News: Starz Adds Two New Actors to "Outlander" Cast

Hey, Outlander fans! I’m so excited to see and hear two more characters have been cast for the series adaptation coming to Starz. If you’ve read any of the books, you know the MacKenzie brothers are quite the duo. I’m anxious to see how the actors bring the characters to life, especially Colum MacKenzie. Oh, and to hear those Scottish accents! Keep reading to find out more about the actors and characters they will portray. And if you don’t or haven’t read the Outlander series, get thee to a bookery! For more information on the show coming to Starz, visit the official site.

Scottish Natives Graham McTavish and Gary Lewis Join Cast of Anticipated Original Series as Dougal and Colum MacKenzie Respectively

Beverly Hills, Calif., September 4, 2013 – Starz in association with Sony Pictures Television has announced today that 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 in the highly anticipated original series “Outlander.” The series will be adapted from Diana Gabaldon’s international best-selling books, with the first two episodes written by executive producer Ronald D. Moore (“Battlestar Galactica,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation”) and directed by John Dahl(“Dexter,” “Breaking Bad,” “Justified”). “Outlander,” which is set to premiere on STARZ in 2014, will begin filming in Scotland, where the series is set, this fall.

Gary Lewis

McTavish and Lewis, who both hail from Scotland, will join fellow Scot Sam Heughan, who was recently cast as Jamie Fraser for the series. Fraser, whose full name is James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser, is nephew to Dougal and Colum; when the series begins, Fraser has yet to swear allegiance to the MacKenzie clan causing a heated tension amongst the hot-blooded Scottish clan.

The “Outlander” series spans the genres of romance, science fiction, history and adventure in one epic tale. It follows the story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened. When she is forced to marry Jamie Fraser, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate affair is ignited that tears Claire’s heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

Dougal MacKenzie is the War Chieftain of Clan MacKenzie. His older brother Colum is the ruling Laird but would be nothing without Dougal, his loyal right hand. Dougal is a skilled and experienced warrior. A strong leader, he commands respect in any setting and is feared by many. Unlike his brother, Dougal secretly supports the rebel cause against the British.
Colum is Jamie’s maternal uncle. He is a man who reigns over a powerful clan, but must rely on Dougal to be the true muscle. Colum suffers from a condition now known as Toulouse-Lautrec Syndrome, a degenerative disease that renders his legs immobile at times, and fills his days with great physical pain. Colum, using wine to dull the pain, is able to rise to the occasion when needed, parading around at clan dinners and gatherings, solidifying his position as clan leader.

Graham McTavish

Graham McTavish has starred in a number of film and television roles including opposite Sylvester Stallone in Rambo and as the Russian Diplomat Mikhail Novakovich on the final season of “24.” He recently starred as Dwalin in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and will reprise his role in the last two installments of the Peter Jackson trilogy. Graham has had leading roles in the feature films Green Street 2: Stand Your Ground and The Wicker Tree. His other feature roles include Middle Men, Secretariat and Colombiana. Graham has served as the voice of Dante Alighieri in the recent animated film and video game of the same name, “Dante’s Inferno,” and has also performed voices for “Wolverine and the X-Men,” “Hulk Vs.” and “The Avengers.” He has appeared in leading roles in prestigious UK theatres including, the Royal Court, the National in London and the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh. He is represented by Cheri Barner Management and the Stone, Manners, Salners Agency.

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Writer, mother, realist, cloud lover, daydreamer, dessert enthusiast, sweet tea addict, perfectionist, and lover of life and Christ, but not in that order. http://www.fanfiction.net/~vikingloverelle