David Needleman
«The whole reason I got into this acting thing was to tell stories that meant stuff to people.»
In taking on the monumental task of joining the Outlander universe, actor Jamie Roy is very prepared. «I’m very guilty of reading comments,» Roy admits, referring to what people are saying about the prequel series Outlander: Blood of My Blood (August 8 on STARZ). «Thankfully, they’ve all been very, very positive. And it’s just so great to see how excited people are to see the show. I don’t think there’s another fan base like that in the world.» Roy plays Brian Fraser, the father of Jamie Fraser from the original series. Blood of My Blood tells the origin stories of the Outlander main characters’ families, in this epic romantic drama. He describes the story as a «kind of Romeo and Juliet love story» that explores «the lengths that humans will go to be with the one that they’re supposed to be with.» As a Scotsman himself, he’s proud of how the show «really does paint Scotland in such a beautiful light.» And because so much of the show is based there, he’s most proud of one very specific thing. «You’re going to see a lot of men in kilts, and who doesn’t love men in kilts?»
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Editor’s Note: This conversation has been edited and condensed for publication.
People are rabid fans of Outlander. So what was it like joining the franchise with Outlander: Blood of My Blood?
Oh man, even when I was going through the audition process for everything, I knew the scale of what this could potentially be. And for me, I tried to put that to the side because the story itself is, for Blood of My Blood, so important and so beautiful. And that was the thing that I wanted to really focus on first and then when I got the role, then I realized, «Oh wow, your life’s about to change because you’re now doing this thing where everybody knows it all around the world.» The fans are so passionate about it. «You better do a good job, buddy!» But it’s been fantastic. The fans are so passionate and it’s great. I’m very guilty of reading comments. I know a lot of people say I shouldn’t read comments and things, but thankfully, touch wood, they’ve all been very, very positive. And it’s just so great to see how excited people are to see the show when it comes out. I don’t think there’s another fan base like that in the world. I mean, there’s Star Wars, I guess, but I mean, that fan base is divided three different ways. So at least it feels like very unified at this point in time.
Starz
So, in Blood of My Blood, where do find these characters in this prequel? What about the story did you respond to?
First of all, it was the danger of the characters, like the situation that they’re in, right? This kind of Romeo and Juliet love story that Brian and Ellen have. I’m big fan of Shakespeare, so when I realized that our story was gonna pay homage to that, that got me very, very excited because I was like, «Oh, man, we get to tell this kind of story.» So it was danger, I think, that really drew me to it. But also being able to show the lengths that humans will go to to be with the one that they love and the one that they’re supposed to be with. You’re working with that sort of material in this fictional world and getting to explore those themes, which feels real for you when you’re doing the thing because you’re the person doing it. It’s really special because then as a human when I’m Brian and then I come out and I’m Jamie, it does make you appreciate your loved ones and the relationships that you have. Makes you question like, I’m working hard at this relationship, I’m not working hard enough at this friendship. And I honestly do think, since we started the show, filming-wise, back at the start of last year, I do think I’ve become a better person for it.
What was it like working on a production of this scale? It’s huge.
I mean, it was crazy. It was one of these things that I was terribly nervous for at the start, but also so excited for, because I’d always wanted to work, first of all, in a studio. I’d never been in a studio before, or like a proper studio, where the ceilings are like 50 meters [164 feet] high or whatever. Even though you’re surrounded by 200 people, doing this intimate scene where you’re whispering in each other’s ears or whatever, everybody there is so supportive, and it’s such a collaborative effort. Nobody’s judging you. Nobody is watching you being like, «Oh, this guy’s not up to much or whatever.» Like everybody’s there to support one another. So there could be 200, 300, 400 people, I don’t care, it wouldn’t make a difference to me because I know that everybody who is there wants to be there and wants to do their best. So that honestly took so much pressure off me when you’re working on something like this. And then also, like the stuff I’d done before, you’re shooting 13, 14 pages a day, which is insane. So you’re getting one take, two takes maximum. With this, I’ve found that we have a lot more freedom to be like, hey, can I try something here? I’ve got an idea for this. Can we take it back? Whatever. I found a lot more freedom doing that, way more than I thought I would have on this show. And that’s been great because it allows you to really be bold, make strange choices, see if they work. If they don’t, who cares? We’ll just do another one.
