Conversations for ‘Outlander: Blood of my Blood’ | Conversations at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation

So I want to start with you, Meryl, because something I know that you have said about the show in the past is that it's not an if something will happen, it's a when and a how, because it's a prequel story to the original series. So if you can start off by talking about the kind of unique opportunity of a prequel, especially in its second season, to surprise audiences with information that they think they already know. Well, I mean, I've said this many times, but Diana laid out breadcrumbs about Jamie's parents. We know nothing about Clara's parents, except supposedly they died in a car crash. And the nice thing about that is, on the one hand, we don't have a book to follow anymore, and there's that little safety net that's not there. But on the other hand, there's a freedom to expand those stories. Like I said, we just know the A and the Z of certain characters, but we don't know how they got there. And I always say Myrta is a great example of that. We know the grizzled, very sad, angry Myrta of Outlander, but now we've started with Rory's version of Outlander that's just like this open, vulnerable, ready-for-love Myrta, and it's such a fun, I mean, it's not fun what we do to Myrta, but it is fun to see kind of that journey of how they get there. So there is something to see the journey and expand on it in a way that's very satisfying. It's so interesting, too, because I feel like season two of a show is really when the series starts to find its identity, and I was curious for the actors, starting with you, Jamie, what was something that you felt that you could explore with your character this time around that you felt you had the confidence or the freedom to do that maybe you wouldn't have had in the first season? I don't know if it's so much a confidence thing as much as the writing in season two. For Brian, he's got a completely different character almost, you know, he's kind of thrust into this leadership position, which was something that I didn't really get to explore in the first season, but it was sure as hell fun to do this season. Also getting to do the battle stuff, you know, we get to see Brian's warrior side this season, which was, oh man, that was just so fun, like, just to be a kid swinging swords around in a field for two weeks, like, so much, so much fun. And Harriet, for you? Yeah, I agree. I think the writing for season two allowed us to show completely different sides of the characters that we maybe didn't get to explore in season one. So Ellen, similarly, without giving anything away, we see her warrior side a little later into the season, which is really, it was so much fun, again. And also I think we see her softer side a little bit more, because for a lot of season one, she was with her brothers, and she had to be a very specific type of person, I think, with them. And then when she meets Brian, she feels like she's fully able to be herself, maybe, and the softer side, the more vulnerable side, the more romantic side comes through. And now that she's found Brian, I loved our scenes together, because it brought out that side of her, which was really nice to explore, especially in contrast to the other version of her, which is the warrior woman. And for the two of you, I mean, you guys are separated at this point in the series, through some pretty crazy time travel circumstances. What was it like to revisit the characters this time around that felt different from the first time? Well, I think season one was us kind of getting to grips with what had happened, you know, how we ended up in the 1700s, and then trying to strategize about how to get home. And I think they're still hanging onto a thread of hope throughout that series. And then this time, we find them at rock bottom, you know, they've done all they can to get home. It hasn't quite worked out. And so this season is about rebuilding and also getting to grips, I think, more with the lore of time travel, and that they have to start to understand that to really be able to get back together and get back, hopefully, to Claire. Season two, season one, I mean, the thing I enjoyed most about Henry in season one was exploring his sort of mental fragility, and his PTSD and things like that. And then I think that the stakes on that just get ramped up in this, you know, now he's in a mental asylum, and he's being electrocuted with electroshock therapy. And I sort of really get to dive into that, which actually is a part of the characters that I think I find the most interesting. Yeah. What does research for that look like for you in terms of... I hook myself up to the mains and just read the script. No, I found some good archive footage of people actually having electroshock therapy and sort of found one video in particular I really liked, sent that to the director, said, this is what I want to do. And he sort of went, yeah, go for it. So yeah, it was nice. I got sort of got free reign really with that stuff, which was lovely. Yeah. And Meryl, for you, I think, you know, we see our two central couples brought back together, torn apart again. And that's sort of that's Outlander at its core. That's the structure of this story, but it can be very frustrating in the moment for audiences who want to see these people together. Talk to me about that balance of staying true to what the show is, but also knowing when it's too much, will they, won't they? I mean, it's an Outlander show. So I mean, I think people kind of know they're not going to be on a desert island sipping a Mai Tai. But you know, some of the fun is seeing the favorite, your favorite couples get back together. That reunion can be so sweet. And you know, it's our job and the writer's job to put obstacles in the way of our characters and have something for them to overcome because a great love story has obstacles. It's like, what were you willing to, you know, sacrifice or fight for, for, for love? So I think these two couples are a