Richard Rankin Talks Emotional Final Day of Filming ‘Outlander’

For nearly 10 years, Richard Rankin has performed Roger Wakefield on Outlander, the place he’s been time-traveling forwards and backwards 200 years. So technically, he’s truly labored on Outlander for 210 years. Outlander math. Rankin sat down completely with SheKnows to speak about his time on the long-running Starz present, and speak about his new present, Rebus, the place he performs Detective John Rebus, a personality that’s the precise reverse of Roger, in each single method. Rankin shares what it was like being a lead in his personal present, and his bittersweet and emotional final day filming with co-stars Caitríona Balfe, Sam Heughan, and Sophie Skelton.

SheKnows: Richard, that is such an amazing automobile for you. It’s gritty, suspenseful. And I really like that your character likes to punch first and assume final. It’s sort of superb.

Richard Rankin: Yeah! What number of episodes have you ever watched?

SK: I watched 4 of them.

RR: Effectively completed, making an attempt to get again on my good facet, Reshma.

SK:  I imply, it’s a marketing campaign. I’ll be operating it for the subsequent few years.

RR:  You’re doing very well. You’re incomes factors. However sure, he does prefer to punch now and ask later. I feel it’s simply one thing that’s in him. He has a really fast temperament. And I feel that’s for a large number of causes. He simply has a form of a hearth inside him. He’s an ex-military man. It’s kind of inherent in him, his reactions nearly unconscious. And we be taught this in a short time about him, which I’m very grateful for, as a result of it actually helped me as an actor to know that that’s what he was able to, and simply that that might simply be him at any second.

SK: The opening scene the place he’s about to kill that man. It established him so effectively. So, you’ve been doing Outlander for like 10 years now, what drew you to this explicit character and the way is he totally different from Roger?

RR: May he be any extra totally different from Roger?! It’s a number of issues, actually, once I obtained concerned with this present, I met with Niall MacCormick, the director, and Gregory Burke, and so they put ahead an concept of the present, which I discovered to be fairly shortly irresistible. Niall had an incredible temper board and examples of how he wished it to be shot by way of the aesthetic, and the cinematography and the tone and the grittiness. And I bear in mind particularly saying to him, if that is how we get to shoot it, then I’m in. I’d already learn the script at this level. After I learn these first 10-15, pages, I believed, wow, we’re actually going for a special angle right here. We’re going for one thing very contemporary, very distinctive, very unique. And it is a character that we’re taking which could be very well-known, very effectively liked in Scotland. Effectively, truly, not Scotland, sort of worldwide. Ian Rankin’s novels are, you recognize, sensible. Such an enormous following and an enormous fan base.

SK: Have you ever been requested when you’re associated to Ian and when you’re a “nepo child?” I do know you’re not.

RR: [laughing] No, we’re not. We used to joke that we had been uncle and nephew. Earlier than that, Ian Rankin truly stated to me… I sort of really feel prefer it was on Twitter, however perhaps it was in particular person. He stated, “I’m going to jot down one thing for you sooner or later, I’m going to place you in one thing. And I don’t know what that’s, nevertheless it’s going to be quickly.” And it occurred. Every thing kind of fell into place in a method. I feel with out all of those parts, I’m undecided that I might have completed it. I didn’t actually need to be doing procedural crime, or taking part in a detective or a police officer. Once more, not that there’s something mistaken with it, and there’s an enormous urge for food for that sort of tv. It’s simply, I didn’t actually see that for me, nevertheless it’s Rebus, the director’s unimaginable. It’s coming from sensible supply materials, and we’ve obtained an extremely proficient author adapting it. And I believed, “Effectively, okay, we will actually reimagine this world in a really new, very thrilling method.”

SK: It’s so totally different from what you’ve been doing. I feel it takes you slightly out of your consolation zone.

RR: Completely, it takes me out of my consolation zone! It required a number of me. It required a lot of me to take this character and commit. Each ounce of me over the interval of taking pictures into the prep as much as that time.

SK: On that observe, while you’re on one present for 10 years, it’s rather a lot. You’re working with the identical group of actors. On Rebus, clearly you’re primary on the decision sheet, you’re setting the tone on set. What did you be taught from, working with Caitriona and Sam on Outlander, that you’ve got taken and dropped at different units that you just’re on?

RR: I feel that’s simply that consciousness of what, for lack of a greater phrase, the load of being primary. You might have a head of division for each division, proper, for lighting, for costume, for make-up, on your digicam workforce, for grips, your electricians, all the remaining. I suppose you may say that whoever’s primary on the decision sheet is sort of the top of the top of division for the actors, in a sort of an unofficial method, they do set the tone. You do look to them, and also you do, sort of, you are taking him, and also you have a look at what they’re doing, how they’re going about their day, how they’re influencing, you recognize, the remainder of the solid members, and also you see the affect that that has, whether or not or not – And this isn’t in reference to Caitríona. That is simply usually talking, you, you do see the affect that they’ve, good or dangerous down the road precisely. It states what is appropriate and what’s not on set.

SK: Something particular you realized from the Outlander gang and are taking with you.

