Outlander's Sam Heughan gives honest verdict on spin-off series Blood of my Blood
Outlander’s Sam Heughan has spoken out about the upcoming spin-off series Blood of my Blood that is currently filming in Scotland alongside the eighth and final season of Outlander.
It’s a prequel of sorts thanks to the original series’ time-travelling timelines that will delve into the early lives of Jamie’s parents in the 18th century, and also focus on Claire Fraser’s parents in England during World War I.
Speaking on a panel at Outlander convention Land Con 6 in Paris, Scottish actor Heughan, who has played the role of dashing highlander Jamie Fraser in the hit fantasy series since 2014, gave his opinion on the new show. “If you love Outlander, you’re going to love Blood of my Blood,” he told the audience.
“I’m really excited about this show. There is so much to look forward to. This show, I can’t give anything away, but I’m going to be the biggest fan. I’ve been hearing stories about the actors, about the characters, and the storyline… I can’t wait to see it.”
The cast of Blood of my Blood includes Hermione Corfield as Claire’s mother Julia and War Horse’s Jeremy Irvine as Henry, Claire’s father, and the two stars, wearing 1910-style outfits, were recently spotted filming scenes for the series in Glasgow.
The actors playing Jamie’s 18th century Scottish relatives include Mayflies star Tony Curran as Lord Lovat, Rory Alexander as a young Murtagh (Jamie’s godfather) and The Tourist’s Conor MacNeill as Fraser family lawyer Ned Gowan. Viewers will also get to meet Jamie’s grandmother – his father’s mother – who will be played by Endeavour’s Sara Vickers.
Newcomers Jamie Roy and Harriet Slater play Jamie’s parents Brian and Ellen, who fans of the Outlander series know have their own tempestuous love story, much like Jamie and Claire’s. In Outlander’s first season episode The Wedding, Jamie revealed to Claire how his young mother ran away from Castle Leoch with his father under the noses of her protective brothers, a scene devotees of the series are hoping will appear in the spin-off.
Jamie and Claire’s own love story isn’t over yet, of course, although dedicated fans are lamenting the current Droughtlander - the gap between seasons - as there have been no new Outlander episodes since the first half of season seven was shown in the summer of 2023.
The second half of that season is now scheduled to be broadcast from November this year, with the eighth and final season expected to arrive in 2025, along with the first 10 episode season of Blood of my Blood.
