Outlander Is Finally Casting Brianna — and Why the Timing Is Verra Interesting
We have a feeling there’s about to be a run on red hair dye in Hollywood.
At long last, Outlander has issued a casting call for Brianna, which TVLine has exclusively obtained. And if you don’t want to be spoiled about what’s ahead on the Starz series, get yerself outta this wee post now.
As fans of Diana Gabaldon’s series of Outlander novels know, the second book — Dragonfly in Amber, on which Season 2 is based — involves a huge time jump and introduces Claire and Jamie’s ginger-haired, statuesque 20-year-old daughter Brianna… whose last name happens to be Randall.
The official character description describes Brianna as a young 20-something American who’s “strong-minded, intelligent beyond her years with an effortless charm and sparkling sense of humor (traits inherited from both her mother and father. She also has a scholastic mindset, with a healthy dose of American strength, having been born and bred in Boston under the watchful eye of professor and historian Frank Randall.”
The part also calls for tall (5’8″ and over) actresses who can play Brianna as “earthy and grounded and not girly” but “with the inexperience and vulnerability” that accompanies being a rather young woman. Hair color isn’t an issue; the notice explains that the series will dye if necessary.
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Here’s the biggest potential diversion from the books: Brianna, who’s sometimes called Bree, is introduced at the start of the second novel in 1960s-era Scotland. But the casting notice states that “Brianna has secretly followed her mother back in time to find the father she never met and the family she never knew” — which does happen in the novels, but not until the fourth installment, Drums of Autumn. Hmm…
Sony Pictures Television, which produces Outlander, confirmed that the casting process is underway. “Fans of the books will know that [Brianna] first appears in the second book, Dragonfly in Amber, which corresponds to the season we are currently filming, but continues on to have several major storylines as noted in the casting search,” Sony said in a statement.
With all of that in mind, who do you think should play Brianna? And can the casting of Roger be far behind? Do you have thoughts on the (possible) timeline condensing? Sound off in the comments!
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