Dundee actor Mark Rannoch has shared his excitement in an interview with The Courier ahead of his TV debut on hit series Outlander later this week.
Mark, 30, will appear in the show’s sixth series, alongside stars Sam Heughan and Catriona Balfe when it airs in March.
Speaking ahead of the release, the Dundee-born actor told fans they can expect to see him appear in the historical drama towards the end of the season in episodes five and six.
Remaining tight-lipped about his character Jack’s storyline, Mark revealed only a few details about his time filming the show.
“I can’t tell you too much about the role,” he said.
“What I will say is when I went to Glasgow for filming I had to have a week and a half of horseriding lessons.
“I also had some rifle training, so that might suggest some conflict with Jack and the main characters.”
Mark now lives in London but was bought up in the Craigiebank area of Dundee, attending Craigie High School and later Dundee and Angus College.
Outlander is based on the ongoing novel series of the same name by Diana Gabaldon.
It has a huge fan base worldwide, and many have been in touch with Mark congratulating him.
Mark said: “Outlander fans are so supportive and they are really keen for it. When they first started messaging me I didn’t know what I was allowed to say.
“It’s massive in America, so it’s slightly overwhelming in a good way. I’m very excited for people to see it.”
Outlander will be Mark’s first TV appearance, but he has previously appeared in theatre productions such as a WW1-based play at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Mark’s journey from Craigie to Outlander
Speaking about his journey into acting, Mark said: “I was quite a shy kid, I wasn’t one of the more popular people and there’s always bullies in school.
“Acting was more of a confidence-building tool for me at first and a bit of escapism to try and become someone who was confident.
“It really brought me on.”
While his big break has reassured Mark of his career choice, he admitted that he has questioned whether it was the right decision.
“It’s not an easy industry and there have been points with all the rejection that I’ve questioned whether it was worth it.
“Outlander has given me a new seed of hope and ambition, and I’ve been getting a lot more of big auditions with casting directors I could only have dreamed off,” he said.
Season 6 of Outlander will air from March 6, with UK viewers able to watch with a Starzplay subscription.