Starz
How do you make the character your own? Especially considering that the fans have a connection to this character and this story from another source. How do you make it your own?
I think the pressure and the idea is always going to be there. People are going to make comparisons, I think, a lot between Brian and Jamie, rightly so, because it’s his father, so they’re going to look for things, similarities and such. But what I think they’ll find is, Jamie [Fraser, from Outlander] is a combination of two characters, right? He is the son of both Brian and Ellen. So it wouldn’t make sense for Brian to be a carbon copy of Jamie, nor would it make sense for Ellen to be carbon copy, so he definitely has traits from both characters. But that allows me to have a little bit more freedom in the way that Brian’s portrayed because he doesn’t have to be like Jamie. And then the thing is, as well, if he was just like Jamie Fraser, it wouldn’t be as fun for people to watch. People would one, make the comparison and two, it’d be like, «Oh, we’re just watching Outlander 2.0,» which isn’t what this show is. It is an homage to Outlander, or should I say, it has aspects of Outlander which people will love. But it also really does stand by itself and it has its own feel, it has its own tone, its own mood and everything. That is really gonna make the difference between like, «Oh, this is Outlander,» and, «This is Blood of My Blood.» So exploring Brian, the character Brian, in the realms of this freedom, it was really nice to make discoveries that way, as opposed to having a target and trying to play an idea, just like what happens. And I think going through season one, Brian has this really lovely arc where we see him start off as a young lad and hopefully you’ll see him turn into a man. So that was really, really fun to play.
Because of how big this production is, it’s remarkable how intimate so much of the story feels. I can imagine filming it would be interesting, especially filming it out of order. How do you keep up with the ups and downs of all those emotions?
There are times where you’re filming something that’s really, really emotional, there’s a couple of scenes throughout the season, and when we were filming them, we definitely weren’t goofing off. It was very serious. It was in the romance. We were there in the story between takes, being like, «Okay, right, we’ll go back to one.» Like, «How can we make this deeper?» But it was very serious. And then there was other times which were romantic scenes where we’d burst out in the middle, like laughing in the middle of the thing. We’re like, «Oh my God, like, what are we doing?» Like if we’re trying to unbutton a corset or something and you’re there for like 30 seconds being like, it’s not moving. Or you’re there and all of a sudden your kilt falls off. You have those moments, but it is a real nice blend of both. Obviously when I’m doing those kind of scenes, it’s with Harriet [Slater], and we have both had this really good relationship with each other where we feel safe, we feel comfortable to do these things. We both know intuitively like, «Okay, we’re focusing in here,» or we can relax a little bit because we know we’ve got one, so we’ll goof a wee bit and it’ll be fun. We’ll see what happens, be a bit more playful. But there definitely is this knowing between us and this respect where we know what versions of ourselves we’re doing.
Also, your other work has been notable, but this is certainly your first really big international project and will certainly get you more attention in the United States. So what is it like for you as a Scottish person to be in this big Hollywood show that’s portraying this really romantic Scottish story?
It’s so funny you say that, because there’s so many times you forget the platform. It’s an American show filming in Scotland, but when you’re here [in Scotland], you’re surrounded by all these local crews, those guys from Glasgow. So it makes it so far removed from any of that, which is nice, because you don’t have this pressure of feeling like you’re in the middle of Hollywood or something. You’re 20 minutes outside of Glasgow in an ex-steel mill factory, I think the studio is before it was turned into Ward Park Studios. So I think you forget about that whole side of things and you really are just filming this little thing in the Scottish countryside and sometimes you think, «Oh, we’re just doing like a little indie or something like that.» After the fact we were like, «Oh they’ve put the VFX in, they’ve got all the music, all the scoring and the editing, this amazing camera work and coloring all put together» and you’re kind of like, «Oh holy sh**, yeah, this is so much bigger than what we thought.» But I think as a Scotsman, doing this, for me personally it makes me really proud to be from here, because it really does paint Scotland in such a beautiful light, as rightly it should because it’s such a beautiful country. I know the last few seasons of Outlander, they were in America, but now we actually get to show off Scotland’s beauty and all these shots. I hope it’s really going to pick up Scottish tourism again, not that it’s dying, but people are going to watch the show and be like, «Oh man, I think a trip to Scotland’s in the cards.»
