle here as well. You know, this is kind of where we,
01:05I guess, started in some ways. Or you remember your first Comic-Con and over the years coming
01:10back here. So it feels familiar. And to see the fans here still excited about the show, you know,
01:15some 11 years later is fantastic. But as Sophie said, to reminisce and spend time with each other,
01:21it's been really nice. We were spread to all corners of the earth as soon as once we wrapped
01:27the last season. But it's nice to be reunited, despite perhaps one other very important person
01:32not being here. She's here in spirit. She's here in spirit. Yeah, I miss everyone. We miss you too.
01:39It's funny, we, you know, our whole cast and crew, and I think you do take these things for granted,
01:43but I think we all got much closer in the last couple of years of shooting, the seventh and eighth season.
01:48And I didn't really, really, truly realize, I think, until after we'd finished, how much I really do
01:55love everyone and miss all our cast. We paid him to say that. Yeah, yeah. It was a good sound bite.
01:59I felt the energy. But you guys did walk in like family. It was really cool. Yeah, no, it is. I mean,
02:03we were just saying before, we spend, I mean, I for sure spend more time with you guys than I've
02:08spent with my own family over the last decade. Yeah, and you're lucky.
02:11Yeah. They sing Top Gun. Now we all have the same sense of humor. Can you tell?
02:15Well, we finish each other's sentences. Wow. Now I do have a couple of serious questions,
02:22because I've been curious about a few like psychological elements of these characters.
02:25And Jamie's navigated trauma, fatherhood, revolution, and that portrayal of resilience
02:30means a lot to me. And looking at masculinity in modern society, how has that affected your
02:34view of masculinity and like addressing that at a place like Comic-Con? Oh, I mean, I think your list
02:38is remarkably short. I think we could be here all day. He's had to struggle. He has had to
02:45many, many challenges, mostly started off by his wife doing something. I mean, I'm going to put all
02:51the blame on her. But, um, uh, yes. What was your question again?
02:55Let's talk about masculinity.
02:58It's his wife's fault.
03:00Cool.
03:00That's your sound by Instagram.
03:02I was giving him flowers and they were just thrown away.
03:04Yeah, you did.
03:05I mean, he's a man of his time, you know.
03:08I was like a beautiful representation of healthy masculinity.
03:10That's it. Toxic as you like. No, he's, I mean, look, he is a man of his time. And certainly when they
03:16first met, you know, he had all of these ideas about how women should be in men's role. And he's
03:21always challenged by that. And I think that's what's so fantastic about Claire, that she,
03:25she's from the future and she challenges him. And what's so great about him is that he is
03:29emotionally intelligent and rises to the occasion. And the only time that it causes grief is when,
03:36you know, when, when they don't see eye to eye. And then you have these amazing Outlander moments
03:39where Jamie and Claire hash it out together. Um, but what's so great about him is that he does
03:43have an open mind to things, perhaps not so much for his son-in-law at first. Yeah,
03:49he's a wonderful character. So yeah, a great role model, I think.
03:52It's cool to see evolution in a character like that. And I love TV for giving you the long form
03:55to get to do that. And then similarly, you're playing an 18th century engineer who is battling
04:00gender norms of that time. And I'm wondering how that affects your keen eye towards noticing gender
04:05inequality of our time and having that be such a focus.
04:08Yeah. I mean, it's funny because I grew up with a mom who I think went back to work about three days
04:13after she popped me out. And so I've always been somewhat, I would say modern for my own time.
04:19And I feel like Brianna is the same, you know, she already had very modern ideas and ideals of
04:25women's place in the world, even for the forties. And that was very much influenced by her mother and
04:30her mother being a surgeon in a time where women weren't necessarily in medical school. And yeah,
04:34I think Brianna, one of her greatest achievements, I would say is bringing engineering and that
04:40mentality back to the 18th century. And it was just such an honor to have so many years of history,
04:46be able to be displayed on screen and yeah, see her grow in that and see the ripple effect of her
04:51mentality to the people around her was, was really great.
04:54What did you bring to it?
04:55What did I bring to it?
04:56No, no, him, did he?
04:58Yeah. Back to the 18th century.
05:00Yeah.
05:01A lot of love.
05:03That's true.
05:04Chocolate wrappers.
05:06Yeah.
05:06History.
05:07History.
05:08Yeah.
05:08Yeah.
05:08Yeah.
05:09Which often was demonstrated by Brianna and not Roger, weirdly. Seems like not much.
05:16My question for you is about music. I love the connection of music to your character and how
05:21it's like, it's so healing and it's so expressive and it's so cathartic and there's like a kind of a
05:27shield, but also a dagger in it for you. And I was wondering if in your life you feel that connection
05:32to music and it's kind of emotional and mental pathway.
