FINALLY! Announced just today, Claire has been cast – Irish actress Caitriona Balfe has been chosen to portray Claire Beauchamp Randall in the Starz production of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander. Claire is the heart of the series, a WWII nurse who accidentally steps through standing stones (think similar to Stonehenge) and finds herself 200 years in the past. The waiting has been difficult for eager fans, who even put forth the idea that perhaps Claire would be portrayed by a sock puppet. We are, however, glad to have a real person in the role, especially as the books are quite heavy on the, umm, shall we say, physical aspect of Jamie and Claire’s relationship, and a sock puppet would not have been, well, adequate. Claire is a beautiful, intelligent, very practical woman, but following her forced marriage to young clansman Jamie Fraser, begins what will be an epic love story. Jamie calls her “sassenach,” the Gaelic word for “outlander.”
According to the Starz announcement, Gabaldon was thrilled with the decision. ” The moment Caitriona Balfe came on screen, I sat up straight and said, ‘There she is!'” she said in a statement about the casting news. “She and Sam Heughan (Jamie Fraser) absolutely lit up the screen with fireworks.” Executive Producer Ron Moore said, “The casting of Claire Randall was a long and difficult one because the role is so crucial to the success of our show. Outlander is told from Claire’s point of view and we experience the entire story through her eyes, so it was vital that we find exactly the right actor to play her. Caitriona wasn’t on anyone’s radar, she wasn’t on any list, but when we saw her audition tape, we immediately knew she was someone special. Then, after we had her read with Sam, we knew we’d found our Claire. At its heart, Outlander is the story of two people — Claire and Jamie — their loves and losses, their adventures and tragedies, and now we finally have them both.” Balfe will soon appear in Escape Plan with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone.
Clan MacKenzie Leaders Cast
In the past week, several other cast members have been announced for the production, which is scheduled to begin airing in March 2014. The MacKenzie brothers, clan leaders and Jamie’s maternal uncles, were named. Graham McTavish (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, 24) will play Dougal MacKenzie; and Gary Lewis (Billy Elliot, Gangs of New York) will play Colum MacKenzie. Colum, crippled by what we now call Toulouse-Lautrec syndrome (after its most famous sufferer), leads by his keen, cunning mind and the force of his personality. Dougal, as Colum’s war chieftain, fulfills the duties that Colum’s broken body won’t allow him to do (which may include more duties than you might assume…). Dougal, however, secretly supports the return of Prince Charles Stuart, known as “Bonnie Prince Charlie.” He is an experienced and skilled fighter, and Jamie’s foster father. He also worries about his place in the clan, knowing that Colum is not likely to live long, and young Jamie is potentially a rival for leader upon Colum’s death. Jamie, however, understands the danger should he be seen as a potential rival to Dougal, and is in a quandary when the question of swearing fealty to the MacKenzies comes up, causing tension amongst the hot-blooded Scottish clan.
Gary Lewis as Colum MacKenzie
Graham McTavish as Dougal MacKenzie
McTavish and Lewis are both from Scotland, as is Sam Heughan. The Starz production team has said that they are committed to casting Scots where appropriate.
More Cast Members Named
Annette Badland (Charlie & The Chocolate Factory and Dr. Who) will play the housekeeper of the MacKenzie stronghold Castle Leoch (although that word certainly does her position no justice). Steven Walters (Batman Begins, Hannibal Rising) will play the MacKenzie enforcer Angus Mhor. His role in the series is expected be expanded from that in the book – he didn’t appear much in the print version, mostly used to mete out Colum’s justice (in one memorable scene, he beats Jamie, who has stepped in to take punishment that was supposed to be given to a young female member of the clan).
Annette Badland as Mrs. FitzGibbons
One fan favorite character, Jamie’s dour, mostly silent godfather Murtagh Fraser, will be played by Duncan Lacroix. Lacroix is a native of Welling in Kent, South East Greater London. Screen credits include Game of Thrones Season 2, and Vikings.
Duncan Lacroix as Murtagh Fraser
The first two episodes will directed by John Dahl (Breaking Bad, Dexter).
Several Major Characters Still Not Announced
Fan are still waiting for casting announcements on several other key characters. Still missing are Jamie’s sister, Jenny, and her husband Ian Murray, who is also Jamie’s best friend. Geillis Duncan, who may be a fellow time-traveler; Leoghaire MacKenzie, a young clanswoman; and Prince Charles himself are still unannounced, among others.
