‘Outlander’: Charles Vandervaart Cast In Key Role For Season 7
With Season 6 of ‘Outlander‘ recently concluded on Starz and Starzplay, they have now turned their attention to Season 7, and announced ‘Murdoch Mysteries’ and ‘Lost In Space’ actor Charles Vandervaart will take a key role next season.
Vandervaart takes on the role of “William Ransom”, the grown-up secret son of Jamie Fraser, in the internationally acclaimed original series. Production on season seven began in Scotland last month with Vandervaart joining returning cast members Caitríona Balfe, Sam Heughan, Sophie Skelton, Richard Rankin and John Bell.
Raised by his stepfather, Lord John Grey (David Berry), William, the ninth Earl of Ellesmere, is a highly anticipated character from the book series. In season seven, William arrives in Wilmington full of patriotic zeal and enthusiasm to join the British Army and help put an end to the escalating tensions in the American Colonies. As fans may remember from season three, William is actually the biological son of Jamie Fraser, though he does not know the truth of his parentage. On the surface, William Ransom is a courteous aristocrat but simmering under the surface is a Highlander’s fire.
“We are happy to welcome Charles to the Fraser family for season seven of ‘Outlander,’ joining the cast with the other talented actors that bring our stories to life,” says Matthew B. Roberts, showrunner, writer and executive producer. “Scotland will again be our production home as the Frasers and MacKenzies try to make a home against the backdrop of the Revolutionary War. This season promises more adventure, time travel and emotional peril than any season before.”
Season six did lay some of the groundwork for William’s arrival, with Jamie confessing to Claire about his son’s existence. We left the duo in a somewhat precarious situation, with Claire locked up in a holding cell in Wilmington having been accused of murder, whilst Jamie rushes to her rescue, having been saved by the Cherokee from being shipped back to Scotland. The arrival of William is likely to only complicate things further, considering the Civil War is about to kick off, and William is pictured above wearing a redcoat!
“The character of William Ransom is a wonderful role, and one fans have been eager to see,” adds Executive producer Maril Davis. “Finding someone with the talent and physicality to play Jamie’s son was a daunting task, but Charles’ charisma was evident during the audition process and we are excited to see what he will bring to William’s multi-layered journey.”
Vandervaart may be known to some of our UK audience for his recurring role as “John Brackenreid” in ‘Murdoch Mysteries’, which he played for eight seasons. He can also be seen on Netflix’s ‘October Faction’ in the recurring role of “Young Fred” as well as Blumhouse’s remake of ‘The Craft’, and recently appeared in the third and final season of Netflix sci-fi ‘Lost in Space’. Those of you with kids might also know his voice, and he played “Sid the Pirate” in four seasons of ‘Paw Patrol’.
The ‘Outlander’ television series is inspired by Diana Gabaldon’s international best-selling books, which have sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide, with all nine of the books gracing the New York Times best-seller list. The “Outlander” television series has become a worldwide success with audiences, spanning the genres of history, science fiction, romance and adventure in one amazing tale.
Roberts, Ronald D. Moore, Davis, Toni Graphia, Luke Schelhaas, Andy Harries and Jim Kohlberg executive produce. ‘Outlander’ is produced by Tall Ship Productions, Left Bank Pictures and Story Mining & Supply Company, in association with Sony Pictures Television.
‘Outlander‘ airs on STARZ in the USA and STARZPLAY in the UK.
