New interview of Richard Rankin with Herald Scotland
From Herald Scotland
What can we expect from your character Roger Wakefield as Outlander returns?
The thing you need to remember when you find Roger in season three is that he’s in a bit of a surreal place. It is a bit of a mad world for him because all of a sudden time travel is a thing.
He seemed to be fairly open and accepting about the idea of time travel?
I think he really wants it to be possible and true just because of who Roger is and where he is from, the mythology and history that he grew up surrounded by.
Just the notion that it could be true at the end of season two was enough to excite him.
When you pick him up in season three, the world has been flipped upside because not only is time travel possible, but the girl he has fallen in love with, it turns out that her father is actually an 18th century Highland warrior.
You don’t ever get to see Roger much by himself. He is always either with Claire or with Brianna and they have very different effects on Roger.
When he is with Claire, he thinks with his head. When he is with Brianna, he much more thinks with his heart. That changes him from one moment to the next.
There are a few really beautiful moments in season three where you do see Roger by himself. When I read the script it hit me that Roger is really lonely in season three. He is very alone.
There is one particular moment – and I won’t give away when or the circumstances surrounding it – but hopefully you will watch it and say: ‘Oh, yeah, of course.’
Roger has just lost his father. He hasn’t had time to come to terms with that or grieved properly yet. Brianna and Claire turned up and since that point he has been very much kept occupied. They were a happy distraction. The circumstances they came along with were surreal and consuming.
He is very much caught in the crossfire between these two fiery, strong-minded and independent women. He is caught in the middle of them trying to mediate it.
You can read the full interview here
Great interview – without giving away any really important parts of the show. Very clever.