Entertainment Extra

2 ENTERTAINMENT EXTRA By Rachel Jones TV Media S ince 2014, "Outlander" has swept up fans from around the globe and transported them to the Scottish Highlands. But if Book 5 showed viewers any- thing, it's that this idyllic life on the serene hillsides comes at a dangerous cost. Book 6 of "Outlander" premieres on Starz on Sunday, March 6. "Outlander" follows the story of Claire Fraser, played by Caitriona Balfe ("Ford v Ferrari," 2019), who stumbled across a magical stone portal in Book 1 and landed in the 18th century — quite the shock for a married WWII nurse. Desperately search- ing for a way home, she soon met Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan, "The Spy Who Dumped Me," 2018) and threw caution to the wind, leaving the modern world behind in pursuit of love. Book 5 (beware of spoilers ahead) explored the couple's daughter, Brianna Fraser (Sophie Skelton, "Blackbird," 2016), and her relationship with a man from the 1960s named Roger, played by Scottish actor Richard Rankin ("American Odyssey"). Jamie's nephew, Ian, is played by John Bell ("The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," 2013). Even though Roger entered the stones with Brianna, they realize their place is at Fraser Ridge in the 18th century with their family. But with the Fraser clan living on stolen land in British North Carolina, Ian selling Roger to the Mohawk tribe after thinking he raped Brianna, and the American Revolution loom- ing on the horizon, the events of Book 6 are guaranteed to be some of the most intense the Frasers have seen to date. The American War of Independence is a tough posi- tion for this Scottish family to be in, especially considering Claire and Roger know the outcome of the war and are familiar with the heavy toll fighting takes on lives and society. The "Outlander" historical fic- tion series is inspired by the pop- ular romance series of the same name by Diana Gabaldon. Gabaldon's unique back- ground is far from the romantic reverie her series boasts. The author holds a bachelor of sci- ence in zoology and originally wrote software reviews and technical articles for computer publications. After seeing an epi- sode of "Doctor Who," however, she was inspired with the idea of Jamie Fraser, and the rest is, well, historical fiction. Since Gabaldon's "Outlander" began its run on the small screen in 2014, it has been nom- inated for 70 awards and has won more than 30 in a range of categories from costumes, music and production design to, of course, acting performance. These awards span everything from Women's Image Network and People's Choice Awards to the BAFTAs, Golden Globes and highly coveted Primetime Emmys. There's no denying that the show's success is largely due to the chemistry between Balfe and Heughan. With 10 books in the series, the pair made a vow during filming that if they're going to make it through, they're going to do it together — just like Claire and Jamie. In an interview with the U.K.'s Express, Balfe recalled her initial nerves about coming on set and meeting Heughan, who was already fairly comfortable with his role in the show. Thankfully, the connection was there from the beginning. "I just remember him being just such a lovely, calming ener- gy in the room," Balfe said. And now their tangible heat is leg- endary, leaving fans thirsting for more. Speaking of thirst, Heughan has also launched a whisky brand named for his TV wife: The Sassenach. Heughan's involvement in the spirit only makes sense as he, like his char- acter, is native to Scotland, and his interests have always appeared to remain fairly close to home. He attended school in Edinburgh and performed throughout Glasgow before traveling to London for further exposure. Irish actress Balfe, however, has strayed slightly farther from her roots throughout her career, spending much of her pre- "Outlander" time as a fashion model for Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana and Louis Vuitton. Both Heughan and Balfe share a charitable spirit, however, and ran marathons in 2018 to raise funds for various health aware- ness programs and causes. While fans of the show have lamented its delayed air date, "Outlander" isn't exactly a pan- demic-friendly show when it comes to filming. Known for steamy romance scenes that would make your grandma (or anyone, really) blush, co-execu- tive producer Maril Davis stated in an interview that they had reduced scenes, cast and crew sizes to minimize the chance of contracting any illness. Additional precautions includ- ed Heughan recording his infa- mous lovemaking sounds in post-production. Schwering Realty 2 x 2" Pear Tree Gallery 3 x 2" On the Cover Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan star in "Outlander" 'Outlander' turns a page on Starz Chase Center 3 x 2" American Legion Post 60 2 x 3" Thrifty Muffler 2 x 2.5"

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