Sam Heughan and Friend at Outlanderworld
Goodness, can’t leave you lot to your own devices for long, can I? [g] Given the amount of traffic I see in the stats for this blog and my Facebook page, I conclude that the Casting Wars are still boiling along.
Well. Look.
1) People are entitled to their own opinions. Naturally, I’d prefer these opinions to be expressed—and received—civilly, but up to you, of course. I believe in the virtues of free discourse.
2) I—of course—am likewise entitled to an opinion. [cough]
Now, my opinion is based on rather more information than most others expressed here, because
a) I created Jamie Fraser and thus—presumably–have a pretty good idea of what he really looks and acts like.
b) While I haven’t yet met Sam Heughan, I’ve seen Rather a Lot of him (about 95%, at a rough guess), both in terms of
a. Photographs, and
b. Film, and
c. Bits and pieces, like audition tapes
Naturally, everyone forms mental images while reading. Everybody. I do it when I read other people’s books, too. Now, I can’t imagine why anyone—having read OUTLANDER—would form an image of Jamie as a 7-foot tall Bozo the clown on steroids, but you know….whatever floats your boat.
Why anyone should expect a film company to a) telepathically extract your personal vision of a character and b) try to replicate that onscreen is one of the Great Mysteries of the Universe, and I’m not about to try to solve it here—I got a book to write, among other things, and there are only so many hours in the day.
So I’m just going to say This about That:
Y’all have not seen Sam Heughan “be” Jamie Fraser.
I _have_.
Now, when they told me who they’d chosen and that they were sending me the audition tapes, I was in the car, driving from Phoenix to Santa Fe with my husband. Unable to get to my computer until we got to Santa Fe, I was madly googling “Sam Heughan” on my iPhone (my husband was driving, I hasten to add).
Frankly, I thought he looked bizarre. He’s 6’3”, that’s fine…very chiseled face, but oddly chiseled, and what’s with the large forehead and cleft chin?!? Jamie doesn’t have a cleft chin and his nose is not all that long, though it _is_ straight…and good grief, I know we wanted somebody who could play a 22-year-old virgin, but this guy hardly looks like he has hair on his behind, let alone the dangly bits…but…
But.
But you know, I _do_ understand what it is that actors do.
(Do you know that, btw? What they do is magic. They can become somebody they aren’t—and their physical outline is just Really Not That Important. (Within limits. Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher is a long way outside those limits…).)
So I sat down at my computer, sort of looking warily through my fingers. Willing to suspend disbelief if I could, but kind of dubious, you know?
So here he is, dark-haired, in a long-sleeved gray T-shirt, and I’m thinking, “Boy, he doesn’t look _anything_ like his IMDB photos, he actually looks pretty human, that’s a relief…”
And five seconds later, Sam Heughan was GONE, and it was Jamie Fraser right there in front of me. True. No costume, no makeup, no props, nothing but cues from an offstage casting director, and…it was him.
He did two scenes. First, a confrontation with Dougal, right after Dougal’s ripped his shirt off in the tavern.
“Devil take ye, Dougal MacKenzie! I dinna owe ye that!” Blazing blue eyes, swelling shoulders, and…bam. Showed this small bit to a (male) friend recently, who blinked at the screen and said, “Man, he’s powerful!” He was.
Second scene was even better; it’s the scene where Jamie explains to Claire exactly why he’s about to punish her. [g] And he had it all: patience, seriousness, annoyance, patience, humor, menace, humor, and…enough sex to drop anyone with functioning ovaries in their tracks.
Now. In the months since then, the production people have been kind enough to show me the occasional glimpse of this or that. I _have_ seen the red hair in its full glory (it took seven tries—and 27 hours in a salon chair, I was told by the victim), and speaking as someone married to a red-head (himself Jamie’s original body model) and with two more in residence…it’s definitely the right kind of red.
Red hair—as I notice a few red-heads have been mentioning—looks Way Different, depending on the light. Unless it’s truly carroty (and Jamie’s is Definitely Not), sometimes it looks almost brown, sometimes it’s red-gold and sometimes it’s all different colors and sometimes it has almost-blond highlights and sometimes…well, let’s put it this way: it doesn’t look like Bozo the clown or Shamus the Wrestler, it looks like Real Hair, just red. (And if you really worry about this, do go and google “red deer images” and _see_ what the heck a red deer’s pelt looks like.)
But beyond the physical details (which are, um…Really Good, and decency prevents me going further, save to say that while Jamie certainly doesn’t look like Thor (gag me with a spoon), he—and Mr. Heughan—look Very Nicely Muscled indeed)….Sam Heughan can _act_. And he totally nailed it.
So. Feel perfectly free to express your own opinions. (I don’t know quite what people expect as a result. Surely they don’t figure that Starz will say, “Oh, no! Robyn MacGillicuddy Stimson thinks Chris Hemsworth should be Jamie! Get Hemsworth’s agent on the phone!” Or at least I hope they don’t think that…) You’ll change your mind in due course.
