'Outlander' season 2 casts Richard Rankin as Roger Wakefield
Filming for the second season of "Outlander" is underway in Scotland, and while fans are waiting for Droughtlander to be over, the series announced on Monday, Dec. 14, that they have finally found someone to play Roger Wakefield. He will be portrayed by Scottish actor Richard Rankin.
"We have big news as part of #OutlanderOfferings today. Introducing @RikRankin as Roger Wakefield!" the show tweeted.
Shortly after, Rankin also took to the micro blogging site and wrote, "Hugely excited to be joining the @Outlander_Starz family. An amazing production filled with truly wonderful people and the best fans around!"
Rankin's casting was warmly received by the cast and crew of the Starz show as "Outlander" author Diana Gabaldon and series stars Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe welcomed him to the show via Twitter. Fans of the series also expressed their excitement and approval at the casting news, as many thought that he is perfect for the role.
The actor is no stranger to TV roles as he had starring roles in U.K. shows such as "Burnistoun," "The Crimson Field," "The Syndicate" and "From Darkness." He also starred alongside Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller in the movie "Burnt," which was released last October.
On the show, viewers met Roger as a young child in season 1. In Gabaldon's novels, Roger is described as being kind, intelligent and charming, with a great singing voice to boot. Roger was adopted by Reverend Wakefield after his parents died in World War II, and when he grew up, he became a professor at Oxford, who occasionally performs at festivals and sings traditional Scottish songs. He plays an important role in Jamie (Heughan) and Claire's (Balfe) lives as he becomes their daughter Brianna's husband.
Meanwhile, casting for Brianna is still underway as show creator Ronald D. Moore told E! News that they have been looking for the right actress for months.
"Hopefully we'll be announcing soon," Moore told E! "We're getting close. But it's a tough part to cast and it's just taking a while."
"Outlander" is expected to return to Starz in spring 2016.
