'Outlander' season 3: Richard Rankin interviewed by 'German Sassenachs'; Teases funniest scene yet for Roger

Roger’s funniest scene yet is in “Outlander” season 3, Richard Rankin teased in an interview with the biggest fan group of the TV series from Germany. The actor spoke about his character, the show, as well as the book series by Diana Gabaldon that has made all this possible for him.

The fan group call themselves “German Sassenachs.” Rankin (Roger Wakefield) was in the country and decided to speak to them. He also got a bag of goodies as a gift. Apart from the t-shirt with the group’s logo, there were also chocolates, which the actor said would be gone by the end of the day. Chocolates are apparently his favourite.

The first question was about if he has read all the books on which the show is based on. Rankin said that he is yet to finish it, but added that it is nice to know what happens next for his character. Usually the actors have to wait for the scripts of the next season to find out what happens, he pointed out.

Rankin praised Gabaldon for writing Scotland and its people so well in her books. This is especially significant as she didn’t visit the country while writing the first book in the series, and all her research was done remotely.

When asked if he has any clues about what happens to his character next in the story, Rankin said that he has “lots of clues.” Rankin has read the fourth book “Drums of Autumn,” and he also has an idea about what happens in the fifth book, “The Fiery Cross.”

Rankin said that he knows many spoilers about what happens further down the line. However, for the fans of the book series, the actor pointed out that the TV show is an adaptation of Gabaldon’s work. So, it isn’t always clear how the writers plan to tell the story in order to make it fit into an episodic format. The actor explained that they may bind things together or make changes for this purpose.

One change that Rankin is happy they didn’t make about his character is from a scene in the second season, when Roger approaches the bonfire. “Smells like a barbecue,” the character remarks at that moment. The actor was keen on keeping this dialogue.

When asked if he feels like strangling Brianna (Sophie Skelton) sometimes, the actor joked that it would be more then “sometimes.” On a more serious note he explained that the relationship between Roger and his love interest is like that of an elastic band. They may diverge on issues and may “come apart,” but they are always “connected.” He described their relationship as being “fiery.”

Rankin also teased that the funniest scene he has filmed so far is for “Outlander” season 3. The actor is not allowed to speak about this right now, but is more than willing to share details once the scene airs. The full interview of the actor can be found on the YouTube channel of the German fan group.