Or I’ll pay you a dollar. [g]
This reminds me of the uproar for casting Rhett Butler in Gone With The Wind. (Well, actually I just heard about the uproar, I wasn’t even born yet). Clark Gable did not want to do the part because of the pressure of expectation. I truly hope this young man gets to enjoy his work, I know I will, and ladies, lets just let everyone do their jobs. I am looking forward to the completed project, surprises and all.
Dear Ms. Gabaldon,
I am so grateful for your involvement with the TV series which is vital to its success. I don’t think you should have to apologize for any delay in finishing MOBY. I would wait forever for your next book.
Thank you.
Well, you wouldn’t love us if we didn’t care. I have decided that if he is good for you, he will be good for me. We already have a viewing party in the makings … hubbies kicked out once a week for girls night. Shall be so fun.
I have to admit that after reading the Outlander series, every time I see a tall athletic man, I compare him to “my” version of Jamie. I have three I would have recommended, but alas,…….no one asked. I am sure this Sam person will do justice to the role. I look forward to seeing Jamie and Claire on the screen.
This series is going to be amazing and when it airs all the naysayers will feel silly and jump on the bandwagon! Everything will come alive and Diana’s amazing dialogue for Jamie and Claire will make us fall in love. How anyone can be against the actors before they have even seen them act is beyond me. I know it will be incredible! I feel giddy as a school girl and am counting down the days
i loved reading this. i was worried at first, but knowing this guy has your endorsement makes me truly excited. and here i am, envisioning jamie to some degree like sheamus the wrestler. lol. embarrassing but true. but still i can’t wait to see Sam turn into jamie. knowing the attention you give to detail in your writing, you wouldn’t be off when telling us he’s right for the part.
Diana,
Sorry to hear you won’t have things set for the Portland event in April. A few of my chorus friends, who have read through #7, were at the event a few years ago in Beaverton. What a crowd! :o) We’ve been anxiously awaiting for #8, near like an expectant parent in the 9th month of pregnancy but will wait until the timing is right. Take all the time you need to; as my “mum-’n-law” once said, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right!” So carry m’dear. :o)
I’ve been reading some of the replies regarding Sam Heughan (Jamie). We all have our own ideas of what someone looks like in our heads and I have to say, Sam isn’t the Jamie in m’head, but it’s whho’s in your Jamie that counts.
Although, I personally haven’t seen a “Jamie” (not to be confused with looking for Waldo) in any TV show, I did run across a Roger Mac, a year or two ago while watching movie. I kept looking at the male actor and bingo! I said to m’self, “There’s Roger!” It was Jake Gyllenhaal. Check out his photo: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0350453/
Again, what I think doesn’t matter and I defer to their “creator” as to who the characters will be, and I’m quite confident that the cast will be a smashing success. We’re looking forward to it.
I do remember in Portland you mentioning something about you didn’t want to give up the rights to your books to some director/producer who might change its content or not put in the detail as it should have. Is that still the case? So many movies are not as good as the book from whence they came. I surely hope this one will.
An eternity of Thanks to you for your literary genius, for sharing your tales of Jamie and Claire all these years and for keeping my heart and mind distracted during some personally tough times these last 3-4 years. Jamie and Claire are not characters in my mind’s eye, but family!
Kind Regards, Thanks and Good Luck.
I’m wondering why no-one seems as concerned about the frizzy nature of Claire’s hair!
As someone with hair that sounds remarkably like Claire’s (I certainly connected with Claire’s frustration with her hair in the novel), I’m more concerned that this detail will be overlooked in the search for the perfect shade of Jamie’s hair ; )
Dear Toni–
It hasn’t been overlooked, believe me. [g] Claire’s hair is fine; I’ve seen it.
–Diana
Hi Diana,
Wonderful! I should have known the Mistress of Details wouldn’t overlook a thing ; )
I have just read The Space Between and LOVED it, by the way (but then, I haven’t read anything of yours that I haven’t loved). I can’t wait to read more! When it’s good and ready that is; I admire you for pushing out the date of the next book so that you can be fully satisfied with it before releasing it, even though there must be a great deal of pressure to finish it as soon as possible.
Thanks for your reassurances about more minor (although major in their own way) details of the TV series,
Toni
I am extremely happy with the cast of Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser. When I learned the news I thought ‘Of course, he IS Jamie Fraser.’ Sam could not look more like the Jamie Fraser I had in my mind while reading the books.
Well, when I get real bored, I come here and read comments. Such a hoot!!
You can please some women, some of the time,
But you cannot please all women, all of the time.
If you doubt it, come read Diana’s blog.
Not.Possible.
