Outlander: Blood of my Blood<\/a>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStarz<\/p>\n
\n\tYou\u2019re playing the mother of one of the show\u2019s most iconic characters, Jamie Fraser. Did you speak to Sam or anyone in the Outlander cast about playing Ellen and being in that universe?<\/p>\n
\n\tI actually didn\u2019t speak to Sam until quite late in the game, but I did have a really lovely chat with Caitriona [Balfe] a couple of weeks into living in Scotland. She was so generous with her time; she chatted to me for an hour all about the job and her experience of it. Her main piece of advice was to really enjoy it, which I know is the same thing that Sam said to Jamie, who plays Brian Fraser, Jamie\u2019s father. The whole cast of Outlander was so welcoming from the very beginning, which I think we all just feel so grateful for.<\/p>\n
\n\tI remember speaking mostly to the showrunner Matt Roberts and our EP Maril Davis about the character. I remember distinctly Matt saying, \u201cJamie is [like] his mum, really.\u201d He gets a lot of his personality traits that we know and love from his mum. He does also get a lot from his dad too, obviously, but I think from Ellen he gets his fire and his fierceness, his survival instinct and his cunning.<\/p>\n
\n\tHow did you find building that romantic chemistry between you and Jamie?<\/p>\n
\n\tWe obviously had chemistry from the beginning, which is probably largely why we were cast. It would be a really hard job if we didn\u2019t have any chemistry \u2014 and not very fun to watch. So we never really had to build the chemistry. But we\u2019ve definitely built a real friendship, which I think adds a level of familiarity on screen. We hang out all the time. All of us do, to be honest. I think living in Glasgow feels like a bit of a bubble, because we\u2019re so far removed from our friends and family back home. A lot of us live in London, usually, and so we only really have each other up here. We\u2019re in each other\u2019s pockets a lot of the time, but in a lovely way.<\/p>\n
\n\tHow would you tease what fans are going to really enjoy about Blood of My Blood?<\/p>\n
\n\tAt its core, it\u2019s very romantic. It\u2019s also very action-packed. We really delve into the clan politics of the time, which I found particularly interesting because I knew nothing about it. [But] it\u2019s the love story that tells the love story. That\u2019s how Matt Roberts likes to describe it. As we see where Jamie and Claire came from, essentially, and how they learned to love. It has been written in a way where you really don\u2019t have to have watched any of Outlander, at all, in order to enjoy it.<\/p>\n
\n\tI think it\u2019s nice, especially for my character, and for a lot of the characters \u2014\u00a0even though fans might think they know them, they actually know a version of them 30 years in the future of our show. There are certain characters who they might be surprised by, because they might seem like quite different people because they\u2019re younger. Murtagh [Fitzgibbons Fraser], for instance, Rory [Alexander], who plays him, is so wonderful. He has this gorgeous lightness to him. He has a literal twinkle in his eye, which is so infectious and really hard not to catch in a scene with him. And it\u2019s so different to the Murtagh that we see in Outlander, who\u2019s quite jaded and grumpy at times. It\u2019s a real treat to explore the character arc of these people and see how they end up where they do.<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat\u2019s it like being on an Outlander set?<\/p>\n
\n\tWe film a lot in the Highlands. We also film a lot at the studio, Wardpark Studios in Cumbernauld, [Scotland]. It is genuinely such a treat to get out on locations like that. I think Scotland has got to be one of the most stunning places on the planet. It\u2019s so dramatic and beautiful, and Maril always says that is number one on the call sheet, really, because it\u2019s so present in the show. It really does feel like a character of its own. You can forget that you\u2019re acting at times when you can\u2019t see the cameras and you are completely immersed in the world, it really does feel like you\u2019ve been transported back in time. And we really had to lean into the elements, because the weather can be a challenge at times. We always, always have weather cover on standby, because any day, you can get called up in the morning and they\u2019ll say, \u201cLook, the winds are too high,\u201d or \u201cThe rain\u2019s too much. We can\u2019t film these scenes today, so we\u2019re going to have to go to the weather cover.\u201d You almost have two sets of work to prepare, just in case the weather\u2019s not on our side.<\/p>\n
\n\tIt\u2019s interesting that you talk about being such a big fan of period dramas. What are some of your favorites?<\/p>\n
