Starz’s beloved time-traveling romance debuted in 2014, led by Caitríona Balfe and Sam Heughan.

See the original Outlander cast, then and now

Starz's beloved time-traveling romance debuted in 2014, led by Caitríona Balfe and Sam Heughan.

By Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn is a former editor at **. He left EW in 2023.

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Published on August 12, 2025 10:00AM EDT

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Caitriona Balfe as Claire Beauchamp and Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser in 'Outlander' season 1. Credit:

Neil Davidson/Starz (2)

- *Outlander*,* *Starz's long-running fantasy romance series, will soon release its eighth and final season.

- The series debuted in 2014, with Caitríona Balfe and Sam Heughan leading the cast.

- A prequel series, *Outlander: Blood of My Blood*, premiered on Starz on Friday, Aug. 8.

All credit is due to *Outlander*, a series that manages to blend romance, history, fantasy, war, and sci-fi without collapsing in on itself.

Based on Diana Gabaldon's wildly popular book series, the Starz drama premiered in 2014. It's since cultivated a rabid fandom with its story of Claire (Caitríona Balfe), an English nurse in 1945 who's magically transported back in time to 1743. There, she encounters a group of Scottish rebels pursued by one of her husband's distant ancestors. But things get *really *complicated when Claire falls for hunky Highland warrior Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan).

Across *Outlander*'s seven seasons, Claire and Jamie's romance spans centuries, continents, and generations. It's set to end next year with its upcoming eighth season. That, of course, doesn't mean *Outlander* is finished. After all, the prequel series *Blood of My Blood* is now streaming on Starz.

*Outlander* is a one-of-a-kind tale, but shows don't last this long without a strong cast. Executive producer and co-showrunner Ronald D. Moore agrees. "We were most thrilled with the cast. We just really scored. That’s gold in this business," Moore told ** in 2016. "Catriona Balfe [as Claire] was an amazing find. Sam Heughan is the perfect Jamie. And I would say it’s hard to look at any of the characters and picture them as anybody else. Obviously Graham McTavish is McDougal MacKenzie and Gary Lewis is Colum. Before all that happened there was a lot of trepidation about, 'Okay, can we find these people?'"**

On that note, let's check in on the original *Outlander* cast, then and now.**

Caitríona Balfe as Claire Beauchamp

Caitriona Balfe as Claire in 'Outlander' season 1; Balfe at SiriusXM Studios in 2025.

Frank W Ockenfels 3/ Starz; Cindy Ord/Getty

Caitríona Balfe has led the series across seven seasons as Claire Beauchamp, the time-traveling, heartsick heroine of *Outlander*. The actress' performance as Claire has earned her four Golden Globe nominations.

Speaking with EW and PEOPLE at the 2016 Golden Globes, Balfe reflected on one of her favorite memories filming the series. “There was a day Sam [Heughan] and I had to, we were on horseback and we had to build up to one of the battles,” she said. “We had this long line of an army coming behind us and we were galloping across the field and the sun was out you have the mountains in the background. Days like that, you’re just pinching yourself because you’re like, how did I get so lucky?”**

36 photos of Caitriona Balfe through the years

'Outlander' is going to war in season 7: 'This season is so epic'

Born in Dublin, Balfe modeled for the likes of Chanel before landing roles in films like *Super 8* (2011) and *Now You See Me* (2013).

In between seasons of *Outlander*, the actress lent her voice to Netflix's *The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance *(2019) and appeared in films like *Ford v Ferrari* (2019) and *The Amateur* (2025).

She also drew acclaim — and Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations — for her turn in Kenneth Branagh's Oscar-winning Irish coming-of-age film *Belfast* (2021).

In recent years, Balfe expanded her toolkit by directing episodes of *Outlander*. She's also slated to appear in another period literary adaptation, Jane Austen's *Sense and Sensibility, *in which she'll star opposite Daisy Edgar-Jones and George MacKay.

Balfe is married to Scottish music producer Tony McGill. In 2021, the pair welcomed a son.**

Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser

Sam Heughan as Jamie in 'Outlander' season 1; Heughan at the 'Outlander: Blood of My Blood' premiere in Los Angeles in 2025.

Neil Davidson/Starz; Michael Kovac/Getty

Like Balfe, Sam Heughan has starred on all seven seasons of *Outlander. *He plays stubborn and intelligent Scot Jamie Fraser, who sweeps Claire off her feet once she encounters him in the 18th century.

"Jamie is a special guy," Moore told EW back in 2015. "He’s different from the other guys of his era. He’s educated, he’s smart, and he’s willing to think in bigger terms than a lot of his contemporaries."

Heughan was a regular on British television prior to playing Jamie. He's since appeared in a diverse range of films, including the comedy *The Spy Who Dumped Me* (2018), the action-thriller *Bloodshot* (2020), and 2023's *Love Again *opposite Priyanka Chopra-Jonas.