05:35Yeah. I mean, yeah, I mean, I, I think that's one of the things I have in common with Roger.
05:42Maybe that was one of the reasons I got the part was because I could already play the guitar and
05:46sing. I think that maybe helped somewhat along the way, but yeah, I don't know. I think Roger's good
05:51for some, for some weekend entertainment. It's not on screen, but every, you know,
05:56weekend, every other weekend it was actually because Jamie was busy the first weekend of
06:00every month. He would sit down and he would get the guitar out and he would serenade the whole
06:05family. It's great for Brianna. If the kids are crying, you're like, give him to Roger, get out the
06:09guitar. Yeah. Actually, so you've got an amazing singing voice. It's a shame we didn't get to hear
06:14Brianna singing. But looking back at your time, 11 years is a lot of life. That's a lot of experience.
06:21How do you think each of you has changed the most thanks to the show and also the most because of
06:27the show? Like what chicken and egg of your life was getting this part 11 years ago that you're most
06:32appreciative for now? Great question. I mean, for me, this was my twenties, so it probably kept me out
06:39of trouble, but I think it also, I look, I mean, I'd, I'd been working for a fairly long time before I got
06:47this job started acting quite young, but I think with this job, we have really been thrown in the
06:52deep end. It's, it's known in the industry for being a tough shoot. Um, you know, we're in tough
06:56conditions. We do long hours and it's brutal in a lot of ways, but I actually think that that's put
07:01us in really good stead. And I'm so grateful for that. Cause when I go to other sets now and
07:05you know, people are complaining, they've not got their coffee or whatever else. I'm like, dude,
07:08we do wild wheeze in the middle of a forest with ticks because we can't get to the toilet. And we're,
07:12you know, we've got a snow storm and we enjoy it and we enjoy it. And really just the camaraderie
07:18as well. And I, one thing I will say that's wonderful about our show is a, we all get on,
07:22which is a blessing. There's usually one bad egg, but I think we've done okay.
07:26Unless I'm the bad egg. And you know, I will say the fact that we're all so close to our crew as
07:35well. And actually just everybody treats everyone else with mutual respect. And it's not this
07:39hierarchical thing that there often is on sets. And I think that that is a really incredible
07:43lesson to take forward. And I feel very grateful that I've been, you know, I've had that so ingrained
07:47in my career from a young age. I mean, 10, 10 years of a job, right? That's, that's some pretty good
07:54security for a start. I mean, what, what that for you over the years is, you know, for an actor is,
08:00is incredible. Someone had said recently, and I think this is true that every time we wrapped,
08:05we had already known about the next, we'd already been commissioned for the next season.
08:10Ah, yeah.
08:11So I think there was, there's a lot of security in that. It means that in between,
08:14you can go on and you can do other projects that you don't necessarily have to, but you can do them
08:18because, you know, it's something that you may enjoy or something you're going to love doing.
08:22So it was, you know, a good long period of that, which is not that common in our industry.
08:27And I think something definitely to be grateful for.
08:30I think it's just aged me. Um, I had no gray hairs before I started and, uh,
08:34You've been growing that beard the whole time.
08:36I've been growing the beard since I started and I've finally got here. But, uh, yeah, I mean,
08:41but, but I, I mean that in a sort of serious way that it's just like, I don't know, it's brought a maturity.
08:45I think, you know, being, uh, one of the lead characters in, in, in a, in a show that, you know, heavily weighs upon you,
08:52you know, you, you've got to turn up every day and, and do the work. And, um, it, you know, it was, it was a marathon.
09:00You know, uh, uh, an ultramarathon in terms of stamina, but, um, but the things that got you
09:04through it were the cast and the crew and sort of united front that we put together to, to sort of
09:10overcome this big challenge. But yeah, it's been an amazing gift, I think, for sure.
09:15And I also love how multi-generational it is. It's been really cool to see the fandom.
09:18And this is the 14 interviews this weekend and my mom and sister were most excited about this one.
09:22And it was really cool to find two generations of excitement there.
09:25Yeah.
09:26Anything else you want to say to the folks on this last THR Outlander?
09:30Well, uh, we just want to say a huge thank you from, uh, everyone on Outlander,
09:35not only the cast, the crew, the creatives, that it's been such an amazing journey. There's still
09:39one season to go. So we're very excited about that. And also, I guess, you know, if you want
09:45to go back and binge it all, but there's also the prequel show as well. So plenty to look forward to.
09:49We love you. We thank you. And you are part of the clan. So thanks for being part of the family.
09:54That's beautiful. It'll never end. Stuck with us for life.
09:59Like a bad egg.
10:06You
10:08You
10:10You
10:12You
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