\n\tGood question. I love Downton Abbey. I\u2019m actually re-watching it for the third time at the minute. I can\u2019t remember exactly when it came out, but I used to watch it with my family weekly. Do you remember that? When things would come out an episode at time, and we\u2019d all sit down at the same time around the country and watch it together? I kind of miss that in a way, but I think it\u2019s the element of nostalgia, too. Titanic is one of my favorite films of all time.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\tSlater in Outlander: Blood of My Blood.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStarz<\/p>\n
\n\tI feel like period dramas are having their moment right now. With [HBO\u2019s] The Gilded Age and new versions of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility on the way. What is it that we love so much about them?<\/p>\n
\n\tThere\u2019s definitely an element of escapism and the romance of it. For me, personally, it\u2019s largely to do with the costumes as well. That\u2019s a huge part of finding a character. That first costume fitting, trying everything on, it gives me such a rush of adrenaline.<\/p>\n
\n\tAre you excited to for this show to finally be out in the world? Or a little nervous?<\/p>\n
\n\tI think there\u2019s always an element of nervousness when something is about to go out into the world. When you\u2019re filming it, it can feel like you\u2019re in a bubble, and it feels private in a way, because you\u2019re so far removed from the audience. A lot of the time you make it in this studio and it\u2019s all-consuming. You don\u2019t really think about anything else other than the job whilst you\u2019re shooting it, and then comes this amazing time that we\u2019re having at the minute where it\u2019s about to go out into the world and we\u2019re having these interactions with the fans in real life for the first time.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe incredible and unique thing about this job is that it has such a passionate, enthusiastic fan base who have been so supportive and so excited since the very beginning. Since the day we got announced, they\u2019ve shown us so much love and support, which is just such a wonderful thing. But last week, we actually got to meet these people face to face at Comic-Con and at the premiere. That was so exciting, because they\u2019re so excited by it. So honestly, I\u2019m not actually feeling that nervous about it anymore. I think if we hadn\u2019t had that interaction, and we didn\u2019t have the fan base set up already, then potentially \u2014 but I feel like we already have at least a few people who are going to tune in. It\u2019s a real privilege, really, and it\u2019s an honor to play this person who means so much to so many people. There\u2019s an element of pressure with that, because you don\u2019t want to let the fans down. But no, on the whole I think I feel confident. We\u2019re all really proud of the show that we\u2019ve made, and I think people will enjoy it.<\/p>\n
\n\tYou\u2019ve filmed two movies alongside this show, as well, right?<\/p>\n
\n\tOne of them was an indie feature, [From London With Love], which I shot in London. I actually don\u2019t know what genre it was. It was a really interesting one, because the tone shifts continually throughout it, and that was quite hard to get my head around as an actor in the beginning. I remember I had multiple chats with the director and the producer and the writer, and I was like, \u201cWhat can you compare this to?\u201d Because I think it\u2019s important to understand the tone of a piece when you\u2019re going into it as an actor. You don\u2019t want to be acting comedy if it\u2019s actually a gritty drama, and vice versa. The director, Danila Kozlovsky, said he specifically didn\u2019t want to pinpoint the tone. He wanted it to be kind of experimental and continually shifting. So that was a real challenge. But I guess it\u2019s definitely a rom-com at times. It\u2019s also a musical at times. It\u2019s also almost mumblecore drama at times. I\u2019m really excited for that one.<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat was it like being on an indie set compared to something like Fall 2?<\/p>\n
\n\t[The indie] felt like such a collaborative team effort. We only had 20 days to shoot the entire film, and it was actually really exciting at times. I remember this one day where we went out onto the street, guerrilla style, and just shot on the streets of London. There were sirens in the background, and everyone who walked past wasn\u2019t a supporting artist. They were just real people. Some of them were quite unhelpful! [But] I did feel really proud of all of us for achieving what we achieved.<\/p>\n