He's also found success collaborating with *Outlander* costar Graham McTavish. The pair host a travel docuseries, *Men in Kilts* (2021–2023), and co-wrote a *New York Times* best-selling book, 2020's *Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other.*

During the COVID-19 lockdowns, the actor shared a statement on social media, lamenting being subject to "six years of constant bullying, harassment, stalking and false narrative." He added that he'd been accused of "manipulating fans, being a closet-homosexual, trying to mislead or exhort fans for money and disregarding coronavirus advice."

This came a few years after a Sony TV executive warned fans to take it easy when shipping the stars. "[If] it comes a point when it is aggressive, or takes a step over into harassment, that’s where I feel like it’s not healthy for both the person doing it and certainly not healthy for our cast and crew," said Sony TV Co-President Chris Parnell.**

In 2023, Heughan revealed to PEOPLE that he's "still looking" for love.

Tobias Menzies as Frank Randall/Black Jack Randall

Tobias Menzies as Black Jack Randall; Menzies as Frank Randall; Menzies at the 'F1' premiere on June 16, 2025, in New York.

Ed Miller/Starz; Frank W Ockenfels/Starz; Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty

Tobias Menzies played two immensely hatable roles on *Outlander*: Frank Randall, Claire's husband in 1945, and Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall, Frank's ancestor, in 1743. The role landed him a Golden Globe nomination in 2016.

The talented Menzies is one of our current masters of the period drama, having played real-life historical figures like Marcus Junius Brutus on *Rome* (2005–2007), James Fitzjames on *The Terror* (2018), Prince Philip on *The Crown* (2019–2020), and Edwin Stanton on *Manhunt* (2024). His turn in *The Crown* nabbed him both an Emmy and a Screen Actors Guild Award.**** In recent years, he starred opposite Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Nicole Holofcener's *You Hurt My Feelings* (2023) and this year's commercial hit *F1* with Brad Pitt. He'll soon appear in *The Entertainment System Is Down*, the latest film from Palme d'Or winner Ruben Östlund.**

Graham McTavish as Dougal MacKenzie

Graham McTavish as Dougal MacKenzie in 'Outlander' season 1; McTavish at the 'Outlander: Blood of My Blood' premiere on July 28, 2025.

Frank W Ockenfels 3/ Starz; Paul Archuleta/Getty

The stately and imposing Graham McTavish helped lead *Outlander* as brawny war chief Dougal MacKenzie on the first two seasons of *Outlander*, though the actor would return for a couple more appearances later in the series.

In July, McTavish crashed the panel for *Outlander: Blood of My Blood* at the San Diego Comic-Con to rib Sam Retford, who plays a younger Dougal on the prequel series.

"I fell in love with Dougal the first time I laid eyes on you," Retford said, prompting McTavish to interject, "Of course you did."**

The Scottish McTavish has appeared in dozens of films and TV projects over the years. He also lends his voice to video games like the *Uncharted* series (2009–2016) and *Marvel's Midnight Suns* (2022).

In addition to leading the travel docuseries *Men in Kilts* with Heughan, McTavish has spent the last few years appearing on series like *House of the Dragon* (2022), *Love, Death & Robots* (2025), and *Spartacus: House of Ashur* (2025).**

Gary Lewis as Colum MacKenzie

Gary Lewis as Colum MacKenzie in 'Outlander' season 1; Lewis at the 73rd Edinburgh International Film Festival in 2019.

Frank W Ockenfels 3/Starz; Roberto Ricciuti/Getty

Gary Lewis starred as Colum MacKenzie, the disabled, wine-swilling MacKenzie Clan leader who helped lead *Outlander* for its first two seasons.

In a 2016 interview with Yahoo! TV, Lewis discussed Colum's practicality and what distinguishes his leadership from that of McTavish's Dougal. “Colum seeks to understand the developing situation and makes decisions based on what he thinks will be best for the clan, many years down the line," the actor said. "He sees that Dougal is incapable of that. Dougal is more about instant gratification. No thought or foresight. Graham says that Dougal is ‘complicated.’ Whereas he is really just a havering arse driven by his knob and his pride."

Lewis was a prolific performer in the decades prior to *Outlander*, having worked with acclaimed filmmakers like Ken Loach (*Carla's Song*, *My Name Is Joe*), Stephen Daldry (*Billy Elliot*), Martin Scorsese (*Gangs of New York*), and Nicolas Winding Refn (*Valhalla Rising*).

After leaving the series, Lewis worked on popular shows like HBO's *His Dark Materials* (2019–2020), BBC One's *Vigil* (2021–2023), and Apple TV+'s *Franklin* (2024). He'll next appear with Jamie Dornan and Mackenzie Davis on Netflix's *The Undertow*.**

Duncan Lacroix as Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser

Duncan Lacroix as Murtagh Fitzgibbons; Lacroix at the 'Outlander' season 5 premiere on Feb. 13, 2020, in Los Angeles.

Ed Miller/Starz; Michael Tran/Getty

Duncan Lacroix starred on five seasons of *Outlander* as Murtagh Fraser, an ally to Jamie and the man who first discovered Claire in 1743.