perfect example of that. And yeah, no one's going to be relaxing here. I also wanted to ask, you know, I think so much was made in the first season of just how much these four look like they're on screen children, incredible casting just from that standpoint alone. But I imagine with season two, you want to venture further into your own interpretation of what the character is. So for any of the actors, you know, what was it like to continue to kind of individualize these characters as your own in season two and have more ownership over them? I mean, I think we sort of started with, I believe Matt and Meryl both said to all of us, you know, they don't want to see us do an impression, which I think would, I wouldn't do justice to the original performances. And also, you know, you're not, you're a product of your parents, but you're not your parents. And so actually, I think from the start, we tried to keep it fairly, yeah, sort of individual, I guess. And I think that the script does all that hard work for us. You know, the script has these characters written with the qualities of Claire and things. And yeah, we just had to build on that. In terms of Brian and Ellen's love story, they're families, and this idea of family loyalty plays a big role. And it feels like in season two, they feel like they have to be in more kinship and alliance with their families. And that keeps them apart. And I was curious how you feel like your characters fit into their respective family dynamics. How they see their role in the family. And why that? Yeah. Interesting, because I think Ellen spent the whole of season one kind of trying to escape the clutches of her family and what they wanted for her, namely her brothers. Because I think her dad allowed her a lot more freedom than they did. And then when he passed, she was left vulnerable, I guess. And they tried to use her to gain their own alliances. So I think she was trying to break free, really, throughout season one. Whilst also, like you said, it's complicated, because she also feels a huge amount of loyalty and duty. And she wants to protect the clan. And that's extremely important to her. And as I think you just saw, season two starts with her suggesting to... Wait, did you watch the whole episode? Okay, good. At the start of season two, she says, yeah, I'm going to go back. Which was kind of... It felt a bit like walking into the lion's den, because she left that place, I mean, quite precariously. She jilted Malcolm Grant right at the end, and then they kind of killed him. So that was a bit awkward. So she's going straight back to the repercussions of that. Which is brave. It's a brave move, I think. But I think there's almost a fearlessness to her this season, because she did break free. They know what she wants, and that is to be married to Brian, even though they're dead against it, because he's a Fraser. But I think that she feels less fear, I think, in season two. She feels quite brave walking back into that situation. But again, with the Jacobite uprising, it is so much about clans and clans sticking together in order to protect themselves and survive, and forming alliances. So that was a very long-winded answer to your question. But I think the short answer is, yes, it's complicated. And what about Jamie? You know, I feel like his, Brian, I feel like his family ties also are very constraining in terms of making this relationship work with Ellen. Yeah, for sure. Actually, something you just said there, Harry, about kind of going into it without the same fear as he had last time, I feel like that's definitely the case for Brian as well. Because now that he's got Ellen, he's got that thing that, you know, he's going to drop everything for that one thing to fight for, no matter what. So yeah, his alliance with Lovett is one of convenience, I think, and necessity, rather than him wanting a good old reunion with Dad, so to speak. Yeah, he's not exactly happy to be at Leathers, but hopefully he won't have to be there for long. We'll just have to find out. Hermione, I wanted to ask about where we find Julia in Season 2, because she's sort of alone with her child. She doesn't know where her husband is or how they're going to reconnect. Talk to me about immersing yourself in that turn for the character. I think it was an interesting point to start the season, because, you know, she has so far to go. We find her right in the pits, and I think, as a woman, I think she's normally quite positive and practical and front footed. She's really at a loss about what to do next. And so, you know, she's alone again as well. I think Season 1, most of the time I was pregnant, and then this season, obviously, I have a baby who Lovett believes is the answer to all his problems. So she's kind of got a double edged sword there where, you know, he's not going to let that baby out of his sight, which also means that the baby's protected, but also means that it's going to be much harder to escape, I think, this time. So there's a lot going on for her. Throughout the season, there's a lot of obstacles that come into the Lovett household. So, yeah, she's got quite a lot to overcome, I would say. But she gets stronger, you know, I think, which is nice and important because, you know, she has very little agency, but she manages to find a means to take action throughout the season. And as an actor, what was it like? Was this your first time playing a mother on screen? What was it like to explore the concept of motherhood as an actor? I've played a mother once before, but my child died quite quickly, I think, the same day I gave birth. I was a mother for about an hour, I think. And you lose yours this time. I mean, it's not going well, is it? No, I don't think it's going to work. Yeah, I'm not a good advert for motherhood at the moment. Yes, it was. I mean, it was so great because you work with real babies a lot of the time as well. So, you know, there's, I think, maybe two or three sets of twins who would come in and they've all got different characters. Some are louder, some