\n\tFall 2 was a completely different experience. We shot in Thailand for two months over December and January at the end of last year. I\u2019d always wanted to go to Thailand, so that was one of the biggest draws for me. I\u2019d actually decided in August, when I was on holiday in Rhodes, that the next place I was going to visit was Thailand. I think it was two weeks later I got this self tape through for a film that shot in Thailand. I was so, so thrilled when I got the job and had the most amazing time out there. I miss it so much. I miss the people so much. We really bonded with the crew. They\u2019re just the loveliest, kindest, gentlest, most positive people. And the film itself\u2026 It\u2019s really quite traumatic. It\u2019s about two girls who go on a trip to Thailand, and their aim is to do the plank walk on this mountain. You walk along them just with a rope.<\/p>\n
\n\tSounds scary already\u2026<\/p>\n
\n\tYou can find them on YouTube, and it\u2019s terrifying to watch. Obviously, things go slightly awry and we end up trapped at the top. It\u2019s basically a similar formula to the original Fall with Ginny Gardner and Grace Caroline Currey. It was a proper hit. It\u2019s like being on a roller coaster, watching that film. My mum could barely get through it. She watched it when she found out I had the job, and she called me like, \u201cMy hands were sweating so much and when I finally went to bed, I had to get up and change my T-shirt because I\u2019d sweated through it! I\u2019m still so nervous.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tI\u2019d never been in anything like that before. I don\u2019t think I\u2019d ever done a thriller. And we actually performed a lot of our own stunts as well.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\tHarriet Slater, star of Outlander: Blood of My Blood and Fall 2.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhotographer: David Reiss.<\/p>\n
\n\tWas that new for you?<\/p>\n
\n\tFor sure. I don\u2019t know if I\u2019d any ever done any stunt work \u2014\u00a0only minimal [stuff]. We had a wonderful stunt team. They would show us everything first, and they would also shoot it all themselves. But then we would also do pretty much all of it ourselves after because they needed our faces. They needed shots of our faces in it. The only thing I didn\u2019t do myself was a skydive. I drew the line there. That\u2019s something I\u2019d like to do when I\u2019m older. I just worry about things going wrong.<\/p>\n
\n\tBut I was slightly nervous about not damaging myself in any way because we were all hoping we\u2019d go back for a second season [of Blood of My Blood].<\/p>\n
\n\tTell me about your reaction when you guys found out about season two.<\/p>\n
\n\tI think I was walking down Oxford Street, and my agent called, and the whole thing was quite chaotic. I was so, so excited and so relieved. It got to the end of season one, and I actually started to think, \u201cOh, maybe this is it. Maybe we won\u2019t get another one.\u201d Because Outlander ran for such a long time, I think we felt quite safe and almost expected to get a second season. But you just can\u2019t ever think like that in this world. Especially at the minute. So many excellent shows get canceled for whatever reason, and it\u2019s completely out of your control.<\/p>\n
\n\tWe\u2019re so tight as a group. We really are good friends, which is quite rare, I think, and makes the job so much easier.<\/p>\n
\n\tWho\u2019s your best friend on set?<\/p>\n
\n\tYou can\u2019t ask me to choose between them!<\/p>\n
\n\tYou can diplomatically decline to answer.<\/p>\n
\n\tI\u2019m going to diplomatically decline to answer. (Laughs.) But I will say my first friend on the job was Jamie, who plays Brian. I met him in the chemistry read, and then I also met him when I came up for my fitting, two days after I\u2019d found out I\u2019d got the job. I flew up to Glasgow, and he texted me and was like, \u201cLet\u2019s go out for a drink.\u201d He took me to this wonderful bar and we had a Negroni and quickly realized that that was both our favorite drinks. And we\u2019ve not stopped drinking Negronis!<\/p>\n
\n\tOutlander: Blood of My Blood premieres on Starz at 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 8, with new episodes dropping weekly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Harriet Slater is a self-proclaimed period drama superfan. \u201cThey\u2019re one of my favorite things to act in and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":54310,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[64,63,134,3389,44281,45157,45158,427,3586],"class_list":["post-54309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-entertainment","tag-international","tag-outlander","tag-outlander-blood-of-my-blood","tag-starz","tag-tv","tag-united-kingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54309","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54309"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54309\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54309"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}