Starz
I’ve been to Scotland a lot, and one thing I know about Scotland is that they like to have fun.
There’s a phrase in Scotland that we say, «No Scotland, no party.»
Well, this show is going to make every other thing you do after Outlander different. Are you prepared for that change?
Yeah, it’s one of these things that hasn’t really sunk in yet, if I’m completely honest. When you’re filming in Glasgow, you can have a relatively normal life because the show is not as big over here. And then when you go to America, obviously things change. But I think it’s the trade-off that you have to make as an actor. If you wanna tell these amazing stories with amazing production teams on platforms which reach people, that’s the sort of thing that you have to trade off and you have give up a little bit of your privacy and things like that to be known. And I’m happy to do that because the whole reason that I got into this acting thing was to tell stories that meant stuff to people. So the more people who know who I am means they’ve seen what I’ve done, and hopefully the story meant something to them. They’ve seen something that they saw themselves and the character or whatever and that’s something that I’m more than happy to trade off a little bit of my own privacy for, to be honest.
Sure, just be careful with that partying part, because more people take pictures now.
I’m the sensible one of the group. I’m pleased to say so. Normally I’m the one taking the pictures.
So for the hardcore Outlander fans who might be on the fence with Blood of My Blood or new viewers, what’s in it for them?
Firstly, I’d say, I think the show has all the best parts of Outlander. So everything that you loved about Outlander, you’re gonna see in Blood of My Blood. And there’s something for everybody, you know? Even if you’re a guy who’s being dragged along to watch it with their partner, whatever, they’re gonna love it as well, because we’ve got fights, we’ve got battles, we have war. We have beautiful love stories, we have jokes, it’s funny. It’s just really got something, I think, for everybody. And I think also the pace of the show is a really good pace because there’s no points where you feel like, «Oh, this is dragging on,» or anything. Like things are just go, go, and go. And there’s so many storylines throughout the show, not just the two main couples, but just the kind of things that’s simmering underneath. And they all kind of cross over at different points. And when we see those happening, we’re like, «That character is going to see this character, and I wonder how they’re going to interact.» That’s the sort of thing that I think are going to make fans of the original show and fans of the new show just as equally excited.
Starz
And you’re in a kilt!
You’re going to see a lot of men in kilts, and who doesn’t love men in kilts?
I mean, do you own a kilt, like in your private life?
Yeah, I’ve got a kilt and I’ve got, we call it «trusers,» which are like tartan trousers, which are cool. So they’re like the same material as a kilt, but they’re just in the shape of woolen trousers. They’re essentially just trousers, but they are all tartan. So it’s just like having a kilt back on your legs and they’re very bold and they are very cool.
I think I need to start wearing kilts. I think I could pull off a kilt.
The only thing I’ll say is don’t get one of these things, they’re called like utility kilts or something, and they have like pockets on the kilts. I saw one of these at like a Highland Festival over in America one time, and I wanted to rip the pockets off them because I’m like, «That’s no a kilt.» Sporen’s a big thing. It goes in the front and you put all your stuff in. So yeah, I would 100 percent endorse you getting a kilt.
Also, that’s very American of us. To turn a kilt into like a cargo short. We’re obsessed with cargo shorts and pants. It’s an epidemic, really, I don’t understand it.
That’s exactly what it is, the cargo pant version of the kilt.
But I do think people are going to start wearing kilts because of you.
Oh man, well I should probably start my own kilt company.
Yeah, just no pockets.