are, you know, sweet and sleepy. Some interrupt every single take, you know, it's like you get a whole mix of babies. So that was really lovely. And, you know, there's a real difference in holding a sack or a doll, pretending it's a baby and holding the weight of a real child. So, yeah, that was really lovely. I think one of my favorite parts of the show is that the two separate timelines feel really distinct from one another, but the show itself feels really cohesive. And Meryl, I was curious how you got yourself with that in the writing process of making sure that the two timelines feel like their own thing, but that the show also feels as part of a whole. Yeah, I mean, we definitely work on that a lot and a lot comes together in the magic of editing at the end of the day, but it's important for us, like certainly Brian and Ellen, they're in one time period, you know, their story is, we're watching their courtship play out. But with Henry and Julia, we've missed their courtship, you know what I mean? They are already a couple. So it's fun to go back and do flashbacks or whatever it might be. Certainly there was a little bit in this episode where we get to fill in the blanks and kind of find out because they're an established couple, they've been ripped apart, they don't see, they're not in the same together as much. So it's important to kind of remind yourselves what they're like and to make sure we can see them together. So, and it's just fun to have the two different time periods and blend that and help fill in the story. And for the four of you, I mean, what is, I'm curious like how your relationship with your on-screen love interest has strengthened or changed from season one to season two. I imagine the bond is deeper. Is there a favorite moment from season two that each couple has of getting to act with your frequency and partner? They hate each other. It's always such a drag, isn't it? Very good actors. Yeah, Brandon and Ellen have a lot of really fun moments this season, which I know is hard to believe after watching that. Oh gosh, I think probably my favorite one, I dare not speak of so soon, it just came out yesterday or today, today it was. The end of the season, something happens and it was one of my favorite days this season. I can't spoil anything, but I guess just them being together and being happy was really nice to film because it's such a different dynamic. We've never seen that really, we've never seen them actually, you know, starting a life together. It's what we were hoping would happen for them at the end of season one, but then the war happened and so they got torn apart again, but yeah, I guess just seeing them actually, I don't want to say. Okay, they go to the carnival, hot dogs, corn dogs, that's what you call them over here. Yeah, real fun. Yeah, that was lovely. Hey, the carnival, Hermione and Jeremy, what about for the two of you? We were just discussing quietly over here. I think what's cool about season two is I think season one we see Julia and Henry's love, you know, it's either they're separated and in another time period and it's, that's high, you know, high drama and that obviously, or they're together in the twenties and it's gorgeous and everything's perfect. And I think what's cool about season two is there's a bit of scope for digging a little bit below those layers. Well, it's not perfect this time, is it? Yes. My character has been frequenting brothels and has slept with a prostitute with the worst excuse ever in that I thought it was you, which is poor from him. Very poor. Yeah. So we have to get over that. So I have to do some explaining. And yeah, it is a weak excuse. So it's not as easy as he first thinks. Jeremy, I wanted to ask because your character, his sense of reality, Henry's is sort of tilted and because of his PTSD and we're not sure he's not sure what's real and what's not from scene to scene. What is it like to balance that as an actor and portray that credibly, but also keep us immersed in the story? I was worried you were going to ask me how I researched sleeping with prostitutes. No, it's I mean, it's the part that I enjoy the most because it's what you can do with that is you can I mean, there's a scene where in season one where he discovers that he's told that Julia's dead. And so you can with this sort of fractured mind thing, you can go from what I want to do is go from sort of extreme agony and pain and then switch that into this elation and laughter. And they wrote this beautiful scene for, you know, where we then see him sort of going back in his mind to the happiest time of his life and sort of doing opposite emotions, which I think is really fun to play with. And I think it's quite unsettling to watch. And I think that's what we're going for with that stuff. Yeah. I'm curious, you guys are separated for so many of your scenes together. For you, Hermione, what is it like to see the work of your fellow actors? Because I imagine it's a surprise and a delight. Yeah, I get really jealous. I'm like, I want to be in that scene. Dammit. Episode three. I won't say any more. But that one for me is I'm of season two. I'm so jealous of Oh, my God, it's so fun. Yeah. Julia is quite a solitary woman. She sort of spends a lot of time indoors with Lovett. And I love Tony Curran. He's a phenomenal actor. So absolutely no complaints there. But yeah, I spend a lot of time wishing I'd visit Clan Mackenzie now and then, you know, it'd be nice. Come any time. Please have me. Yeah, it's kind of cool because you get to see like, Ellen and Brian really come into their power this season in terms of being warriors. And what was it like to train for some of those scenes and to, you know, learn the mechanics of fighting in this time? As an actor, there's always like, there's two ends of the spectrum for me. The first one is when you get a real big wordy meaty scene, you're like, wow, I can have so much fun with this. And then the other end of the spectrum is when you have nothing to say for two weeks, and there's no pressure and all you