The upcoming series adaptation from Starz and Sony Pictures Television has announced that Graham McTavish and Gary Lewis have been added to the cast of “Outlander.” The project is adapted from the best-selling novel series from Diana Gabaldon. The first two episodes of the show will be written by executive producer Ronald D. Moore, known for his work on “Battlestar Galactica” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and directed by John Dahl, who has previously worked on “Dexter” and “Breaking Bad.”
McTavish will play Dougal MacKenzie and Lewis is set to play Colum MacKenzie. Both actors are from Scotland and 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.
Ronald D. Moore and Jim Kohlberg are executive producers of “Outlander,” which is produced by Tall Ship Productions, Story Mining & Supply Company and Left Bank Pictures in association with Sony Pictures Television. The series is set to premiere on STARZ in 2014 and will begin filming in Scotland this fall.