RR: Oh yeah! I imply simply the tone that Caitríona and Sam, I suppose it was a sort of a sort of a “co professional” with them. They simply set a really relaxed, very welcoming environment. Particularly for people who find themselves visiting or visitor actors or who’re approaching for an episode, it’s essential. Lots of people are going to be coming in, they is perhaps fairly anxious, particularly to such an enormous present, pondering there’s expectations. They’re going to bear in mind that a number of us solid members have, you recognize, been collectively for a really lengthy time frame, and there is perhaps, a little bit of unease or apprehension, I feel serving to individuals come on to set.

I don’t assume there’s ever a cause why you shouldn’t have a very good day on set. I don’t assume anyone needs to be intimidated. I don’t assume anyone needs to be made to really feel in any method kind of scared or unwelcome, or like they’ll’t be free to take pleasure in their time there and do their job. I don’t assume that ought to ever be the case. I feel individuals ought to all the time have the chance to go and have enjoyable on set, as a result of that’s why actors finally do what they do is to go and revel in that course of. And I feel the area round them needs to be as a lot as doable, we must always curate an area round them by which to have the ability to do this.

SK: What’s one factor that was enjoyable about doing a brand new present, and one factor that was slightly difficult?

RR: I imply, it’s simply enjoyable to do a brand new present. It was enjoyable to have the chance to have the ability to apply all of my kind of craft to, all that it required of me was to return and do my job to its fullest potential. And I really feel like I had that chance in order that was unimaginable. Problem? It was very tiring, and I used to be in just about all day, daily, and the content material was demanding. So, I needed to work Saturdays and Sundays each week. We had been rehearsing out of hours with different actors that we wished to kind of finesse issues with. None of it is a grievance, by the way in which, it was simply the method. It was in all probability probably the most difficult side of it, and making an attempt to do something out with of labor was troublesome, like attending to the gymnasium or going for a run….

SK: I really feel like punching individuals on digicam is an effective exercise. Don’t underestimate that.

RR:  Oh, I don’t know that I ought to advocate violence.

SK:  Fake violence! So, you guys wrapped Outlander final week. What was that like for you, and what are you trying ahead to subsequent? What’s the subsequent style you’re going to be in?

RR: I don’t know. I don’t know!

SK: I feel comedy. I’m simply placing it on the market.

RR: Yeah, I don’t assume comedy is my forte actually.

SK: You’re humorous while you don’t imply to be.

RR: I feel that’s the issue, if that’s truly true, then that’s an issue, as a result of then I want to have the ability to do it once I’m requested, I feel!

SK: You are able to do each. I’m not saying this simply to get again in your good graces.

RR:  I’d give it a go.

SK: I feel it is best to. So, what was the what was the final day like? The second final day, like on set?

RR: It was bizarre. It was bizarre as a result of we’d already wrapped twice. I wrapped on important unit, after which I wrapped on second unit, after which we wrapped on reshoots and pickups final week. So, it was like, nearly like, being in some kind of purgatory while you’re similar to wrapping on the identical present. It’s like God, and it was like, I don’t know, as a result of while you wrap on one thing, there’s all the time, you recognize, as a spherical of applause, and everybody’s actually grateful for one another, and it’s rather a lot hugging and stuff occurring, and then you definately sort of do it. However after we wrapped on Friday, I wrapped with Caitríona and Sam, and it was, I feel we sort of stepped again from it, as a result of we’d completed the ceremonious components. So, it was like, “Oh, okay, thanks, thanks, guys. I suppose I’ll simply go then.” And then you definately go and also you get your stuff out of your trailer and, like, that is simply, it’s simply the character of it. Yeah, after which I left.

SK: You didn’t exit and have a good time?

RR: It didn’t hit me till in a while, oh no we’ve spent a number of nice time collectively the final couple of weeks for positive, we’ve celebrated. Simply was saying the way it was in that second. Yeah, we had a good time from New York and coming again and heading out for dinners, drinks and ensuring that we correctly wrapped the present. However there was one level that night of the day that I wrapped the place I simply thought to myself, “I’ll by no means play Roger once more.” And that was a extremely profound second. I felt… bizarrely emotional.

SK: Did you cry? As a result of I really feel like it might be arduous to not.

RR: Yeah, I did truly fairly, fairly kind of like (laughing) spontaneously, out of nowhere. I used to be very teary. I couldn’t even inform you why. I simply thought to myself, I’ll by no means play this character once more. And it was sort of like somebody had died slightly bit.

SK: Aw…. So we’re out of time.

RR: Oh, you’re simply going to depart me like that? Thanks, Reshma!

SK: Sure, I’m going to simply make you cry and head out. However I feel Outlander followers and your entire followers on the whole, are going to like this new piece. It’s so totally different than what you’ve performed, and also you do such an amazing job. Thanks a lot, Richard.

Rebus is streaming now on Viaplay within the US. Outlander season 7, half two begins on November 22^nd on Starz. Watch Rankin and co-stars John Bell, Skelton, Balfe and Heughan chat about season 7 on the Paley Middle occasion.

This interview has been edited and condensed for size and readability.

Earlier than you go, take a look at the all-time finest ‘Outlander’ episodes you have to watch.