Prior to landing *Outlander*, the actor appeared primarily in small roles on series like *Game of Thrones* (2012) and *Vikings* (2014).**

"Where I was at with my career was pretty much giving up," Lacroix said in a 2024 interview celebrating the show's 10th anniversary. "I'd done about 14 years of acting in Ireland, and I was actually studying a course, so I was gonna go and teach English in China."

Following Lacroix departure from the series in season 5, Heughan talked to EW about the importance of both the character and the actor. "For Jamie, [Murtagh was] the link to Jamie's past in Scotland. He's really his father figure, as well. He's a silent, constant figure, someone that Jamie can rely on who's been there from the very beginning."

He added, "Everyone didn't want to say goodbye to Duncan Lacroix. He's such a wonderful human being, a great actor. He's so, so good. He's also a lot of fun and has been a part of our family since the beginning, so none of us wanted to get to that day."**

Grant O’Rourke as Rupert MacKenzie

Grant O'Rourke as Rupert MacKenzie in 'Outlander' season 1; O'Rourke in 2024.

Neil Davidson/Starz; Starz

Grant O'Rourke played Clan MacKenzie loyalist Rupert MacKenzie throughout the first three seasons of *Outlander*, often with Stephen Walters' Angus Mhor by his side.

Since leaving the series, O'Rourke has continued to work steadily on U.K. television, with roles in projects like *Beep* (2021), *Shetland* (2022), and *Annika* (2023).**

Stephen Walters as Angus Mhor

Stephen Walters as Angus Mhor in 'Outlander' season 1; Walters in 2024.

Frank W Ockenfels 3/Starz; Starz

Along with O'Rourke's Rupert, Stephen Walters' Angus Mhor delivered ample comic relief to the early seasons of *Outlander*.

Though Angus was killed off sooner than Walters had expected, he told TVLine in 2016 that he was grateful for how he went out, expressing, "I feel blessed enough that the character had its own story, its own end and its own finish."

He continued, "It’s kind of fitting that it should be with the character of Claire, given that for most of the time I was on screen, I was either goading her or picking on her. And in the end, she kind of came around to him, or he came around to her. It’s fitting that it should be that he died in her arms. It’s a nice touch, an ironic touch."

Walters has remained busy in the years since leaving *Outlander, *with meaty roles on BBC Scotland's *Shetland* (2018), Apple TV+ hit *Slow Horses *(2022), and BBC One's *This City Is Ours* (2025).**

Lotte Verbeek as Geillis Duncan

Lotte Verbeek as Geillis Duncan in 'Outlander' season 1; Verbeek at the 2020 Monte Carlo Film Festival.

Ed Miller/Starz; Daniele Venturelli/Getty

Lotte Verbeek plays a particularly memorable role in the early seasons of *Outlander* as Geillis Duncan, who's revealed at the end of season 1 to, like Claire, also be from the future. As the series unfolds, so too does the darkness lurking in Geillis, who's also known as Gillian Edgars, Mistress Abernathy, and the Bakra.

Was she also responsible for one of *Outlander*'s most absurd moments? Sure, but, hey, more power to her.

Verbeek reflected on her character during a 2024 interview about Geillis' return in season 7. "She's obviously done some pretty terrible things but she seems to get away with it," she said. "Also, I think she comes from a place of really believing in the cause and that everything needs to sort of, happen just for the cause and that she's just a very passionate person. She's a rebel, and I think she's a free spirited person."

Leading up to her initial departure in season 3, Verbeek starred in films such as *The Fault in Our Stars* (2014) and *The Last Witch Hunter *(2016) before landing the key role of Katarina Rostova on NBC's *The Blacklist *(2016–2021), which she appeared on for six seasons.

Next up for Verbeek is *Nuremberg*, an upcoming WWII drama in which she appears opposite Russell Crowe as Emmy Göring, wife of Nazi commander Hermann Göring.**

Bill Paterson as Ned Gowan

Bill Paterson as Ned Gowan in 'Outlander' season 1; Paterson in London in 2024.

Ed Miller/Starz; Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty

Bill Paterson starred in the early years of *Outlander* as Edinburgh-born lawyer Ned Gowan, who, "with his ponytail and spectacles could be Benjamin Franklin's long-lost Scottish cousin," EW's recapper wrote in 2014.

Paterson praised the show when accepting a lifetime achievement award for his Outstanding Contribution to Film & Television at the Scottish BAFTAs in 2015. “There is a huge amount of good acting in the show and great wonderful values in it," he said. "Sam Heughan is wonderful in it."

He's worked extensively in film and television since the 1970s, and continues to appear in buzzy projects. You may have recently seen him in Phoebe Waller-Bridge's *Fleabag* (2016–2019), Netflix's *The Sandman* (2022), or HBO's *House of the Dragon* (2022), on which he played the unfortunate Lyman Beesbury.

Where can I watch Outlander?

*Outlander* seasons 1-6 are currently available to stream on Netflix, as is the first part of season 7.

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Source: “AOL TV”