Dear Melisa–
Ha, you should see the
bitching, um, discussions on my Facebook page! [g] (Though fairness obliges me to point out that I do have quite a large numbers of male readers, and the gentlemen are a lot more gentlemanly–or perhaps just less inclined to a sense of entitlement–about things. Haven’t yet run into one who expected me to write the books to his expectations.)–Diana
Diana, Diana.
Like me, you’re a mother and a teacher. Surely, you remember the game of first listing the worst possible scenario, and then surprising them all by “making it better.” Go ahead. The “bad news – good news” approach always works. Tell everyone the book will definitely be released by December, 2015. (It IS the truth.) Imagine all the accolades and expressions of devotion and loyalty when, then you say, Surprise! It will be released in June, 2014. Shoot, you could build in some breathing room. You could release in August and give yourself a much deserved vacation. Ah, well. Too late for MOBY but, you know, recall this advise for the finish.
I’m three years older than you. Dying before the last release crosses my mind. I’ll just have to concentrate on a lot of preventive care. YOU TOO!
Dear Karen–
Good suggestion. [g] Unfortunately, the pub date of a book is not actually in my power to set. The publisher really does set the pub date, contingent on all sorts of factors, only a few of which have anything directly to do with me.
–Diana
Hi – Haven’t written since you autographed my hard copy of “Voyager”. At that time I was sure I was going to be going right along with the Frasers (My family is a Sept of the Fraser clan). Since eBooks came out, I repurchased the 1st 5 & have added others as they became available. So, with a lot of other people I am waiting (with bated breath) for MYOB. Unfortunately, at this rate I may be dead before I get to read it (just kidding, altho’ I just celebrated my 80th b’day.
Is MYOB the last book of the series, or will there be another & another? If so, if my health gets worse than it already is, if I let you know, would you send me a synopsis of the remaining story? ONLY if I am really in bad heath.
Thank you for all the entertainment I have received from the series. When new one comes out, I go back to OUTLANDER & re-read the entire series.
Again, I thank you. Oh, may I ask a question? If you don’t want to answer that is OK with me, but I have no hope of ever getting to Scotland & everyone who has I’ve asked about my paternal great-grandfather’s manor: He was Sir William Henry Syme of Clydesdale Manor, Dumfries county. I have tried researching but I guess I am not good at it as I have been unable to find.
God bless you & yours & hope your Thanksgiving & the Christmas holidays will bring you & your family great joy.
Sincerely,
LaVon (Syme) Ritter
lavonritter@gmail.com
Dear LaVon–
I’m always touched and honored that people think I know every person who ever lived in Scotland (you would certainly not be the only one [g]), but I’m afraid I’ve never run across Sir William or Clydesdale Manor. (Though a moment’s quick Google turns up a property with that name in Sheerness: http://www.zoopla.co.uk/property/clydesdale-manor/warden-road/eastchurch/sheerness/me12-4et/14571485 .)
I hope you’ll live long enough in good health to accompany me and the Frasers to the end of the journey–but I’m afraid I don’t plan the books out ahead of time, so I haven’t the slightest idea what might happen to them in the ninth book. Get plenty of rest and exercise, and take your vitamins, that’s my advice…
Very best wishes!
–Diana
Dear Diana:
I am very excited about the series and can’t wait to see it finally on t.v., but more important I am waiting for you book to come out. I started reading them many years ago when you first published the first book and read each one when they first came out. Since the last books have been released about every 3 years I have reread the series many times. I was very disappointed when you postponed the date of your new book. Since I am 67 years old I hope I live long enough to get to the end of this series.
Last year my husband got me the beautiful gold ring from the book and I wear it daily. My son also got me the musical from the outlander play. We went to Scotland 2 years ago and visted some of the places in the book, eating lunch at the World’s End. We are going back again this summer as we love Scotland and the people are so friendly. I thank you for your books and helping our family discover Scotland.
Dear Jeannie–
I hope I live that long, too! [g]
–Diana
Dear Diana,
I was absolutely surprised to hear there was any kerfuffle going on about casting Sam. And I don’t say that only so I can use the word kerfuffle in a sentence, which is really not often enough. From my point of view anyway, I feel that somehow the casting folks did in fact manage to telepathically extract an image of Jamie from my brain. So I am a happy camper (as I was enthusiastically explaining to my slightly bewildered husband just yesterday).
The production looks like it’s going to be fantastic… and I can’t wait to see it. My ONLY reservation about the whole thing is my worry that there’ll be a delay in getting access to it here in Australia (as shows are sometimes delayed due to licensing). I’m quite the cyber goody two shoes but if anything is ever to prompt nefarious downloading, a delay in seeing Outlander will.
Thank you for your wonderful, beautifully written adventures.
Cheers,
Fiona
kidding about the downloading btw
but do tell them to hurry up and release the series in Oz!
