STARZ Announces Casting of Several Key Characters for ‘Outlander: Blood of My Blood’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

It is definitely safe to say, that we are starting to see Hollywood move back toward normal following last year’s WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. For new shows are hitting the airwaves again, movies are rolling back into theaters and new projects are being announced and assembled left and right and one particular network that is working hard to prepare their new slate of programming post-strike, is STARZ. For they are dropping announcement after announcement regarding what’s to come and who is starring in it and this week is no exception to this.
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For just the other day, STARZ let it be known that four new cast members have been added to the roster for the highly anticipated, upcoming prequel series, Outlander: Blood of My Blood. For Rory Alexander, Sam Retford, Séamus McLean Ross and Conor MacNeill will join the cast as younger versions of fan favorites from the show. Fleshing out the two families featured in this prequel and informing us… that business will soon be back to full speed in Tinsel Town. But of course, since you’re a huge Outlander fan and are eager to know who these fine actors will be playing, here are those details, courtesy of STARZ. 

'STARZ announced today key casting for several roles in “Outlander: Blood of My Blood,” and fans of the “Outlander” universe will be very familiar with the characters, who played key parts in the early seasons of the flagship series. Joining Clan Fraser as a young Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser is Rory Alexander (Inland, “Pistol”), a role originated by Duncan LaCroix. Sam Retford (“Hoard,” “Ackley Bridge”) takes on the role of the headstrong Dougal MacKenzie, Séamus McLean Ross (“Rebus,” “Payback”) as his shrewd older brother Colum MacKenzie, and serving as their faithful advisor and voice of reason is Conor MacNeill (“The Tourist,” “Industry”) as a young Ned Gowan. These roles were originated by Graham McTavish, Gary Lewis and Bill Paterson respectively. The newest cast members join previously confirmed cast members Jeremy Irvine (“Henry Beauchamp”), Hermione Corfield (“Julia Moriston”), Jamie Roy (“Brian Fraser”), Harriet Slater (“Ellen MacKenzie”), and Tony Curran (“Lord Lovat”).
 
“Outlander: Blood of My Blood” will explore the lives and relationship of Jamie’s parents, Ellen MacKenzie (Slater) and Brian Fraser (Roy) and Claire’s parents, Julia Moriston (Corfield) and Henry Beauchamp (Irvine). The series will center on these two parallel love stories set in two different time periods, with Jamie’s parents in the early 18th century Scottish Highlands and Claire’s parents in WWI England. As previously announced, production on the 10-episode season is underway in Scotland.
 
“We are thrilled to expand our season one cast with some well-known characters from the ‘Outlander’ universe. We’re so excited to welcome Rory, Sam, Séamus and Conor to the MacKenzie and Fraser clans and to explore the young journeys of these fan-favorite characters,” says Matthew B. Roberts, showrunner and executive producer on “Outlander: Blood of My Blood.”
 
“Outlander,” which will celebrate its 10th anniversary this summer, will be airing the back eight episodes of its seventh season later this year and has been confirmed for a 10-episode eighth season, which will begin production shortly in Scotland.
 
In addition to Roberts, Ronald D. Moore will also executive produce “Outlander: Blood of My Blood,” along with Maril Davis. Moore and Davis developed “Outlander” for television, under their production banner Tall Ship Productions. Story Mining & Supply Company will also executive produce, and Diana Gabaldon will serve as a consulting producer. “Outlander: Blood of My Blood” is produced by Sony Pictures Television. The series will be available across all STARZ platforms in the U.S. and Canada.

The “Outlander” television series is inspired by Diana Gabaldon’s international best-selling books, which have sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide, with all nine of the books gracing the New York Times best-seller list. The “Outlander” television series has become a worldwide success with audiences, spanning the genres of history, science fiction, romance and adventure in one amazing tale.
 
Follow “Outlander: Blood of My Blood” on Social
Instagram: @outlander_starz | @STARZ
Threads: @outlander_starz | @starz  
Facebook: /OutlanderTVSeries.starz | @STARZ
Join the conversation with #BloodOfMyBlood and #STARZ'

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Rory Alexander
“Murtagh Fraser”
Photo Credit: East Photography
 
Rory Alexander was long listed for a BIFA for Best Breakthrough Performance for his leading role in Inland opposite Mark Rylance. He played the bands' driver in “Pistol,” Danny Boyle Sex Pistols mini-series. Other notable credits include “Then You Run” as “Kenny Swinney” and Justin Chadwick's latest feature Untamed which will come out later this year. Alexander has not stopped working since graduating from Bristol Old Vic in 2020 with key credits including the lead in another feature There's Someone at the Window and two brilliant guest spots in the second season of “Alex Rider” and “Call the Midwife.”

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Sam Retford
“Dougal MacKenzie”
Photo Credit: Sanne Gault
 
Sam Retford is an Australian actor, working within both stage and screen since the age of 14. He is best known for his role as Cory Wilson in “Ackley Bridge” and has since gone on to feature in numerous shows such as “The Boleyn's: A Scandalous Family,” “Ralph and Katie,” “Blindspot,” "Coronation Street" and “All Creatures Great and Small.”

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Séamus McLean Ross
“Colum MacKenzie”
Photo Credit: Clare Park
 
Séamus McLean Ross graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2022 and made his on screen debut in “Rebus” and “Payback.” He had a leading role in “The Flea'' directed by Jay Miller at The Yard Theatre and whilst at Guildhall took the leading roles in theatre productions including playing Malvolio in Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” and Nickolai Oblonsky in “Anna Karenina.”

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Conor MacNeill
“Ned Gowan”
Photo Credit: Will Bremridge
 
Irish actor and writer, Conor MacNeill has a number of fantastic projects under his belt. Most recently, he was featured in an episode of “The Tourist” alongside Jamie Dornan. 2023 saw MacNeill work on a number of projects most notably in the well-received action/crime thriller In the Land of Saints and Sinners where he starred alongside Liam Neeson, Kerry Condon and Jack Gleeson; and in the role of “Bodhi” in the Guy Ritchie film Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre, starring Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza and Cary Elwes. MacNeill also took on the role of “Martyn Smith” in the TV mini-series “The Sixth Commandment.”
 
Previous credits include Belfast, 15 episodes of the TV series “Industry” from 2020-2022, “Derry Girls,” TV mini-series “Resistance” and “Rebellion,” and the hit TV series “The Fall.”
 
In addition to MacNeill’s work as an actor, he has also written the short film The Party, which won a BAFTA award for Best British Short Film and the European Film Award for best short film in 2017.
 
About STARZ
STARZ (www.starz.com), a Lionsgate company, is a leading media streaming platform committed to delivering premium content that amplifies narratives by, about and for women and underrepresented audiences. STARZ is home to the highly rated and first-of-its-kind STARZ app that offers the ability to stream or download STARZ premium content, as well as the flagship domestic STARZ® service, including STARZ ENCORE, 17 premium pay TV channels, and the associated on-demand and online services. STARZ is available across digital OTT platforms and multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, and telecommunications companies. In February 2021, STARZ launched #TakeTheLead, a multi-faceted and innovative inclusion initiative expanding its existing efforts to improve representation on screen, behind the camera and throughout the company. 
 
About Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television (SPT) is one of the television industry’s leading content providers, producing, distributing and carrying programming worldwide in every genre and for every platform. In addition to managing one of the industry’s largest libraries of award-winning feature films, television shows and formats, SPT is home to a thriving global content business, operating a robust portfolio of wholly-owned and joint-venture production companies across the U.S., Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific, as well as linear and digital channels around the world. SPT is a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Group Corporation.

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