Sam Heughan and 'Outlander: Blood of My Blood' Cast Light Up Hollywood with a Scottish Premiere

A Scottish Celebration in West Hollywood

The streets of West Hollywood were transformed into a slice of Scotland on Monday as Starz hosted the premiere of its new prequel series, Blood of My Blood. The event kicked off with a bagpipe processional that welcomed guests, media, and fans. As the stars arrived, they were handed branded tote bags and used Sharpies to sign them, creating a memorable keepsake for attendees.

The cast of the prequel, many of whom are newcomers to Hollywood, received an enthusiastic reception from Outlander fans. Among the highlights was Sam Heughan, who played Jamie Fraser, making a grand entrance that sparked cheers and excitement. He waved, smiled, and posed for photos before heading inside for the screening of the first episode.

New Cast Members Embrace Their Roles

Sam Retford, who plays Dougal MacKenzie, shared his experience at San Diego Comic-Con, where the show had one of the most anticipated panels of the weekend. “It was unbelievably overwhelming,” he said. “I’m a little bit of a nerd, so I was swanning around getting distracted by the Star Wars and Marvel stuff, and then I realized that I was going to be stepping on the stage and having to talk.” Retford admitted he hadn’t prepared much for his speech, but the experience left him feeling accomplished.

Retford also revealed that Graham McTavish, who played the older version of Dougal, surprised him during the panel. “After a wine or two, we got to know each other and we share a lot of the same humor,” Retford said. “Mr. Graham, thank you very much for passing the sword.”

McTavish, who was present at the premiere, explained that the surprise was months in the making. “That was actually about two weeks’ worth of planning,” he said. “We managed to keep it completely secret. None of them had any idea, and it was wonderful to go on and see Sam get completely tongue-tied.”

Veteran Advice for Newcomers

As a veteran of the Outlander series, McTavish offered advice to the new cast members. “I think they need to prepare themselves for the fact that there is not going to be a day that goes by in the future where somebody doesn't come to them and speak about Outlander,” he said. “There's not a day that goes by that I'm not touched in some way by that show.”

The prequel introduces new romantic leads, including Jeremy Irons and Hermione Corfield, who play Claire’s parents, and Jamie Roy and Harriet Slater, who portray Jamie Fraser’s parents. Roy expressed pride in filming in his hometown of Glasgow. “It really meant a lot to me to show [the cast] a good time, make them feel safe and make them feel welcome,” he said. “I think everyone has really enjoyed Glasgow and we spent seven months at least filming, so I'd like to think people call it a second home.”

Slater, meanwhile, felt a deeper connection to her character, Ellen MacKenzie. “I think the show has taught me that I have a lot more in common with Ellen than I thought I did at the beginning of the job,” she said. “I started off thinking we were quite different people, and I admired her in many ways, but I think I've realized that I have a little bit more of her in me than I thought.”

Fun on Set and Off

The cast bonded during filming, which was evident from the red carpet interviews filled with playful interactions. Rory Alexander, who plays young Murtagh, admitted to sometimes getting reprimanded for having too much fun. “We are so lucky to work on something where we actually want to spend time together and have such a giggle,” he said. “Sometimes that does lead to two days of standing in a field giggling.”

The cast even played a game of Traitors on set, with some claiming to have known the culprit all along. Conor MacNeill, who plays Ned, said he was a Faithful and guessed who the Traitor was early on. “He might have been the guy, and I knew but no one would trust me,” he said, pointing at Retford.

Seamus McLean, who plays Colum, claimed he knew the Traitor all along. “I knew all along,” he said. “I looked into his eyes, folks, and there was a wee kind of cheeky glint. I knew he was a Traitor.”

A Night to Remember

After the red carpet festivities, the cast and fans were ushered inside to watch the highly anticipated first episode of Blood of My Blood. Several scenes elicited gasps and cheers, while a particularly shocking dialogue caused the audience to burst into laughter. The cast, seated nearby, joined in on the merriment.

At the after-party, McLean and Alexander led singalongs of Oasis and The Verve hits, while Heughan made appearances throughout the evening. Outlander: Blood of My Blood will debut on August 8 on Starz.