have to do is memorize some fight routines and just have fun with your mates. Oh, that was that was quite great, I have to admit. But yeah, we did fight rehearsals for that, I think for like two, maybe three weeks with the stunt team. They taught us, I think maybe five separate sequences, which they made us do over and over and over again. They gave us the videos of them to make sure we knew them because when it got onto the day to actually film, like the production value of episode five, I can't wait to see it because there was like 250 guys all around us, all going full war on each other screams blood going everywhere, explosions left and right, like minimal acting was required whatsoever because you were so immersed in it. And yeah, yeah, I cannot wait to see how that turned out. I can tell you it looks really good. And for you, Harriet, I mean, to be a female in that time and to possess the same strength, it's a different thing. It's a different skill set. But how did you tap into that in a new way for Ellen this season? I feel like kind of what we were saying earlier about she feels less fear now. I mean, I don't think she ever had a huge amount of fear when it came to her brothers in the first place. But I think there's even less there now. I think, yeah, I don't, I don't know, that's a good question. I think, yeah, I don't, I don't know. Well, I think something interesting, too, is you really see the two of you find strength in each other, because it seems like they they see each other in a way that their family or their communities hadn't up until that point. And I was wondering what you felt that that was, that what their connection was really built on. What Brian and Ellen's connection is built on love, I think, yeah, it's more of a grown up relationship this season, isn't it? Like from the season one of like forbidden love, kind of stolen glances and things, whereas this season very much feels like they're a family unit and making decisions with each other together, even though those decisions are incredibly hard. Meryl, you guys, you have such a deep bench of incredible talent on the cast. Was there a supporting character this season that you are really excited for people to see where their storyline goes? I mean, there's so many and it is really hard to isolate just one, but I would say, you know, another couple, we've got a we've got this is the season of couples, honestly, because we've got so many other couples emerging besides the two up here. But Dougal and Maura is such a fun, out of the blue relationship that is is really fun this season. You know, it's a forced marriage and, you know, not a lot is is documented about their marriage in Outlander. So it's been really fun. And I think Sam and Bobby, who play those characters, their chemistry is amazing. And it's just I think it's going to surprise and delight people this season. And we also got Murtaugh, who has a new love interest in Grace and Ruby Fubara, who joined our cast is amazing. They've got a great chemistry and it's a totally different kind of relationship. So I just am thrilled. We just it's a bounty of riches, embarrassment of riches this season. Jeremy, I wanted to ask, you know, speaking about sort of the the warrior side of things and getting to play with swords and all this kind of stuff, Henry's a little bit more intellectual and his resourcefulness is a little bit more internal. What is it like to play a character like that? Because in a lot of ways, it's it's really tricky to play that on screen. Well, for me to play intellectual. It's quite insulting. It's hard to play a smart person for anyone. Right. OK, thank you. Yeah. I mean, I mean, the words are written down for me. I just say them. I don't have to come up with it in the moment. So I guess I manage it. Yeah. No, he is. He's a thinker. He's a thinker's man. I mean, I based him off some of the First World War poets, you know, because it's I think that was the sort of the vibe with Henry. You know, he says he's a he's a sympathetic, loving, caring person thrown into a world of violence and and and finds his way of dealing with that is in letter writing. And and that's how he sort of deals with the trauma in the 1700s as well. So, yeah. So, I mean, I read Robert Graves's autobiography again for this, and I found that very, very interesting. You know, the way that he talks about all the trauma, but in quite a lovely poetic way. Yeah. And Meryl, for you, do you find it more freeing when there's less about a character or a specific storyline in the books? Do you feel like you can kind of go off on your own a little bit more? I mean, I'm just going to speak for the writers here and say, on the one hand, it's terrifying if you've been, you know, had all of these books and then you go to having no books. There is a little bit a moment of being slightly terrified, but on the other hand, yes, it is very freeing. And certainly with Henry and Julia, it's like the sky's the limit. I mean, you are trying to once again, stay within the confines of the canon. So not doing anything crazy, but yeah, it's fun and it's and you can surprise people. I mean, I think with Outlander fans, they know what's coming. And of course, you want to give them those moments you're looking for, they're looking for. But it's also fun to pull out things that they wouldn't expect. And we get to do that a little more of this series. One final question before we have to wrap up, which is obviously there's a lot of obstacles that face all of your characters and their relationships and separately. If you could give one piece of advice to your character for this season, what would it be? Goodness, stay out of brothels. Stay away from Lord Lovett. Listen to your wife. Get Davina's help. Those are all great. Well, as a reminder, all of season one and now the first episode of season two is available on Starz. And thank you all so much for being here today. And thank you all for being here. Thanks so much for having us. Thank you, guys. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.