I have no opinion on the casting because I trust Mr Moore to interpret Dr Gabaldon’s vision appropriately for the screen.
Why? He’s done this before and that time he didn’t even have the benefit of books as resources.
Have you watched all four seasons of the reboot of _Battlestar Galactica_? You must. It will reassure you. He made a best-selling novel on screen from an outline of elements from a dated 1970s SF show. The plot is laid out perfectly over the four seasons within Freytag’s dramatic structure:
• rising action
• climax or crisis
• falling action
• dénouement, resolution, or catastrophe
The casting as well, and his interpretation of Dr Baltar is nothing less than brilliant. It’s available in streaming, no ads, at Netflix. (And probably other places as well, but Netflix is where I watch it.) This will also give you something by Mr Moore to watch while you’re waiting for _Outlander_ to begin.
When will that be, by the way? I know it’s filming now, but when is the first episode scheduled to air?
Personally, the image of Claire that has lived in my head for more than two decades is of my college roommate, but that’s more charisma, personality, and dark curly hair than anything else. And Jamie has always been an amalgam of the body of my Gaelic teacher Jamie, who’s 6-3 and muscled, with the head of the fiddler Alasdair Fraser. But that’s just me. Tobias Menzies, who I remember well from _Rome_ is perfect for the Randalls.
Starz head man Chris Albrecht confirmed a few days ago that Outlander will debut “Q3″ (July, August, or September). Given how premium-channel tent pole series are scheduled (in sequence), we can use a bit of deductive reasoning: Black Sails later this month, followed by DaVinci’s Demons’ second season (March 22), followed by Power, in “late spring,” followed by Outlander. Assuming l0 episodes for Power, which apparently is a contemporary crime drama, I’m thinking Outlander will debut July 29. That will give Diana all of June and half of July to promote MOBY and be ready to promote Outlander pretty intensively the week or two before the premiere date.
I’m also taking into account ComiCon, which has become a command performance for all fantasy/time travel series (GOT, True Blood, etc.)—I can’t imagine Sony/Ron/Starz won’t have a major presence in San Diego July 24-27. That would dovetail perfectly with a late-July premiere date for Outlander. The cast would be in the LA area anyway for red-carpet walks, interviews, etc. and close to 2/3 of the 16 episodes would be in the can.
So July 29, give or take a week or two, is my guess. (Disclaimer: I also bet the horses)
Dear DH–
Sounds like a decent bet to me–but no announcements as yet.
–Diana
Pooh on all the nay-sayers. Leave the casting to the experts. Claire and Jamie are very complex individuals and to portray them as such takes special actors who can make us fall in love with them all over again on the screen. Thank you Diana for giving them to us! I am an avid reader and never have I been so captivated as I have been with the continuing story of Claire and Jamie. Can’t wait for Outlander to begin on STARZ and looking so forward to the long awaited In My Heart’s Own Blood!!!
I have never had a complaint about this casting. Sam is perfect, ruddy complexion, hair color, eye color , even the right height. ( From your books he’s about 6″3 or 6″4 and that is exactly how tall Sam is) I realize this post/comment is a bit belated, but it’s the casting of Claire that has me in an uproar and has for quite sometime. Sam looks short because Catroina is so tall. I’ve read the series twice and am now currently re-reading it because I want it to be fresh in my mind before the series is released. (Which I am unsure I will even watch) I get authors have artistic vision and license, but she is so far from the image you created in the books that I am a bit put off. I know as readers we create our own versions of the characters in our minds, but I did not make up the fact that she is supposed to be 5″6 (she is supposed to and I am looking directly at the book fit directly in the hollow center of his chest)voluptuous/curvy (Jamie is always talking about her rack and plump heart shaped bum) with light brown hair and eyes. (Again Jamie’s description says her eyes are the color of warm whiskey or sherry) she’s supposed to be the epitome of woman, strong and feisty, but nurturing and compassionate. Sensual, but almost matronly. Balfe is 5″10,tall and supermodel thin, almost black hair and green eyes. All very lovely, but not compact,sassy Claire. I can only assume she is an amazing actress because I can’t understand otherwise why she was chosen.
Dear Julianna–
She is an amazing actress. (Her eyes are blue, btw. [g] Though given the 18th century lighting, it’s rare for the color of _anyone’s_ eyes to be noticeable.) Just wait; you’ll see.
Best,
–Diana
That’s true, often you cannot even detect eye color in close-up shots. Special colored contacts or CGI would have been a waste of production monies.
Diana says ‘just wait’ and we are both for Caitriona’s Claire and August 9. Most have decided that Sam will do. Now soon we will be certain that Cait will be perfection. Both will become their characters. Of course, I am speaking for myself. I believe they will transform the beautiful Caitriona into the Claire of our imagination. Patience is soooo hard. Impatient being that I am I can not wait.