Scottish actor, Richard Rankin, has been cast as the much-anticipated role of Roger Wakefield in Season 2 of Starz’s Outlander.
We left Jamie and Claire at the end of Season 1 leaving for France. Their goal is to change the future via preventing Bonnie Prince Charlie from causing the infamous battle of Culloden. Where Roger Wakefield comes into this saga is something both show and book fans will have to wait to see how producers Ron D. Moore and Maril Davis adapted the books.
For the uninitiated, Roger is described as “intelligent, kindhearted, and charming, Roger is the grown up version of Reverend Wakefield’s adorable adopted son we met in Season One. After his parents died in World War II, Roger was raised by the Reverend (with help from his housekeeper, Mrs. Graham) and is a proud Scot through and through. Now a professor at Oxford, Roger has a keen interest in history, and all the secrets and insight it presents.” Roger plays a pivotal role as the story goes on, and if you’ve put the pieces together, Roger is a character we meet in the ‘future’ (aka the 20th century part of the story).
Scottish born actor Richard Rankin is fast becoming a familiar face to global audiences after landing big ticket roles in Hollywood backed films, high profile British television and a good deal of stage work. Born in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire on the outskirts of Glasgow, Rankin epitomizes the tall, dark, handsome leading man and stands 6 feet tall in stocking soles. He recently starred opposite Bradley Cooper, Uma Thurman and Sienna Miller in John Wells’ Burnt. He has also garnered praise for his convincing work in high profile television shows including the BBC drama “The Syndicate,” brought to the screen by BAFTA winning writer Kay Mellor, “The Crimson Field,” the BBC backed big budget World War 1 set mini-series, and NBC’s “American Odyssey.” He first landed on everyone’s radar playing various roles in three seasons of runaway cult comedy sketch show hit “Burnistoun,” set in a fictional Scottish town outside Glasgow. He has also taken to the stage with roles in the Laurence Olivier award winning play “Black Watch” and George Perrin’s well received “Good With People.” Most recently Rankin appeared in the BBC One hit drama “From Darkness” with Anne-Marie Duff, and he will next be seen playing a detective in “Thirteen,” a new original drama TV miniseries written by young rising star Marnie Dickens for the BBC.
Outlander returns to our screens in Spring of 2016. A premiere date has yet to be announced, and now the biggest question left for fans is, who will play Brianna?!
